University of Virginia Library

Curriculum Reform
Receives Approval
In Final Faculty Vote

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

After approving the final portion of
the proposed curriculum, a resolution
that would insure a standing committee
"charged with the responsibility of
developing the undergraduate curriculum,"
the faculty of the College of Arts
and Sciences passed the curriculum with
the amendments of the last two and a
half weeks by a vote of 142 to 10 last
night.

The revised curriculum approved by
the faculty will not go into effect until
September of 1970.

The faculty also approved three resolutions
presented by Irby Cauthen, Dean of the
College, one of which would allow the various
departments to decide whether to require a
comprehensive examination or senior essay
next semester.

A second resolution presented by Mr.
Cauthen and approved by a large majority will
not require first-year students to complete the
second semester of physical education.

Instead, first-year students will be "encouraged
to take an appropriate course in the
School of Education that is listed under
'Physical Education.' " The degree credit from
the physical education course will not count
against the semester hours not allowed for
degree credit outside the college.

A third resolution that passed unanimously
authorized the Dean of the College, the
Chairman of the Curriculum Committee John
Moore, and one other member of that
committee to be chosen by Mr. Moore, to bring
the present regulations of the College into
conformity with the curriculum just adopted.

It was Mr. Cauthen's resolution that the
departments of the College be allowed to
determine whether to give or omit either the
comprehensive examination or senior essay that
brought the most debate.

Lester Bearline of the English Department
said that he felt the faculty was "exhausted"
after the curriculum debate and didn't have the
time for departmental meetings to discuss the
"thorny questions involved" in the question of
comprehensive exams.

Philip Best of the Psychology Department
replied that those departments of the college
that "do have the energy" should be allowed to
go ahead and decide the question.

The motion, which asks the departments of
the college to notify their fourth-year majors
who are degree candidates of their policy as
quickly as possible, passed easily, 123 to 9.

A motion which thanked Mr. Moore, his
committee, the students ("for their interest"),
and Dean Shannon passed with no dissent.

Arthur Schulman of the Psychology Department
said he was relieved by the passage of the
curriculum but said that "large issues have yet
to be discussed." In a paper handed out at the
meeting he wrote that "we need to continually
reexamine our purposes and our means of
achieving them. It would be tragic to conclude
our deliberations on curricular reform without
calling for such introspections in the near
future."

The College faculty will hold their regular
December meeting this afternoon.