Ec 1 Cuts Technicalities, Will Examine Problems

Economics 1 will change next year to a course which "will educate every student to have a point of view about economic issues rather than merely the tools for higher courses," Arthur Smithies, professor of Economics and chairman of the Department of Economics, revealed yesterday.

Besides making changes in its syllabus, the popular elementary course will also succumb to the fashion of joint instruction.

The new course plans call for occasional guest lectures on topics that are better handled in lectures than in the traditional sections, and several unifying lectures toward the end of the year. Basically, however, Economics 1 will remain a section course.

Closer Integration Seen

Smithies hopes, though, that the work in the several sections will be better integrated next year by frequent staff meetings.

Much of the purely technical material that was part of Economics 1 in the past will be dropped and taught instead in the Department's rejuvenated tutorial program. Smithies thinks this system will be superior because previously he and his colleagues have found that the purely technical material taught in elementary courses has to be re-provided later.

The new syllabus is designed to enable students, to form judgments on subjects such as unemployment, inflation, and foreign aid.