Students Ignoring CLGS; No Theses Given Up Yet

A spot check of departmental tutorial offices yesterday indicated that students are not taking advantage at all of the new University policy allowing honors concentrators to drop their theses at any time in favor of cum laude in general studies.

The first crisis period during which theses are likely to be abandoned has passed, and the lack of response is thought to mean that very few students will decide to drop theses this year.

"There is only one other likely period for drop-outs," said David D. Perkins, director of undergraduate studies for the English Department, "and that is much further along, when a student finds his thesis due, but hasn't yet begun it."

Other departments reporting no dropouts were Economics, History, History and Literature, Government, Philosophy, Romance Languages and Literature, and Social Relations.

Sanford A. Lakoff, head tutor in Government, commented that "not many students realize they have the option to drop their theses." He added that controversy over the Faculty policy may have made students reluctant to take advantage of it.

Departments have not yet decided how to grade students who decide not to write a thesis. In many cases, senior tutorial consists entirely of the thesis; but if tutees receive an "E" for an uncompleted thesis, they will have small chance of graduating cum laude in general studies. CLGS requires honors grades in more than two-thirds of the courses taken.

John T. Dunlop, professor of Economics, stated that the Economics department has no policy yet and "will deal with each case individually."

A spokesman for the History department said that concentrators may be able to substitute a long paper for the tutorial grade. He added that "most students likely to drop a thesis are not eligible for CLGS anyway."

One observer noted that the policy may be junked next year, since there has been no student response and much faculty opposition. Some departments have publicly indicated that they would discourage students from dropping their theses by threatening a grade of "E" in the senior tutorial.