Report Hits All Phases

A few selected quotations from the report of the Special Committee on Education of the Student Council:

On Assumptions: "It is with the failure or significant shortcomings of the following assumptions that we shall concern ourselves:

1. The mature Freshman.

2. The Student as his own teacher.

3. The University-College balance.

4. The Contact between faculty and student.

5. The traditional apathy excuse and the individuality of the Harvard man."

On Lectures: "The inadequacy of the lecture is that, of itself, it cannot provide a two way communication between student and teacher . . . It is distressing to contemplate the fact that despite the universal dependence on the lecture system, the real keynote to education--learning to think, learning to read, and learning to work efficiently--are aims that are achieved less in the lectures than anywhere else."

On Teachers: "Much of the teaching problem will remain unsolved until teaching ability becomes a focus of reward, until those rare men are recognized who can develop skill in giving others the incentive to learn, explore, and discuss."

On Examinations: "The examinations should be less of a bear trap . . . This approach should be positive, not negative. Its purpose should be to probe for knowledge, not to pry for lack of it."

On General Education: "It is our belief, however, that a serious deficiency in a Harvard Education is also a serious deficiency of the GE report; it is a failure to focus on method and on the problem of eliciting active student participation."

On Tutorial: "In the individual tutorial session the student is carrying the largest part of the discussion, and more important, the nature of the two-way conversation means that be must really project himself into what he is discussing and develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic."

On Advising: "Nearly all of the students are left to find their own way. . . . The typical student desperately wants some form of guidance, or at least a closer association with the faculty in order to be reassured that his work is meaningful, that his place in the university is important, and that his growth is in the proper direction."

On the Report: "If we can convince the faculty that something is lacking from our education, or more serious, that something is wrong with it, then this report will be successful."