Faculty Council Rejects VES Effort To End Elite Status

The Visual and Environmental Studies Department (VES) will not be able to open its program to non-honors concentrators, the Faculty Council decided yesterday.

The department's faculty voted last December to open the concentration, but discovered that such a move would require the permission of the Faculty Council.

Arthur L. Loeb, lecturer on Visual and Environmental Studies and the department's head tutor, said last night he does not know whether the department will ask the council to reconsider its decision next year.

However, Loeb said no freshmen were refused admission to VES this year, although some were asked to reapply next year because the department did not feel it had seen enough of their work to consider their applications.

Loeb declined to say how many were asked to reapply, but said the number was "very small."

Robert G. Gardner, senior lecturer on Visual and Environmental Studies and the department's chairman, was unavailable last night for comment.

Several Faculty Council members said last night a major factor in the council's decision was the pending report from the Task Force on Concentrations.

Irven DeVore, professor of Anthropology and a member of the council, said last night there are special problems concerning all the departments limited to honors students. The council feels the issue should be taken up in a general context, rather than by individual departments, he said.

However, other Faculty Council members said they believe VES is in a special position, because of the nature of the discipline.

Sydney J. Freedberg '36, professor of Fine Arts, said some council members believe VES "would best serve people who have the talent and dedication that would make them want to take honors."

The department faculty had hoped to open the non-honors program so that those students in the department who did want to do a final project could graduate in VES rather than in General Studies.

Harry T. Levin '33, Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature, said last night some council members believe VES is a "new field," and that the department should not be opened to "those who are along for the ride.