Handlin Opposes Credit In Sophomore Tutorial

Proposals within the History Department to make sophomore tutorial a credit course were sharply criticized yesterday by Oscar Handlin, Winthrop Professor of History.

Handlin declared that merely giving a grade will not improve the tutorial program, because the curriculum of sophomore history tutorial "is out of date and must be revised."

"History tutors already give grades secretly within the Department," Handlin noted, "and if students could be terrified by the prospect of a grade, the present system should be adequate."

Despite objections of several senior members of the History Department, the Board of Tutors is now preparing a plan for credit sophomore tutorial, to be presented at the next Department meeting.

Giles Constable, head tutor, indicated yesterday that the total number of credits required for graduation (now 16 1/2) will not be changed for History concentrators, even if sophomore tutorial becomes a credit course. He said that no other definite decisions have yet been made about credit for sophomore tutorial.

Handlin said that "tutorial should be more important than regular courses," and argued that "offering credit for sophomore tutorial would lower it to the level of a middle-group course."

The argument that student attendance at credit tutorial sessions will be better than under the present system is not valid, Handlin said, because "students often don't turn up for their regular courses either."

"The curriculum of the existing tutorial program was set up in the days before the General Education program and must be changed to meet present conditions. Both the students and their backgrounds are different now," Handlin said.

Credit Will Not Solve Problem

Although Handlin declined to suggest any positive changes in sophomore tutorial curriculum, he declared flatly that "adding credit grades will not solve the problem."

Tutors in the Department of History and Literature have already prepared a credit program for sophomore tutorial, but will not take any further steps until the History plan is ready. The History and Lit proposal would make tutorial a half course running through the year and worth one-half credit.