Faculty May Vote to Relax Attendance, Absence Rules

Elimination of official reports on upperclass attendance records and simplification of the excused absenses system is currently under consideration by the Administrative Board, Dean Leighton announced yesterday. The Board's proposals will go before the faculty on October 21.

This is the latest move in the decentralization of the Dean's Office that began with the appointment of the eight Allston Burr Senior Tutors last spring.

Duplication of records was one of the major problems in setting up the new program. If the Board's present proposals are approved, the attendance records of upperclassmen enrolled in elementary courses will not be sent to the Burr Tutors.

"The expense of duplication in the eight offices of the Senior Tutors plus the record-keeping in University Hall would be intolerable," Leighton said yesterday.

Upperclass Records Centrallzed

Under the system used last year, upperclass attendance was taken in the 91 courses "regularly open to freshmen." In the new proposal, only freshmen attendance would be given to the deans via the Registrar's Office; the attendance records for upperclassmen would be available in a central location in University Hall (perhaps the Registrar's Office) for Deans to consult if they wished. However, copies would not be sent to the Deans.

The Administrative Board is consulting the Student Council about the proposed changes.

The present system of informing an instructor of a student's excused absence would be simplified; henceforth it will be up to the student, not the Dean's Office, to see that the instructor is notified.

Student to Inform Instructor

Leighton said that a secretary would be assigned, probably in the Registrar's Offices, to keep excusos. A student would then have to come in and notify her of any assigned work he misses and for which he is excused (because of athletic contests, sickness, etc.). He will also have to tell his instructor that he will be absent.

Leighton noted that both these plans put new responsibilities on the student while "cutting down the machinery a great deal," and added, "the rule still holds that students are expected to attend all classes."