Dept. of Government Changes Honors Rules

The Department of Government has extensively revised undergraduate Honors requirements, chairman Robert G. McCloskey announced yesterday.

Changes have been made "to implement the Committee on Educational Policy proposals enacted last spring," McCloskey commented. These revisions include an essay for Honors juniors, a sophomore test, and required tutorial for credit during the junior year.

Government 99, previously required only for Honors seniors, will be revised and expanded for Honors juniors. As opposed to previous practice, tutors will give letter grades, and the amount of tutorial writing and research will be expanded to about the size of a regular full course.

In addition, to tutorial for credit, juniors must write a satisfactory essay in order to remain in the Honors program. Although the nature of such an essay will not be determined fully for the next few months, it is probable that juniors will have a certain period of time near the end of the academic year for preparation.

Expanded reading in tutorial will provide the necessary background for the junior essay. "We do not expect students to do additional research," McCloskey commented, "since tutorial reading should be sufficient."

Next year, sophomores must pass "some sort of qualifying test" to continue in Honors. The Class of '62 will be the first to take the examination.

Despite the expanded tutorial, students will have a chance to take five full courses during the junior year without extra charge. However, McCloskey warned against such action, since "tutorial will be greatly enlarged and far more important than in the past."

The Department's revisions closely followed the suggestions given by the Committee on Educational Policy. The number of senior Faculty members giving tutorial will be increased, and all students registered in Government as a field of concentration will automatically join the Honors program.