New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-20
from the same shot. The barn cost .VVV anu ""' "
of hav ana grain. IL was Insured for S2,OOo.
ELECTIVE STUDIES AT HARVARD.
PRESIDENT ELIOTs ANNUAL REPORT.
STATISTICS SHOWING HOW LIBERTY OF CHOICE
HAS woEKED.-THE UNIVERSITY FUNDS
!, u DrnellnnI EllDtS

HAS woRKED-THE UNIVERSITY FUNDS
BosToN, Feb. 10 (SpecaO.-PresIdent Ell0ts
annual report for the year lssls5 Is devoted almost ~
tirey to n discussion OF the workings OF the elective
system in the past few years at Harvard CoheVe IL
is now sixty years. he writes "snce the faculty began
to elaborate system Of instruction and discipline LOT
atudeuts I'm the liberal arts which has come 10 be known
IA the elective system because II permits eaeh s'ue"
under limitations and guidance which are party hrt-
fetal chiefly natural, 10 choose his SUBJECTS vi
study" He contends that the principal advantage i
the elective system permits the student to COM
centrao his work upon the subj cts In when ms ca
pacity is greatest and to he thorough In
a chosen line OF study. This Freedom however
admits specialization so cxtrcme as to Impair that
general cultivation and openness OF NINA whIch may
reasonably expected in educated men, by carefully
consulting the tables President Eliot shows that TINS
or,um-nt agans the elective system however sound IN
theory actually unfOunded In fact so far as the eK-
pcricnce OF Harvard College goes Among the 3'O re-
corded cases It appears that there only tweny-seyen
cases (es. than per cent? Of highly specialized WORK
G least tw0-nrds OF three years work In the same
subecU and that Of these twenty-seyen only twelve
cases are of concentration ON the other hand
it clearly appears that % per cent OF the $50 students
whose choice OF studies is recorded in tue ABOVE tapcS
DID not their freedom in order to specialize their
work any degree which could seem ineKpedent even
to persons who doubt the wisdom Of specialization The
liberty to specialize yet barely used. Certainly 1t
is not abused
As to tho objection that students select tho easiest
course them eyes under tue Instruction OF easy
going professors VINO high marks for Ltte work.
the preside quotes the following statistics In polca
economy ACKNOWLEDGED hard course there were AZ
students in 80 ljj in So 2U9 In 81, and lG6 in 50
In the higher and more difficult history courses tho
number OF students over 100 Ia English under
Professor Child probably the hardest marker IN college,
there go pupils In 80 course omitted III so,
g. I'm ~, aud - in -. the same facts are true Oh
chemistry and other IN French and German.
The objections the oxpcdiency Of limiting choice by
prescribing groups cognac studies thus set forth
To rttcr TIN, spontaneous diycrsity OF choice. winch
corresponds The infinite diversity or mint ana ch-
OF the chOOscrs ny insisting thai studies sh" DC
taken IN certain mixtures grouus which some other
mind has arbitrarily con pounded l. Is uhnath a. IL IS
do not fall into six or eignt strongly marked cate
gore-. II l. unnecessary, Tor all drSabic conreutaon
such violence to liberty OF choice.
secondly Tue group - stem Objectionable because II
commits student early his college IrSr 10 set o.
studies which hr will hni II dihcut l" "-cipe a'eI
~ his course he change h- mind This early commit
tai may be q matter OF necessity IN professional or
technical school, but there Is no need of IN college OF
Thndiy Tho existence Of groups apt to modify mot
to ms ADVANTAGE the advice given to the iIdIyuGu
student his choice eli studies. Groups are IKE tthy
made cothpg, Gu, IL regular SIZES lhey never Ut any
individual
Aucra fow remarks upon the effect OF diversity Of
stll es pon the intellectual life Of the college, Pres
ideut Eliot sum, up the whole argument In the follow
ing definition OF the degree OF Bachelor Of Arts when
l. interesting SHOWING the IDEAS OF the leader OF inc
advocates OF the elective system:
FINALLY the table ~ 800 choices shows clearly what
tue Of Bachelor Of Arts means nj Harvard lh
. Vtr-lty, and what IL does not mean. IL uor' hut
t,rou.h tho same course Of studies IN coiir~;
/ aud since the action taken ~ ISL, when
/ made thr,c-hfhs OF the work ot the freshman year
l.ctiyr does that al bachelors 81 tue same
wear have necessarily studied together Will" 10 college,
uud subject. except BOO rhetoric hud EHgEn cohP"'"l
and the htrr-t elements % chemistry and physics u
does mean that al bachelors ui arts have spent from
seven to Years. somewhere between the ages ol
twelve and twenty three. tn liberal studies hey nave
/ AL learned at school the clements OF tuIrr
| languages besides English namely, Greek,
/ 81 mathematics aud phynIcs IA niue hhc'ht
history something OF lu-lI~h literature IhcN must
also have gone Wltir AT school somewhat beyond Inc
ccneus 10 At least ~ the fur ubloct-, Crock Lat
must have added the elements OF a fourth I'hiIi-t
German FIcuch-o the three studies at school, De-
sides pur-uin. the few prescribed -ulle- above men
toned afd they must further have spout three years
mud half upon prescribed quantity o HorF1 SUM
each person having been ~ liberty 10 sclrc. his ""
subjects 81 zfady during these ID &c years ana NAN
and all studies being accounted liberal which ore per
sued Iu the scientific spirit FOR truths sake.
/ The income for the year SCOOPS ~ The re-
ccpts exclusive Of from giu, sae and sun
Dire, and the balance ana cash on hand were
SlOG i33 -. making tho total income sl.l1O'2i' 90
The property Of Tho college IL e-tmacd to be worth
~ So 60 This property represents the ioHo" nt
fund.- Univ. funds, cI2l.2J ~. c"tltgr IuH'.
.gii $50 90: library funds, r3S6-Il % law school
fund.-. >I1J-Gp 30; medical school fund. - '-' - :
iviuiiy -,hunl funds 500 $50 Ul Lawrence scientific
school 500 1873 uG ucudiug the mu-"un or compare
tive Zoulogvl. ob-rrra.o fund. >226.9-0 ~ The
other funds for special purposes BRING the tota up TO