University of Virginia Library

College Liberalizes
Course Requirements

By Jeff Ruggles
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo By Howard Weinberg

With Grim Anticipation First-Year Men Begin The Ordeal Of Life In The Dorms

New students in the College of Arts
and Sciences this year are being greeted
by one of the most liberal sets of
regulations the University has ever had,
with reforms coming in the areas of
grades, academic requirements, and the
Echols Scholars program.

These reforms, and the fact that for
the first time the college becomes truly
coeducational, have been noted in a
pamphlet by Dean B. Cauthen, Jr.,
which has been distributed to the first
year students.

The grade change came with the
addition of pluses and minuses to final
grades and the subsequent revision of
values for the grade point average.

Change also came with the new possibilities
of taking courses for credit on a
pass-fail basis.

Academic requirements in the College of
Arts and Sciences have been loosened.

Six in Three

Some English and foreign language requirements
remain, and a student must have at least
six hours credit in each of the areas of Natural
Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and
Humanities.

In addition, two semesters of physical
education are recommended and the pass-fail
option cannot be used on any of the required
hours.

The Echols Scholars program has been altered
so that there are no course requirements.

Echols Scholars must only have 120 hours
and a 2.0 average in order to graduate. In
addition, they are allowed to graduate without
a major if they so desire, and are encouraged to
take academic leave at another University.

The program remains open by invitation
only to students in the College of Arts and
Sciences.

Further information and clarification on the
reforms can be found in the University of
Virginia Record for 1970-1971, Number 11, for
the College of Arts and Sciences; or in the
pamphlet "A Message from the Dean."

The pamphlet is designed as an aid for first
year students as they select their courses for
this semester. It explains the degree
requirements and special programs, and then
goes closely into the area requirements for the
Bachelor of Arts degree.

It describes the options available, and closes
with a survey of the academic Associations.

Summer Mailing

The pamphlet was sent out to new first year
students, as a part of the process of determining
their schedules. The new students have
hopefully read the pamphlet at home, and
developed some sort of an idea of the courses
they wish to take.

Initially, the major reforms which are now
going into effect were developed last fall by
committees within the faculty Then in December,
the entire faculty met and voted in the
reforms.

On a number of issues however, the faculty
was not in agreement at the time of the first
vote in December. The question of foreign
language requirements and the matter of degree
credit for ROTC were two such issues.

The issues were passed on to a number of
committees, which considered them for the rest
of the semester.