Faculty Council Approves Proposed Tutorial Reforms

The Faculty Council yesterday approved in principle, but postponed a vote on the proposed set of tutorial reforms, submitted by Glen W. Bowersock '57. associate dean of the Faculty.

The council should vote next week on the reforms, which are aimed at increasing Faculty participation in tutorials.

The council revised the reforms to state that individual tutorials represent "in many cases, though not all," the superior tutorial format.

Bowersock originally stated that individual tutorials are the "ideal goal" in all circumstances, council members last week had disputed that claim and objected to the implication that group tutorials always rated "second best," a spokesman for the council said yesterday.

Alfred C. Crompton, a member of the council and professor of Biology, said yesterday that group tutorials are often preferable in the sciences. "It often takes the interaction of several students to get to the heart of an idea," Crompton said.

Bowersock was unavailable for comment yesterday.

The approved reforms also require that students on special departmental committees, set up to oversee the tutorial program, "recommend," instead of "authorize," changes in the tutorial legislation. The original reforms permitted all committee members "to authorize appropriate exceptions" to the legislation.

Crompton said the reforms would serve "as an ideal model for departments to follow."

Crompton said he did not believe the Faculty could enforce the legislation, but added the reforms "were not intended to be enforceable." The reforms should "simply draw attention to what a highly desirable tutorial would be like."

The reforms also recommend that every full-time Faculty member teach a minimum of one tutorial a term.

The reforms also propose that departments offer special junior seminars conducted by Faculty members as an alternative to tutorials taught by graduate students.

The Faculty Council yesterday also began to review the report by the Task Force on Advising and Counseling. The Task Force, one of seven set up by Dean Rosovsky in 1975 to review different aspects of undergraduate education, submitted its report to Rosovsky last October.

President Horner, chairman of the task force, said yesterday the council discussed the report's recommendations for improving academic advising, but declined to comment on specific recommendations.

The report asks that each department examine the effectiveness of its advising system. Charles P. Whitlock, spokesman for the council, said yesterday. It recommends no changes in legislation, he added.

The report states the Faculty needs to improve the transition between the fresh-man proctorial system and the upperclassman housing departmental system.

The report suggests the Faculty consider several alternatives to the present system, including returning to a four-year housing system or assigning entering freshmen to a House, similar to Yale's system.