Plan Lets Pre-Inductees Obtain Semester Credit Without Finals

Moving swiftly to provide students entering the services before mid-years with the opportunity of receiving credit for the semester's work, the Emergency Committee of Deans yesterday afternoon gave final approval to optional December "tests" in all courses. The imminence of Christmas vacation necessitated immediate action which could not even be delayed until the Faculty meeting of next Tuesday.

The first vote legalized the provision that students, undergraduates and graduate students in Arts and Sciences, can count a cumulative grade for course credit by presenting evidence of going into active service between December 7 and mid-years. The second outlined the system of "tests" (hour exams, weekly quizzes, or course papers) by which this cumulative grade can be compiled.

In the past few years, only Seniors who were candidates for honors could receive credit for a course without taking the final. This privilege had already been extended to all Seniors entering the service, and now will apply to all undergraduates and liberal arts graduate students.

Two Votes Announced

The two votes as announced yesterday by Paul H. Buck, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, follow in full:

1. With the approval of the appropriate Administrative Board of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, final credit for the term will be given on the basis of a cumulative grade reported in the case of any student who presents evidence tha the ahs been ordered to active duty in the armed forces between December 7th and the date of the mid-year examination.

2. At the request of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Instructors shall provide cumulative grades based upon suitable tests of the quality of the students' work for such students ordered to active duty. The tests (hour examinations, daily or weekly quizzes or exercises, these, themes, or written reports) shall cover the content of the course to the time of the students' withdrawal from college and include some test given in December.

Urging that all students take advantage of special exams or exercises offered in their courses because of the uncertainty of dates of call to active duty, Dean Hanford explained the details of the new plan. He advised that, "Every student who feels there is a possibility of being called into the service between now and the date of his mid-year examination should find out from his instructor whether an hour examination is to be given, or some other test provided, to ascertain the cumulative December grade. If a special examination or test is given, he is urged to take it because of the impossibility of foreseeing the exact date of his call to service.

"In case he is actually called to service at any time before the dates of the final examinations in his courses, he should consult with his Assistant Dean on the use of the December marks as final grades in his courses and present written evidence of the actual date when he is to report for duty.

"Finally, he should petition the Administrative Board for permission to count the December marks as mid-year grades in his courses. This credit is not granted automatically, but only on permission of the Administrative Board. The optional hour examinations for Seniors who are candidates for honors provide a most suitable kind of test in connection with the above plan.

"The cumulative grade will be based only upon the work assigned in a course up to the time of the special examination or test supplemented in some cases by the daily work, weekly quizzes, laboratory exercises, ect. up to the time of the student's actual withdrawal from college.