CEP Nears Decision On Pass-Fail Proposal

The Committee on Educational Policy moved closer to a decision on a four course pass-fail plan yesterday.

For the first time within memory, the committee heard in person the opinions of undergraduates on academic policy--in this case, two members of the Harvard Policy Committee who argued in support of the pass-fail proposal.

Harvey Brooks, Dean of Engineering and Applied Physics and chairman of the committee in Dean Ford's absence, said he expects a "resolution of fact" on pass-fail at the CEP's next meeting, in two weeks.

The CEP also heard Faculty members offer information on the language requirement and interviewed Col. Robert H. Pell, professor of Military Science, on the senior-year Army ROTC course, Military Science 4hf.

But the CEP did not take up the issue of whether or not Military Science 4hf should be given for academic credit. Instead, Brooks said, the committee simply discussed the possibility of dropping the final exam in the course.

Henry R. Norr '68, chairman of the HPC and one of the two undergraduates invited before the Faculty group said the CEP members were "surprisingly sympathetic" to the pass-fail plan, which was formulated by the HPC last March.

Some of the CEP members, Norr said, were concerned that the pass-fail plan might be too permissive in allowing a course head to refuse to admit a pass-fail student, or in allowing a department to rule out taking a course for departmental credit on pass-fail.

Norr added, however, "Our chances of getting (the plan) through the CEP are much encouraged."

While the pass-fail decision should be made shortly, Brooks said, a decision on the future of the language requirement would require "a lot more fact-finding."