Move for Joint Examinations Killed As Radcliffe Officials Withdraw Plan

Annex authorities have withdrawn their request that Harvard and Radcliffe students take their final examinations together, Provost Buck announced yesterday.

This action means that there will be no joint exams, at least for the time being.

The only exception to this ruling is that in "certain courses in Fine Arts and Music, where the methods of conducting examinations require special equipment, examinations will be merged." The Provost's office will, upon application from the department concerned, decide which courses fall into this category.

Grad Merger Still Possible

Provost Buck also announced that "we are still exploring the desirability of merging examinations in some graduate courses."

The action of Radcliffe authorities in withdrawing their joint exams proposal ended a year of debate on the issue. Radcliffe's Student Council came out against the proposal after a poll of the Annex undergraduates found overwhelming opposition to the plan.

Harvard officials generally agreed that the question of joint exams was up to Radcliffe, since they felt that neither efficiency of operation nor financial savings was at stake. Harvard's Student Council declined to take a stand.

The proposal for joint exams was first made by the Radcliffe administration last spring. It was being considered by the Faculty Committee on Educational Policy when Radcliffe decided to withdraw the plan.