Gen Ed Decision Limits Pass-Fail

The Committee on General Education voted yesterday not to allow students to use the pass-fail option to satisfy basic Gen Ed requirements.

Dean Ford said Wednesday that most departments are deciding to require concentrators to take "core curriculum" in their major with a grade. So the fourth-course pass-fail option which begins next fall will probably be available to most students only for what Ford called "real electives."

Ford and Edward T. Wilcox, Director of General Education, gave identical arguments for restricting the use of pass-fail: the purpose of the pass-fail option, both said, is to encourage a student to experiment with a course he might not otherwise take--therefore he shouldn't be allowed to waste the option on courses he is required to take anyway.

"Other colleges with pass-fail programs found students using them to ease-off requirements, and here that could easily mean that not until their senior year would some students take a free option," Wilcox said yesterday.

Hard Decision

The Gen Ed Committee hashed over the pass-fail question at November and December meetings, and had a long discussion Wednesday night before reaching its decision. While closing basic Gen Ed courses to pass-fail students, the committee decided that students will be allowed to take middle-level Gen Ed courses pass-fail to satisfy their distribution requirements.

Confirming Vote

Middle-level Gen Ed courses and all departmental courses could be further limited by individual instructors. The pass-fail legislation approved by the Faculty in December gives instructors the right to exclude pass-fail students from their courses if they want.

The Faculty's December vote must be confirmed by another vote at its February meeting. Ford explained that reports from all departments would be ready by that time, and the Faculty could decide whether it wanted to make any modifications of the legislation it earlier approved.