Some more fun and games in conspiracy trial

by Rich Smith The Observer ob tained yester­ day the recom m endations o f the Curricu lum Revision C om m ittee which are now to be voted on by the Academic Council . The co m m it tee ’s first recom ­ m endation asks for the adop tion of the new academic calendar for next year which has the first sem ester ending before Christ­ mas and com m encem en t the th ird Sunday in May. Elimination o f Saturday class­ es and reten tion of 50-minute class meeting periods on Mon­ day, Wednesday, and Friday in addit ion to the in troduc t ion of 75 minute classes on Tuesday and T hursday where possible is also called for by the com m ittee . In the area o f grading policy, the com m it tee recom m ends that the grades C+ and B+, with grade points o f 2.5 and 3.5 respective­ ly be established along with the dropping of the grade FA (Fail­ ure on accoun t o f absences) and AX (A bsent from the final exam). The grade o f X shall be used for ex tenua ting circumstances beyond the contro l of the s tu ­ dent and to be averaged as zero, reverting to F on the record if it is n o t changed to a passing grade within th irty days after the be­ ginning o f the n ex t semester. A pass-fail system whereby each undergraduate during the jun io r o r senior year may file with the registrar at the time of registration his decision to take one elective, non-m ajor course per semester on a pass-fail basis was also recom m ended by the com m ittee . If this recom m endation is passed, the filing would be irre­ vocable and would result in con­ version by the registrar o f the professor’s grade in to an en try o f “ pass” or “ fail” on the s tu ­ d e n t ’s record. The grades A through D w ould be cou n ted as “ pass.” The pass-fail op t ion was recom m ended for re-examina­ tion by the D eans’ C om m ittee af ter it is in effect fo r tw o years. A n o t h e r r e c o m m e n d a t io n w ould ex tend the period during which a course may be d ropped till O c tober 15 during the first semester and till F ebruary 22 in th e second sem ester provided the s tu d e n t ’s rem aining course load does n o t fall below the m in im um of 15 credit hours and he receives from the class in­ s truc to r a s ta tem en t o f satisfac­ tory progress, o r th a t the “ d ro p ” be recom m ended by the univer­ sity physician for reasons of health. The grade WF (w ithdrew fail­ ing) should be abolished, accord ­ ing to the co m m it tee , while the grade o f W or F be made avail­ able on w ithdrawal. U nder the C o m m it tee ’s re­ c o m m e n d a t i o n , the “ Pass”