Faculty Starts work on Bender Advising Report

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences started to work yesterday on the Bender report on "Advising in Harvard College" which included such controversial recommendations as House Deans and extensive group tutorial.

Provost Buck said last night that by Spring the Faculty will probably enact definite legislation on the College advising system.

Faculty comment Sought

Yesterday's general discussion was initiated by Provost Buck land the Faculty Committee on Educational Policy in order to sound out faculty opinion. No votes will be taken by the Faculty on this matter, however, until the Committee makes its formal recommendations.

Faculty meetings are closed to the public and press.

Buck Pleased

The Provost said last night that he was very gratified by the "tremendous interest shown yesterday by the Faculty in the problem of advising." He added that it is "very important" that the Faculty discuss these problems now.

The college's advising "problems" were first made public this November when a ten-man Faculty sub-committee headed by Dean Bender urged the College to establish a more personalized teacher-student relationship.

Five Points

Five of the major recommendations of Bender's advising report have been placed on the agenda of future Faculty meetings by the Provost.

The Faculty will discuss: 1) Decentralization of the Dean's Office and the setting up of a system of House deans; 2) The establishment of group tutorial for all students in the Government, History, economic, English, and Social relations departments; 3) Advising in other departments; 4) Advising in the Special Services such as Hygiene and Financial Aid; and 5) Freshman Advising.

There has been no statement yet on how mobilization will affect the proposals.