Credit Denied Spring Term Swahili Class

An Administration decision last week not to accredit a course in Swahili has touched off renewed discussion of an African Studies Program.

Edward L. Pattullo, assistant Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, charged that since the quality of the course can be neither judged nor assured by any University department, it can not be offered for credit.

But Pattullo suggested that a Swahili course would fit perfectly into the scope of an African Studies Program.

The eventual formation of such a program is not only necessary, but likely, according to Merle Fainsod, professor of Government. Fainsod affirmed yesterday that the creation of an African Studies Program only awaits a proper man around whom to build.

Emerson Suggested

Fainsod commented that Rupert Emerson '21, a professor of Government currently studying in Africa, would be such a man.

Boston University has for several years been developing a program of African Studies. Noting that African scholars are scarce, Fainsod suggested that the B.U. and Harvard programs could cooperate to mutual advantage.

Swahili Course

The Swahili course was proposed in conjunction with Project Tanganyika. Since the project will require that the 26 students going to Tanganyika all speak Swahili, the nation's native language, Phillip C. Gulliver, an associate professor of Anthropology at Boston University and former Government anthropologist for Tanganyika, was selected to teach the course.

Harvard, however, is hesitant to initiate courses which do not come under the jurisdiction of any established department. "We want to make sure that the University doesn't become a mail order place," Pattullo explained, adding, "we have to maintain high standards, and can't give credit to every project which students proposed, no matter how constructive it may be."

Swahili will nevertheless be offered this Spring as a non-credit course, although no one is yet certain whether it will be given here or at Boston University. Besides members of Project Tanganyika, students who plan to go on Crossroads Africa--and some who plan to stay in the United States--intend to take the course.