Leighton Asks Progress On Non-Honors Tutorial

Delmar Leighton appealed strongly for progress toward tutorial for non-Honors students, in his final report as Dean of Harvard College, released yesterday.

To Leighton the "best setting" for such tutorial rests in the Houses, which must provide "suitable substitutes for the strengthened tutorial offered to Honors men." Citing the suggestion for such instruction in last year's report of the Committee on Educational Policy, he added, "it is not clear whether tutorial instruction of the usual kind, or some kind of modified group tutorial, or even merely an advisory relationship was contemplated." Leighton left the choice up to the tutors and Masters.

The Faculty last year omitted any such proposals from its vote on the CEP plan, a move of which Leighton said, "one cannot complain . . . but one may regret it. The CEP report, while offering loop-holes for interested Juniors who have failed their Honors qualifying tests, does not offer a "hopeful" indication that many will take advantage of this. "No provision is made for non-Honors Seniors," he reiterated.

More Voluntary Withdrawals

That increase in the quality of academic ability which the CEP report reflects and tried to channel is perhaps a cause of the increase in the number of "voluntary withdrawals" from the College. In the past two years these have risen from 75 to 145, a fact which Leighton sees as perhaps "a reflection of mounting emotional tensions."

Such tensions, even if not arising from College conditions, should come to the attention of College authorities "if unnecessary wastes of talent and educational resources are to be avoided." The increase in "outstanding" students may tend to evoke an "emotional impact of impending failure" on those students whose work is not of this calibre.

Leighton ended his final report finding is "impossible to give expression to the deep sense of gratitude which I feel to the University for the opportunity I have had to participate in a reorganization of Harvard College" under Dean Bundy's leadership. "I am happy that I am to continue in a less central position in these developments," he concluded, "where I hope I may continue to enjoy the friendship, patience, and help of my present colleagues and the staff of University Hall to whom I owe so much."