Houses May Alter Policy On Seminars

If the proposal to open tutorial to all students is adopted, individual House seminars might profitably include members of other Houses, Lloyd I. Rudolph, Senior Tutor of Dunster House commented last night.

Seminars in one House provide an inducement for non-Honors students to join, Rudolph indicated. Without a distinction between Honors and non-Honors, such an inducement would be unnecessary.

The seminars were started in the fall to strengthen the educational function of the Houses and to offer non-Honors and science majors small-group instruction similar to tutorials.

Another reason for encouraging "open" seminars, Rudolph explained, is that some seminars attract speakers "who are not repeatedly available." To exclude interested students from discussion with the seminar-leaders is extremely unwise, he said.

Most other Senior Tutors have not yet considered the idea of inter-House seminars, but a number felt that Honors students are more active in the seminars than the non-Honors students.

Although participants come evenly from both groups, the seminar program has not attracted many non-Honor students, according to John C. Morris, Senior Tutor of Dudley.

Honors Students Active

Robert M. O'Clair, Senior Tutor of Kirkland House, also thought that the most active seminar members are Honors students. "People who do well in one thing, do well in another," he declared.

Another Senior Tutor, Benjamin D. Labaree of Winthrop, claimed that non-Honors students concentrate on "keeping their heads above the water academically" and will not spend six or eight hours a week on non-credit activity.

The seminar program will be reviewed after studying the enrollment for tutorials next fall, Labaree said. "We shall then see how many take advantage of the new plan and how many others choose the time-honored way to get their degree."

The proposal to abolish the Honors program was made by Richard T. Gill '48, Allston Burr Senior Tutor of Leverett House.