Soph Standing Critics Support SCCEP Report

Elliott Perkins '23, Master of Lowell House, and Zeph Stewart, associate professor of Greek and Latin, have supported the abolition of Sophomore Standing as advocated in the recent report by the Student Council Committee on Educational Policy.

President Pusey had no comment Wednesday when asked about his feelings on the program. He said that he did not anticipate a discussion of the matter by the Faculty CEP in the near future.

The Advanced Standing sophomore lacks "certain desirable, if not essential, knowledge that he would normally get during the Freshman year," Perkins said. He maintained that there is a large difference between passing an Advanced Placement examination and being able to take a one-year lower-level Gen Ed course.

Perkins also questioned whether the new student with Sophomore Standing, "who knows no more about the College than any other Freshman," is ready to choose a field of concentration in his first year.

Stewart said that the students' main problem was "staying only three years in a four-year college." He claimed, "Most of the students are injured because Harvard is just not organized for a three-year program."

Like Perkins, Stewart said that students who pass the Advanced Placement tests and become sophomores in their first year lack "a general grounding."

Edward T. Wilcox, Director of Advanced Standing, disagreed. Referring to the AP tests, Wilcox stated, "I cannot figure out any other way of screening a student. AP boards measure substantive learning."

"If you are going to have an advanced program, something is going to be weakened," according to Wilcox.

Perkins' Opinion

Perkins suggested that abolition of Sophomore Standing would not necessitate a four-year program for students who wished to accelerate their work. Undergraduates can finish in three years, he said, by attending summer school or taking extra courses.

The first year for advanced students could be improved if Gen Ed courses tried using separate sections or lectures based on ability.

The SCCEP report, issued last Friday, called for abolition of the program and further examination of the freshman year.