Soc Rel Dept. Alters Honors Requirement

The Department of Social Relations has stiffened its Honors program, replacing a required Senior seminar course with a similar course for Junior Honors candidates.

In keeping with recommendations last spring by the Committee on Educational Policy, the Department will institute oral general examinations in place of written exams for Honors candidates, starting with the Class of '61. The Class of '60 will have a choice between oral and written examinations.

Compulsory Junior non-Honors tutorials will be abandoned, a policy followed by all other Departments, Thomas F. Pettigrew, assistant professor of Social Psychology, said yesterday. For non-Honors Seniors, tutorial groups without course credit will be organized in each House and at Radcliffe during the Spring, in preparation for General Examinations.

Robert W. White, chairman of the Department, indicated that the present non-Honors program is unsatisfactory and will be revised before the end of the year.

Special provisions have been made for members of the Class of '61 affected by the program change. They will be able to enroll in Social Relations 89, the new course for Junior Honors candidates, and in special cases will be permitted to begin individual tutorial the second semester of their Junior year.

Starting next year, the Department will "invite" qualified Sophomore concentrators to continue their Honors candidacy beyond Sophomore year. Students not qualifying will be able to petition to take the Honors program on a trial basis.