Gen Ed Values Questioned by Hooton in Poll

Five hundred questionnaires, designed to determine student reaction to General Education courses, were distributed yesterday by Earnest A. Hooton, professor of Anthropology.

Hooton said the poll is unofficial, and that he would make no report to the faculty but will deliver the results to an alumni symposium in the spring.

"I'm not trying to start any crusade," he added. "I merely want to find out if students think as highly of the present program as the faculty does."

Radcliffe Questioned

Hooton was invited to the symposium to deliver a lecture on the General Education courses. He said he feels that no evaluation of the present program is complete without student opinion, which, he implied, is just as important as that of the faculty.

A hundred of the 500 questionnaires were distributed at Radcliffe. Students who received them were picked by lot, and not by a definite system, except that an equal number were sent to each College and Radcliffe class.

"Values" Questioned

The forms contain ten "yes" or "no" questions; the first four are aimed at determining whether or not the General Education courses are succeeding in instilling "a sense of values" in the students.

The last six questions are more specific, asking, for example, "Should the undergraduates be required to take more General Education courses, fewer, or none at all?" or "Would you favor using the time and resources now devoted to General Education for a revival of tutoring in various fields of concentration?"

The forum also asks whether the present plan prevented students from doing more concentration than they wanted.