New Plan for Soc Rel Would Revise Tutorial

A new plan for Social Relations concentrators would permit them to enter junior tutorial in the middle of their sophomore year.

The program, now under discussion, is modeled along the same general lines as the Economic Department's recent proposals. But unlike Economics, the Soc Rel plan would not give concentrators the opportunity to write their theses as juniors.

However, in the second term of their junior year, Soc Rel students might be able to branch off into independent study and begin research for their theses, according to Kenneth J. Gergen, instructor in Social Psychology, who is drafting the plan.

With this head start, Gergen said, honors candidates might be able to do a better job on their theses, not having "to write madly in the last three weeks."

The reason for the change, he continued, is to allow sophomores ready for more advanced work to move directly into junior tutorial. "Some of the really better students are held down by their contemporaries in sophomore tutorial." Gergen said.

Gergen said the program might force the creation of a new course, possibly designated Soc Rel 97, which would be reserved for sophomores. Hopefully, this would not fall under the Faculty's rule that only juniors take junior tutorial. The test case for this approach will come when the Faculty discusses the Economics proposal, which follows the same lines.

There are a number of possible prerequisites for sophomores who want to enter junior tutorial. The simplest would be a requirement that they take Soc Rel 10 their freshman year, Gergen said. Those who didn't take Soc Rel 10 then, might be permitted to take it plus another Soc Rel course in the Fall of their sophomore year.

Gergen noted that the plan will not take its final form for about a month,