U.C. Wants Smaller Sections

The Undergraduate Council last night voted to recommend that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences limit section size to 15 students.

Council member Randall A. Fine '96, one of two sponsors of the resolution, said many sections currently contain more than 20 students, a size which hinders rather than fosters discussion.

"Undergraduates are unified in their belief that section sizes, on the whole, are excessively large, forcing section leaders to lecture as opposed to leading discussion groups," Fine and co-sponsor N. Van Taylor '96-'95 wrote in the resolution.

Although the resolution as written applies to all undergraduate courses, Fine said the council will concentrate on reducing section sizes in core curriculum courses.

He said that decreasing section sizes and paying teaching fellows based on the number of students they teach, rather than the number of sections they oversee, will help students without significantly affecting teaching fellows.

"The only cost to the teaching fellow is one additional hour of the teaching fellow's time," Fine said.

Speaking in opposition, council member Jason E. Schmitt '98 argued that small sections may make students less willing to contribute to discussion.

But Fine and other council members said that, in their experience, large sections often serve as "mini-lectures."

"This [reform] could change undergraduate education more than simply changing the number of sections," Fine said.

The council also approved plans to sponsor a six-group a capella jam next weekend to celebrate the holidays.

Tentatively scheduled to appear at the concert next Saturday in Tercentenary Theater are the Pitches, the Din and Tonics, the Callbacks, the Opportunes, Glee Club Lite, the Veritones and the Kuumba Singers.

Delayed Recognition

In other business, the council, responding to complaints by a member that approval of his student organization has been held up for more than two years, approved a resolution "encouraging a prompt decision on any student group that meets the minimum requirement[s]" set by the University.

"It's really an issue of freedom of speech," said the student, Michael J. Hrnicek '96, who is president of Harvard Christians in Action.

Hrnicek's group, some of whose members belong to the Boston Church of Christ, an alleged cult, has not yet been recommended for recognition by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III because of questions about the group's autonomy.

But Fine said this resolution affects many organizations, not simply Hrnicek's religious group.

"Other students have approached me telling me about other student groups that have been negged," Fine said.

ROTC

During a question and answer period, council member Will E. Rehling '86-'95 asked President David L. Hanselman '94-'95 whether his proposal for the council to contribute to the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program violates the non-discrimination clause in the council's constitution.

"We're not only barred from discrimination," Rehling said, "but we're mandated to discourage discrimination."

But Hanselman said President Neil L. Rudenstine's decision to fund the ROTC program through independent contributions "has transformed this issue from a gay rights to a students' rights issue."

The matter will be discussed further at a meeting of the council's student affairs committee tonight.

Carnesale Visits

At the beginning of the meeting, Provost and acting President Albert Carnesale addressed the council on both his role as acting president and on the relationship between the president and undergraduates.

Carnesale said the University president's decisions on faculty tenure significantly affect undergraduate life.

"The selection and appointment of tenured faculty is the single most important thing that a president does," Carnesale said. "But most of the connections to students are indirect rather than personal or direct."

Responding to complaints that the University tenures very few of its junior faculty, Carnesale said this phenomenon can be attributed largely to logistical constraints, not problems with the quality of Harvard's junior faculty.

"There has to be an available professorship vacant in the field at the time," he said. "Very often our junior faculty members may find there is no vacant chair for which they can compete."

Carnesale has served as acting president since Rudenstine, citing fatigue, took a medical leave of absence two weeks ago.

The acting president said results from diagnostic tests on Rudenstine's condition will not be known for two weeks.

But the acting president suggested Rudenstine's fatigue may have come from "simply working too hard and trying to do too much in too many hours."

Harvard Dining Services Director Michael P. Berry also spoke to the council regarding last week's vomiting epidemic that hit more than 200 students (please see related story, page 1).

Loker Commons

In other business, the council recommended holding security classes for first-year students, placing an automated teller machine in the Science Center and opening the Alumni Hall dining hall to all undergraduates, not simply to first-year students.

But a motion to recommend restricting access to the Loker Commons dining and shopping area to only "Harvard students, administrators, faculty and their guests" failed.

Council Vice President Brandon C. Gregoire '95 announced the expulsion of four members for excessive absences, the resignation of one member and the reinstatement of three members previously expelled

"It's really an issue of freedom of speech," said the student, Michael J. Hrnicek '96, who is president of Harvard Christians in Action.

Hrnicek's group, some of whose members belong to the Boston Church of Christ, an alleged cult, has not yet been recommended for recognition by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III because of questions about the group's autonomy.

But Fine said this resolution affects many organizations, not simply Hrnicek's religious group.

"Other students have approached me telling me about other student groups that have been negged," Fine said.

ROTC

During a question and answer period, council member Will E. Rehling '86-'95 asked President David L. Hanselman '94-'95 whether his proposal for the council to contribute to the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program violates the non-discrimination clause in the council's constitution.

"We're not only barred from discrimination," Rehling said, "but we're mandated to discourage discrimination."

But Hanselman said President Neil L. Rudenstine's decision to fund the ROTC program through independent contributions "has transformed this issue from a gay rights to a students' rights issue."

The matter will be discussed further at a meeting of the council's student affairs committee tonight.

Carnesale Visits

At the beginning of the meeting, Provost and acting President Albert Carnesale addressed the council on both his role as acting president and on the relationship between the president and undergraduates.

Carnesale said the University president's decisions on faculty tenure significantly affect undergraduate life.

"The selection and appointment of tenured faculty is the single most important thing that a president does," Carnesale said. "But most of the connections to students are indirect rather than personal or direct."

Responding to complaints that the University tenures very few of its junior faculty, Carnesale said this phenomenon can be attributed largely to logistical constraints, not problems with the quality of Harvard's junior faculty.

"There has to be an available professorship vacant in the field at the time," he said. "Very often our junior faculty members may find there is no vacant chair for which they can compete."

Carnesale has served as acting president since Rudenstine, citing fatigue, took a medical leave of absence two weeks ago.

The acting president said results from diagnostic tests on Rudenstine's condition will not be known for two weeks.

But the acting president suggested Rudenstine's fatigue may have come from "simply working too hard and trying to do too much in too many hours."

Harvard Dining Services Director Michael P. Berry also spoke to the council regarding last week's vomiting epidemic that hit more than 200 students (please see related story, page 1).

Loker Commons

In other business, the council recommended holding security classes for first-year students, placing an automated teller machine in the Science Center and opening the Alumni Hall dining hall to all undergraduates, not simply to first-year students.

But a motion to recommend restricting access to the Loker Commons dining and shopping area to only "Harvard students, administrators, faculty and their guests" failed.

Council Vice President Brandon C. Gregoire '95 announced the expulsion of four members for excessive absences, the resignation of one member and the reinstatement of three members previously expelled