Cornell University ANNOUNCEMENTS College of Arts and Sciences 1969-70 CORNELL UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Volume 60. Number 18. March 27, 1969. Published twenty- two times a year: four times in August; three times in March and October; twice in May, July, September, and November; once in January, April, June, and December. Published by Cornell University at Sheldon Court, 420 College Avenue, Ithaca, New York 14850. Second-class postage paid at Ithaca, New York. Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences 1969-70 Cornell Academic Calendar* 1969-70+ Registration, new students Th,Sept. 11 Registration, old students F, Sept. 12 Fall term instruction begins, 7:30 a . m . M, Sept. 15 Midterm grade reports due S, Oct. 25 Thanksgiving recess: Instruction suspended, 1:10 p . m . W, Nov. 26 Instruction resumed, 7:30 a . m . M, Dec. 1 Fall term instruction ends, 1:10 p.m. S, Dec. 20 Christmas recess Independent study period begins Nl, Jan. 5 Final examinations begin M, Jan. 12 Final examinations end T, Jan. 20 Intersession begins W, Jan. 21 Registration, new students Th,Jan. 29 Registration, old students F, Jan. 30 Spring term instruction begins, 7:30 a . m . M, Feb. 2 Deadline: changed or make-up grades M , Feb. 9 Midterm grade reports due S, M ar. 14 Spring recess: Instruction suspended, 1:10 p . m . S, Mar. 28 Instruction resumed, 7:30 a . m . \1, Apr. 6 Spring term instruction ends, 1:10 p . m . S, May 16 Independent study period begins M, May 18 Final examinations begin M, May 25 Final examinations end T, June 2 Commencement Day M ,Jun e 8 Deadline changed or make-up grades M ,J une 15 * Students in the College of Arts and Sciences should see page 25 for “Important Dates 1969-70.” t The dates shown in the Academic Calendar are subject to change at any time by official action of Cornell University. The courses and curricula described in this Announcement, and the teaching personnel listed therein, are subject to change at any time by official action of Cornell University. Contents 2 ACADEMIC CALENDAR 5 COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 6 The Curriculum 6 Admission 8 Advanced Placement 15 Advising 16 Registration in Courses 17 Requirements for Graduation 22 Grades and Academic Standing 23 Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals 24 In Absentia Study 24 Credit for Summer Session 25 Important Dates, 1969-70 25 Special Programs 29 The Libraries 30 Scholarships and Prizes 33 COURSES OF INSTRUCTION 33 The Freshman Humanities Program 38 American Studies 38 Anthropology 47 Archaeology 49 Asian Studies 60 Astronomy 61 Biological Sciences: Animal Physiology and Anatomy; Neurobiology and Behavior; Biochemistry; Botany; Ecology, Evolution, and System- atics; Genetics and Development; Microbiology 85 Chemistry 94 The Classics 99 Comparative Literature 105 Computer Science 111 Economics 122 English 137 Geological Sciences 145 German Literature 145 Government 155 History 167 History of Art 174 Mathematics 190 Medieval Studies 190 Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures: Burmese, Cebuano, Chinese, Dutch, English as a Second Language, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Linguistics, Portuguese, Que- chua, Russian, Sinhalese, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese 225 Music 231 Philosophy 236 Physics 245 Psychology 258 Romance Studies 258 Russian Literature 258 Semitic Languages and Literatures 262 Sociology 276 Theatre Arts 283 Center for International Studies 285 The Program in Greek Civilization 287 Latin American Studies 287 The Six-Year Ph.D. Program 292 Society for the Humanities 294 College Scholar Program 295 ADMINISTRATION AND FACULTY Cornell University COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES The College of Arts and Sciences reflects the history and aims of the University itself. Purposeful and diverse, it is a liberal arts college, a university college, and a graduate school and research center. The role of the liberal arts college is traditionally and properly a double one. It should further a man’s understanding of himself and the world he lives in. It should prepare him, if he has the desire and the talent, for further, more specialized study. All of the College’s students have both oppor­ tunity and obligation to work toward that understanding; about two- thirds of its graduates continue their education. The College of Arts and Sciences, in its second role as a university college, is responsible for the education of all Cornell students in liberal subjects. This is a taxing commitment, but a valuable one because meeting it helps to create and preserve a single academic community. At the same time, this obligation is also a source of strength and diver­ sity that is not available to the single and solely undergraduate college. A university college, able to draw upon the more highly specialized knowledge and facilities of its more professional fellow colleges, is able to unite liberal and practical studies. The College is also, and this is its third role, a graduate school and research institute. Teaching and scholarship are not separable activities. Their vigorous and inventive association provides inestimable ad­ vantages for undergraduates; it attracts fine minds to the faculty and keeps them professionally alert and humanly responsive; it demands first-rate facilities; and it creates an atmosphere of discovery and excite­ ment. This mixed character and these several functions are surely the most adequate way to meet the real obligations that higher education in America has assumed. In an American university each student must somehow receive an education which enables him to understand the world and effectively employ his talents in it; each must discover who he is and what his special interests and abilities are; each must be enabled to develop his knowledge, his interests, and his abilities; each must be helped to a sense of responsibility about himself and his work. 5 6 ADMISSION The College of Arts and Sciences thinks it can best meet these obliga­ tions by promoting diversity and permitting flexibility. For students this means freedom and continuity: freedom to experiment, to discover one’s likes and talents, to change directions and correct mistakes; con­ tinuity so that experiment can take place without penalty, and with profit and excitement. Combination permits continuity; diversity permits freedom of education choice. THE CURRICULUM The College's curriculum gives the student opportunity for breadth, experiment, and discovery, especially during the first two years. A certain diversity is indeed urged upon him by the Distribution require­ ment itself. When the student explores a new subject matter he is, in effect, exploring his own latent interests and abilities. As he completes introductory courses the student lays the foundation for more advanced work or even for majoring in particular fields. During his fourth term (or earlier), as his interest comes to a focus, he chooses the subject in which he wishes to concentrate his study, aiming at depth and compe­ tence. The usual pattern is for him to devote roughly half the work of the last two years to his major program. Though certain core courses are usually prescribed in any major, there still remains a broad spec­ trum of choice which includes related courses in other subjects or even in other divisions of the University. Some departments offer two major programs: one, a program of intense and sophisticated preparation for postgraduate study; the other, a more general program for the person who wants a liberal education with some specific concentration, but whose interests are not professional. Almost all departments have a full, demanding, and rewarding Honors program for those who demonstrate particular ability during their first two years. Many departments have as part of their Honors programs (or in addition to them) specially directed courses and projects which permit students to pursue their own interests and talents. The College periodically offers experimental courses that cut across subject lines, explore new notions, and test ideas arising from that com­ plicated triangulation that must go on between teacher, student, and subject. ADMISSION The College of Arts and Sciences attempts to select a freshman class whose members are individually able to take full advantage of the edu­ cational opportunities afforded by the College and the University. Because those opportunities are rich and diverse, no single criterion is employed. The College selects primarily for what Aristotle called the intellectual virtues, and it especially considers academic ability, intel­ ligence and creativity, independence and maturity, and promise of ADMISSION 7 mental growth. It also seeks a class with a wide range of other qualities and characteristics, and it honors those young men and women with highly developed special interests and talents. Furthermore, the College is making a real effort to identify and admit students whose schooling and family backgrounds indicate that the standard measures are a poor index of their abilities. An applicant must have completed a secondary school course giving satisfactory preparation for the work of the College. Sixteen units of entrance credit are required: four years of English; three years of college- preparatory mathematics (The increasing need for mathematics in the social, biological, and physical sciences makes it desirable for students interested in these areas to be prepared to take a calculus course upon entering the College; these students should have studied advanced algebra and trigonometry during their secondary school years.); and three years of one foreign language, ancient or modern. (Foreign lan­ guage preparation is particularly important in this College. Although a student who can offer only two years or less of a foreign language, but who has a school record of otherwise high quality, should not hesitate to apply, he should attach a letter to his application form explaining his deficiency.) The remaining units should be chosen from laboratory science, social studies, and further work in mathematics and foreign language.