Freshman Council's Survey Feedback Will Reinforce New Policy Proposals

The Freshman Council last night distributed surveys to all freshmen to determine dissatisfaction with Harvard in the Class of 1982.

Mark L. Olsen '82, a member of the council's Freshman Dean's Office Advisory Committee, which wrote the survey, said yesterday the survey is designed to "pinpoint the major problems of the freshman class and to point them out to University authorities."

Aware Freshpeople

Anthony duPont Prieto IV '82, another member of the committee, said yesterday the survey will "emphasize needs and concerns of the Class of '82 and increase social awareness of the Freshman Council and its activities."

The survey consists of 37 questions, which center around problems ranging from cold bathrooms to opinions on advanced standing.

Olsen said the committee hopes to use information gathered from the survey as proof that some of Harvard's policies should be changed.

Prieto said, "The committee has excellent ideas to improve conditions in the student environment, and we hope the survey will provide evidence that the student demand for those ideas is strong."

Olsen and Prieto said there are three main areas the committee hopes to alter as a result of the survey. They hope to make Harvard:

I--institute a policy requiring all courses to distribute, on the first day of class, a detailed syllabus outlining all paper and reading assignments, lecture topics and examination da es.

I--change its meal plan policy, reducing it to a 14-meal plan or installing a computerized meal system, similar to the one at Brown University where students receive credits for meals they do not eat.

I--take steps to define clearly and accurately its criteria for plagiarism, including revising the plagiarism booklet it currently gives to freshmen.

Olsen said the committee will also use the survey to improve the roommate placement system and the advanced standing program, and to revise the "Guide to the Houses" pamphlet which he said is misleading, out-of-date and too subjective.

Olsen said the section of the survey on advanced standing was designed by Mack I. Davis, the director of advanced standing. Davis will use survey data in his current revision of the program, Olsen said.

The purpose of the survey "is not to criticize the University, but to provide feedback for the Freshman Council to act on," Olsen said.