University Tape

Complex is the bureaucratic mind and devious are its ways. To the student dashing into University Hall with his preliminary study card, the tentative list of courses for next fall has only one purpose--to give the University's IBM machines approximate enrollment statistics to whirl around in their electronic innards so that they can spew forth estimates of the number of section men, graders, and lecture hall seats that courses will require in September.

To University Hall's administrators, however, the card has an entirely different purpose. Rather than enable estimates of course size, the cards should make students consider their plans and talk them over with their advisers and tutors, claim the officials. On the incorrect assumption that bureaucrats want what they ask for, students frequently produce the study card but neglect the planning and discussion. Tutors aid the subversion of the card's aim by signing whatever tutees push at them, sometimes even blank study cards, without questions.

Although confusion of objectives does not overly harm the freshman since he must consult with concentration field representatives, sophomores and juniors might well benefit from thought and talk about their programs for the year to come. If the Administrative Board required students to meet with their tutors, rather than to list courses, it would make its objectives clear to students unaccustomed to administrators' subtle and indirect strategems. Lazy students and lazy tutors would continue to evade the requirement, but to the majority it would be clear what was wanted. About the only thing the board would lose is income from $10 lateness fines.