Yale Adopts Complete Pass-Fail

The Yale College Faculty voted over-whelmingly yesterday to abolish its numerical grading system and to adopt a pass-fail system for all undergraduate courses.

The measure, which goes into effect immediately this term, stipulates that students be marked on a basis of "fail," "pass," "high pass," and "honors." The Faculty voted down a motion to put any guidelines on the four categories.

Cumulative averages and class standings will no longer be kept for undergraduates. The Faculty has not yet decided how it will determine the honors degrees of cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude.

With very little opposition, the Faculty passed the new grading system by a 10-1 margin. The Courses of Study Committee, which has been studying the undergraduate curriculum for the past two years, unanimously recommended the new system to the Faculty. It was the Yale College Faculty's first meeting of the year,. and there may be more committee recommendations on courses at later meetings. "I assume they are putting their proposals out to us piecemeal," one Faculty source said last night.

In a separate action, the Yale College Faculty voted to eliminate a requirement that all departments must give final examinations to seniors. Now, "all alternatives" are open as a substitute to the written and oral exams if approved by the Courses of Study Committee.