Wald Course Approved By Gen Ed Committee

The General Education Committee has voted unanimously to accept for lower level General Education credit the biology course proposed by George Wald, professor of Biology. The decision marks the first time an introductory departmental course has been accepted for lower level credit.

Wald's course, which exists only in outline as yet, was proposed to fill the gap left by leaves of absence taken by four professors now teaching introductory and General Education courses in biology. It follows a precedent set by the Geology Department, which last year abandoned its introductory and accepted Natural Sciences 10 for concentration.

The course was approved despite some fears that, although presently acceptable to the Committee, it might revert to departmental form as some Committee members feel Social Sciences 1 has done.

Members of the Committee have been uniformly enthusiastic. One reason cited is that Wald, who was one of the authors of General Education in a Free Society, is one of the most respected men connected with Gen Ed, and has long been sought as a teacher for a lower level course.

Although endorsed as a course for concentration, one member of the Committee called Wald's proposal, "one of the few real General Education courses in the Natural Sciences."