Council Defends Student Right To Exercise Privilege Of Cutting

Retention of the present system of cutting classes was recommended last night by the Student Council at a regular meeting, in the belief that attendance is a matter of individual responsibility. Forced attendance, the report pointed out, would be a complete reversal of a 20 year trend, and would be a step towards undesirable regimentation of student life.

At the same time, under wartime rules for selecting students to the Council, two men were last night appointed to fill vacancies created by departing Seniors. E. Thayer Drake '44 of Chatham, New Jersey and Winthrop House, and George R. Hooper '45 of La Grange, Illinois and Eliot House, have been chosen to serve one year terms.

Reasons for Free Cutting

The current policy of allowing reasonable cutting of classes is the result of a series of reforms continually instituted by the College since 1928. First candidates for honors, then certain Seniors, then all undergraduates in good standing, have been allowed to cut classes. In some courses, however, instructors still signify that cutting would be detrimental to the student's grade.

The problem of work under an accelerated program was also treated by the Council as having some bearing on cuts. Juniors working for their divisionals, and Seniors writing theses cannot always be certain of perfect attendance. In principle, therefore, the Council feels that a move to ban cutting on the part of the College would e an unnecessary and dangerous step leading toward total scholastic regimentation. Records for the Summer Session have indicated that more men have been consistently present at classes this summer than ever before.

Arguments Against Cutting

Among the arguments against the system of free cutting, the most pressing has been the breakdown of the tutorial system which has been called in the past a check against excessive cutting. There is also current a feeling among circles outside the College that the liberal policy towards attendance creates habits of irregularity among College students. A widespread belief that the armed services have called for forced attendance has been investigated and proved unsound, the Coun '1 reported.

Under a system proposed for the regulation of cutting, exemption would still be made in the case of honor students; probably only men in the lower groups would come under its jurisdiction. The Council, however, feels that the need is not yet strong enough to warrant imposing a system "so alien to all the traditions of Harvard education.