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The Government Department has abandoned a plan to establish a uniform topic for sophomore tutorial.
The plan, originated by Isaac Kramnick '59, Head Tutor in Government, was designed to end "the total anarchy of sophomore tutorial." It would have focused on twentieth-century political science, stressing the contrast between traditional and original approaches. Each tutor was to plan his own reading list on this topic.
Two Reasons Cited
In a memo to sophomore tutors, Krumnick cited two reasons for abandoning the plan. First, Kramnick stated that the proposal has not been sufficiently discussed. Second, he feared that misunderstanding of the change would have reduced the program to a course in methodology.
Present plans allow a tutor to choose either the experimental plan or the traditional course, which devotes one term to American government and one to international relations. In his memo, Kramnick expressed the hope that comparison of these two approaches will lead to a consensus on the future of sophomore tutorial.
Tutors Differ
Several tutors offered objections to the idea of a uniform program for sophomores. Barney Frank '62 stated that tutorial "ought to be tighter than it was," but that each tutor should be able to "play to his strengths."
Paul M. Shupack like Frank a teaching fellow in government, added that under a uniform program, a student might end up doing something in which he has no interest and "have no way out."
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