The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1890-06-10
proposed Changes inH the Cur
riculun and other matters
of'Interest.

e Ss
II is gratifying to be able to report
another year of prosperity for tht
4 University. The enrolment has
reached and passed the. 200 line fol
" the first time, the attendance being
20S. The prevailing epidemic, ID
Grippe, has somewhat interfered with
sour work, but it was only d Temporal
~ inconvenience. The collegiate de
partment has the largest number b
students ever enrolled, there being
50 whose studies are exclusively il
that department The preparatory
has not increased over the enroll.
ment of last year, while a large mum.
Der of preparatory students Willnex
year be ready to enter the regular
college courses. This means that W.
shall hereafter have a larger number
OF graduates each year One Of The
most discouraging features Of the
work in past years has been the
small number Of students who. re
NAMED long enough to complete d
course and stand for degree.
We have lost the services Of one OF
our best Professors. Dr. Purinton,
who went to Denison University in
January tits expected that the
Board Of Regents will elect his sue
cessor at their present session.
1t was hoped that we would be
able to begin our next year with the
useof the new arlnory and commence
ment hall, but circumstances have
delayed the work on the building sd
that II will not beready for occupant
Acy before winter.
The increasing attendance and con-
sequent increase Of numbers in the
college classes will makeit necessary
to provide larger class-rooms il the
near future. Especially is this true
1 the classes in Physics, Chemistry,
Biology and Geology. The Profess
sors in these subjects are already
embarrassed for want of space for
apparatus. Thisquestion will prob,
ably also be considered by the Board,
and no: doubt steps will be taken to
provide for this needed improvement.
The course of study for the bach
elors' degrees will be gradually re
svised and modified, as soon as the ac-
tion of the Board is had in regard to
the proposed additions to the teach
ing corps. Our present course Of
study is too large to be properly com
pleted IN the time given to it. Steps
have already been taken by the Fac
hlty preliminary to this modification.
The plan is To make the first two
years Of the college courses consist
Of required work in the subjects
that are preliminary to the work Of
the last two years, which will be Civ
en- partly to required work and part
" TO elective work. This is the plan
pursued in the best colleges of the
country and allows the students to
make some selection of his studies
in the last two years, according to
his tastes or in the line of his future
! profession. It is also q preparation
for real University work. Of1course
this change will be worked out gra-
dually SO as to disturb as little as
possible the arrangements of those
who are now near the completion Of
I their course. When this plan is
once in full operation, the addition
ofnew subjects Of study, or rather
the enlargement of the subjects al
ready taught will be much facilita-
ted and not add anything to the
amount of work required of the stu
dent. There will simply be a larger
range of selection given to each stu
dent, so that he may individualize
his work. It will also enable the
various Professors to take small
number of men who wish. advanced
study in d department., and carry
them into the very heart Of the sub
:ject, which cannot be done success
fully with an average class.
In the next year, two elective cour-
SEES will be offered to Seniors, one by
Professor Reynolds in, Anglo Saxon,
and the other by Professor Wiley in
Political Science, each Of them occu-
plying twothours d week. It's prob
able, also, that the Senior year in
Metaphysics will be divided, making
part of itfan6 elective course in the
History of Philosophy, Or some kind
red subject. .t { #
The want Of. proper working labor
atories will prevent great change in
some of the physical science courses
until these are provided.
Y TO sum up the situation in word
weare now at a point where we mus
X reorganize to some extent, as a con
dition Of further progress. We can
not put more work in the courses re
quired fof degrees They are al
ready too heavy, We must make
room for new work by modifying the
old. BY thus putting ourselves in y
position for further enlargement, VIZ
shall have the problem Of progress
lneasurably solved. There is no good
reason why,in the course often years
from this date, that IS BY the begin
ming Of the twentieth century, VIC
should not have in West Virginia al
good facilities for all that is implied
in the term college education, as car
be found elsewhere. We may Their
begin the work of making this insti
tuition q real University.
The first step looking to that de
sired end is the announce cement in Tho