If You Miss His Lecture at 11, He'll Give It Again After Lunch

In an age of decreasing teaching loads, one Harvard professor has voluteered to teach the same course twice a day.

William Bossert, associate professor of Applied Mathematics, is offering a beginning course on computers, Nat Sci 110, which costs the Faculty of Arts and Sciences about $30 per student for computer time. The Faculty had budgeted for 150 students, but on Monday over 350 showed up in Pierce 110 for the first lecture.

Double the Budget

Bossert went to Edward T. Wilcox, director of General Education, and Wilcox carried the problem to Dean Ford, who agreed to double the budget for the course, so that 300 students could enroll.

That was only the first hurdle. Bossert uses closed-curcuit television to teach the course, because he likes to write programs in class, and he wants his students to be able to see the teletype keyboard and printouts as each program is being developed.

Pierce 110 is outfitted for closed-curcuit television, but only holds 250. Other rooms outfitted for closed-curcuit television are occupied at the hour Bossert gives the course.

So he volunteered to lecture in Pierce 110 twice a day--at 11 a.m., as originally scheduled and at 1 p.m., beginning today. He explained last night that he would be willing, reluctantly, to do this all semester, but he expects that a room will be found for the course by next week.