Soc Rel Soph Enrollment Drops Below Last Year's

Dr. William E. McCord, Chairman of the Board of Tutors in Social Relations, revealed yesterday that the number of sophomores concentrating in Social Relations this year had dropped 25% from last year's total, while the proportion of honors candidates has increased.

Social Relations still remains the fifth largest field of concentration in the University, the only larger fields being English, History, Government, and Economics.

McCord reported that the number of honors concentrators in Social Relations was now 55%, compared to 35-40% in the past. This made the percentage of honors candidates in Social Relations, McCord said, twice as high as in English, somewhat more than in government and economics, and approximately the same as in history.

"I attribute most of this year's decrease to the stricter Departmental requirements imposed last spring. The weaker students are shifting to other fields. In last year's sophomore group, about 20% were Group VI or on unsatisfactory standing. This year we have none in either group," stated McCord.

At present, there are 70 Harvard and 24 Radcliffe sophomores concentrating in Social Relations.

White stated that the decrease in concentrators might be a temporary phenomenon. "In two or three years the stiffer requirements may increase the department's reputation and attract more and better people," he said.

"I do not think it is our function to become an almost entirely honors department," he added.