Council Criticizes Review Progress

The Undergraduate Council (UC) passed a report strongly criticizing the progress of the Committee on General Education at last night’s meeting as part of its initiative to include student input in the Harvard College Curricular Review.

The eight-page, heavily footnoted report specifically criticized the Core Curriculum—calling it “more than inadequate” and “without an operative and working philosophical foundation”—and encouraged the Committee on General Education to state a cohesive philosophy on what a Harvard education should be before making any recommendations for change.

UC President Matthew J. Glazer ’06, one of the sponsors of the bill, criticized the General Education report—released in draft form to the Faculty Council in March—calling it “very disappointing.”

“It just lays out some requirements and that’s basically an empty report,” Glazer said.

Chair of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06—who also sponsored the bill—reiterated the need for the Committee on General Education to state their philosophy on education before producing recommendations.

“It is completely backwards to come up with a set of requirements and then try to imply a guiding philosophy,” Chadbourne said.

But after the meeting, Glazer said that the report was not meant to be a rebuke to the Committee.

“We want to heighten the level of discourse about the Curricular Review. We want a final recommendation that does advocate a foundational process on education,” he said.

Glazer will be circulating the report to the faculty and administrators involved in the Curricular Review, including University President Lawrence H. Summers. The Committee on General Education is scheduled to meet tomorrow.

This report is the first stage of the UC’s agenda for critiquing the Curricular Review. According to Glazer, the UC will produce a report on every committee involved in the Curricular Review by the end of the semester.

The UC also passed legislation allocating $400 to create a website with the hopes of encouraging students to express their opinion on the Curricular Review. The website will include discussion boards, surveys, and information about the Curricular Review.

When asked by a representative why the administration did not contribute to the funding of the website, Glazer said that the UC wanted to maintain autonomous control over the site.

In other business, the UC again discussed plans for an Undergraduate-only party to be held on the evening of Springfest from 6 to 9 p.m. This is the first year that Springfest will include an undergraduate-only event since the Office of Student Activities began funding it and opened it up to the community.

Beer will be provided in a roped-off area for students 21 and older, and according to Chair of the Campus Life Committee Lauren P.S. Epstein ’07, it will go for $1. A beer provider has not yet been finalized.

The entertainment has not yet been confirmed but will consist of a mix of student and professional bands. Only students with a Harvard College ID will be allowed into the event, and pre-frosh cannot attend.

“It should be very laid-back and relaxed,” Epstein said.

The CLC came under fire last night from representative Jason L. Lurie ’05 for the poor attendance at the recent “Havana on the Harbor” cruise, where only 40 students attended out of a capacity for 300. The UC lost $2,350 on the event.

“There’s risk involved in every event the UC produces,” Glazer said after the meeting. “Unfortunately it rained that night.”

—Staff writer Liz C. Goodwin can be reached at goodwin@fas.harvard.edu.