Pusey Report Praises Growth of Activities

There has never been "more or better activity outside the classroom at Harvard than our present undergraduates somehow find time for," President Pusey asserted in his annual report to the Board of Overseers, released today.

Not only are there a record 83 registered undergraduate organizations, the report continues, but there has been a "discernible change" from years past in the kind of activities attracting undergraduates.

More specifically, "big activities have tended to give way to those conducted in smaller groups." Furthermore, those of "a more mature nature, with substantial intellectual content," have gained at the expense of an earlier sort of undergraduate activity, "which seems in retrospect to have been carried on almost for activity's sake."

The report singles out flourishing activity in music and drama, athletics, and Phillips Brooks House.

The 19-page report in addition covers a wide range of other subjects:

* It reemphasizes the University's concern with the problems of the sophomore year, and calls for increased work within the Houses to help sophomores with academic and personal problems. Pusey noted the appointment last spring of George W. Goethals '43 as Assistant Dean of the College to "help the House staffs to identify early those sophomores prone to academic or personal troubles...who may be helped by sympathetic early attention."

* It forshadows an even closer relationship between Harvard and Radcliffe, saying "the hour has come for us to cease talk about the College as a singular noun...and to speak rather about the Colleges, for surely Radcliffe has now become an inescapable part of our concern."

* It contrasts the concept of General Education that will probably emerge from the present discussion with the view advanced immediately after World War II. It notes that now, science and non-Western studies "have acquired increased importance as have the arts, including the practicing of art."

* It discusses some of Harvard's "unattained aspirations: the Program for Harvard Medicine is still some 13 million dollars short of its $58 million goal; the Graduate School of Education is hampered by an inadequate number of full-time faculty members.

The report also mentions several ungent building needs calling for immediate attention, including the Countway Library at the Medical School, the long-delayed tenth undergraduate House, a new central home for international studies, and the now $10 million multi-story scientific room and laboratory building.