Five Major Fields Expect To Keep Summa Policy

Last week's report on the disparity in the number of highest honors degrees awarded by different departments has caused no widespread concern in the five fields shown to grant the fewest summas.

Representatives of these fields--Bio-chemistry, English, History, Government, and Economics--revealed last weekend that there are no immediate plans to change summa standards in their departments and that only a few faculty members are disturbed by the situation as described in the report.

The study, prepared by Dean K. Whitla, director of the Office of Tests, and submitted to the Faculty last Tuesday, showed that only 1.3 per cent of Social Sciences students receive degrees with highest honors, as opposed to 6.9 per cent in the Natural Sciences and 3.6 per cent in the Humanities.

Economic Summas

James S. Duesenberry, professor of Economics and co-chairman of that department's Examining Committee, admitted that "We're pretty fussy" in awarding honors degrees. He said, however, that a summa cum laude degree in Economics was intended to be "a very high recommendation," limited to students "likely to become creative scholars if they continue in their field."

He added that, on the other hand, several department members feared the small number of Economics summas awarded might tend to reflect badly on the field's students and faculty in the eyes of the rest of the University.

Samuel H. Beer, professor of Government and Chairman of the Department, said that "no one has suggested any change, but some are concerned that a summa doesn't mean as much in other departments as in ours."

The History department will probably discuss the report and may consider easing its standards, according to Myron P. Gilmore, professor of History and Chairman of the Department, but Lewis L. Engel '30, Chairman of the Board of Tutors in Biochemistry, said, "I don't foresee any relaxation of our requirements at this time."