Student Opinion Wins First Victory in Tutorial See-saw

Undergraduate opinion has won its first post-war victory--on the gutted battleground of tutorial. With his announcement yesterday that the newly-formed Social Relations Department of which he is chairman would offer modified tutorial instruction next year, Talcott Parsons, professor of Sociology revealed the overturning of a previous decision of the department against tutorial and in effect reversed year-old signals that had assumed the proportions of a trend.

"Insistent Demand"

According to Professor Parsons, the revocation of the original departmental ballot--which decided against asking the administration for permission to offer tutorial--came as a result of what Provost Buck earlier in the week called "insistent demand" from the Undergraduate General Education Committee.

The committee had asked, in light of President Conant's statement that financial considerations were not to be considered a hindrance, that the Department request from the Administration the tutorial which many of its members had privately informed the Council they favored.

Roger S. Kuhn '46, co-chairman of the student group, who headed the drive for Social Relations tutorial, said last night that "The Department's change of plans is the first sign that the trend towards abolition of tutorial has been checked and is the first major victory for tutorial in many years."

Modified Tutorial

Under present plans--to start next fall--the "modified tutorial" will include meetings in groups of not more than four or five or all Sophomores every two weeks for one term. During the second half of the Sophomores year, Social Relations concentrators will-use the active advisory system originally announced for the Department.

Juniors of Group IV will continue tutorial in small groups, meeting once a week; while Senior honors candidates will have full individual instruction preparatory to writing their theses, for credit under Social Relations 10 if desired.