Word: lewontin
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Richard C. Lewontin '50, Agassiz Professor of Zoology, and Stephen J. Gould, professor of Geology, guarantee students who write a ten-page paper at least a B, while students who write longer papers are eligible...
Gould says he and Lewontin would prefer to give the course entirely pass-fail. It would eliminate competition, he says, and allow students to study the material out of interest rather than a desire for a good grade. But since a pass-fail course could not be offered under the Gen Ed rubric, and because the University does not offer lecture courses on a strict pass-fail basis, Gould and Lewontin chose to assure students they had no need to worry about the minimum grade level...
...distribution in a number of large courses before deciding how to deal with Nat Sci 36, and Pipkin says they found Nat Sci 36's grading no easier than that of several other courses--in fact, he says, it is harder than some. The difference is that Gould and Lewontin remove the element of insecurity by telling students beforehand what they need to do for a B. In the other courses, he says, "It's not a question of grading philosophies," just practice...
...will continue to be offered in Gen Ed, because the committee, Gould and Lewontin agree it cannot be offered in a department. The instructors' approach is interdisciplinary, Gould says, and should be open to a wider range of students than would take it if it was a departmental course. Gould says he is bitter about the committee's decision--though he is a member of the committee--because he says he believes the course enrollment will be restricted now to upperclassmen who have already fulfilled their Nat Sci requirement...
...Lewontin declined comment last night, because he said he did not know the details of the committee's decision...