NO UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

To the Editors of The Crimson:

For as long as I have taught, it has been my practice to discuss the format of my examinations with students and to give one or two examples of questions to be asked. When the exam was written early enough, I have done this in class; when it was not, I have done it during office hours and with any individuals or groups I happened to encounter before the day of the examination. My purpose in doing this was not to give special advantage to those who happened to be in class a particular day or who came to office hours or sat with me at lunch. My purpose was to stress a simple point I have always made about my courses and the written assignments and tests connected with them: that there is no trick or secret key to success; that what I wish, as a teacher, is a thoughtful reading of the assigned texts and an intelligent and critical attention to lectures. I am willing to describe an examination in advance so that students will understand this. As fond as I am of my students in Adams House, I have nothing whatever to gain from their doing better in my courses than other students in the college. In my judgement, the specific information I gave out made a general educational point, but did not provide an unfair advantage to those who heard it. Students who had done the work of the course didn't need it in order to do well on the examination; students who had not done the work of the course could not have gained any significant advantage by it. Robert Kiely   Professor of English