New Nat Sci Lower-Level Seminar Set

A small seminar, restricted to eight people, will be given as an "experimental" lower-level Gen Ed course next year by Bruce Chalmers, Gordon McKay Professor of Metallurgy and Master of Winthrop House.

Nat Sci 1, "Energy in Science and Technology," will cover the same material as the lecture course by the same name which Chalmers gave in 1960-61 and 1961-62. John H. Finely '25, chairman of the Committee on General Education, has approved the seminar as an offering for next year. It will fulfill the lower-level Natural Sciences requirement.

Chalmers said last night that he will require applications for admission to the course, and he hopes to be able to choose eight sophomores. He will give preference to members of Winthrop House.

While the course will operate as a seminar without lectures, it will be graded. Chalmers has not determined the final format, but will probably require assigned reading, problem sets, papers, and preparation of material for discussion.

Two Innovations

"A one-shot experiment in a different kind of General Education course," Nat Sci 1 will be an innovation both as a lower-level Gen Ed seminar and as a course which gives preference to members of a particular House.

In one sense, Chalmers explained, it may be viewed as an extension of "the Freshman Seminar idea, which brings a small number of people in close contact with a Faculty member."