CHUL Tables Report Opposing Proposed Variable Meal Plans

The Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life (CHUL) yesterday tabled a motion recommending that the University should not adopt variable meal plans "at this time." attended their first meeting yesterday, said they wanted to decide for themselves whether a variable meal system is feasible.

Barbara Mullin '79, head of last term's food services subcommittee, whicm formulated the proposal, made the motion recommending that none of the meal plans her committee considered be adopted.

"All the research we have done led us to believe that the savings would be very small," Mullin said, estimating that students on a 14-meal plan would probably save only about $60 each year.

We also felt the policing required to enforce the system would be onerous, changing the pleasant atmosphere of the Houses," Mullin said.

The Committee also discussed proposals designed to cut what Dean Fox termed "a large-scale increase" in the number of students receiving medical excuses from exams.

Committee members debated moving make-up exams closer to the regular exam period, in order to discourage "malingerers," or putting an asterisk next to grades received after extended periods.

Other plans discussed included sequestering sick students until they are well enough to take their exams, or limiting the amount of weight placed on final exams to make them less important.

A report from the Office of Research and Evaluation touched off the discussion. The study, prepared by Paul B. Segal, found not only that the number of makeups was increasing but also that students taking makeups received higher grades in the courses, and that make-up requests were especially heavy in courses where the final was heavily weighted.