The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
SELF-RULE AT BRYN MAwR.
sUCCEssFUL EXPERIMENT IN
d. GOTERNME

N1AmnHN munt " " NthnNEE vs. tNN Attt
-somo Nienabers Of the Executive HOARD.
pRyN MAwR. Dec. lo.-Most colleges give frev
plny 10 the democratic instinct only in tho in-
formal and unofficial life of tho students, and
have had TO submit to tho powers that DO in the
mattor of government. In the few instances
outside of Bryn Mawr in which solf.govcrnInent
has been triod it has not been thoroughly sue
c~cssful, probably because the attempt has not
been complete. At Bryn Mawr. however,, the
entire government of themselves has been
| placed In tho hands OF the students, and II most
successful record is shown of q government Of
tho people, for the people. by the people.
From tho beginning of the college the question
of tho students conduct was put by the college
| authorities in the hands OF Miss Thomas, then
| dean, now President, to deal with as she saw ut.
I'm to 1892 the conduct OF the students was
Entrusted to themselves, and a system of gov.
eminent through public opinion successfully
met the needs of tho then comparatively small
community. In that year. owing to the In
croasing size Of the college and tho cor
responding complication in community life,
the rule of u%nformulatod public opinion
was felt to DO insu ficient and tho Students
Association for Self-Government was formed
and a charter drawn up to give definite cx.
preston to the hitherto unwrittcn laws. The
authorities and dean of tho college formally
conferred on and intrustod to tho association
the exclusive management OF all matters con-
corning student life which do not fall under tho
jurisdiction of the authorities. which is strictly
academic, or under that of the mistresses Of tho
halls of residence.
Tho sphere of tho mistress Includes every.
thing pertaining to household arrangements,
the management Of servants, tho various times
and seasons, such as tho hours for meals. the
hour for closing the halls, all purely domestic
rules and regulations. II anything goes wrong
In the household economy. complaint Is made,
not to the association, but to the mistress.
and redress or remedy comes from her. Tho
authorities of the college. in addition to
academic concerns, reserve for themselves
tho regulation of all public and formal
entertainments, tho issuing Of the invita-
lions and the character of the function. and II q
new matter arises of which the jurisdiction is
uncertain the Executive Board OF the associa-
ton must consult with Miss Thomas. The DO
sition of the association is strengthened by the
promise of the authorities of the college to back
its decisions. At tho same time the academic
and domestic manaRementsh have q safeguard in
q like promise on the part of tho association. q
thorough cooperation being thus obtained.
In accordance with the terms Of the ~constitu-
tion tho association must have a President and
Vice-President. elected annually, who, ex-ofiicio.
are members of an executive board of FIVE, tho
other three of which are likewise elected annu-
ally. This board is supplemented by an aivi.
sorry board of ten. who act with the former when
is to be met. A meeting of the whole association
may be called at any time by the President, and
The quorum is two-thirds.
There are several proctors. in each hall OF
who are responsible for the daily conduct OF
the students and meet at stated periods TO re-
port to the executive board; A. vassar, which
and where the system, is not entirely independ-
ent from the rule OF the college authorities, the
nrnrtnra nrR nhinntnd fn m tho nf th.fr
fostering the spirit Of tale telling. Although
the objection is plausible on the face of it, there
have been downed by public opinion, The proc
away the most .expedient method Of Keeping
general order and her often ungracious duty is
personal responsibility which self government
nrouses. to the extent that often the culprits
honor basis, which alone makes such a govern.
nient in a college possible, is so firmly estab-
offence which in most Colleges is consider ID
trivial by the students, Is almost unknown, and
an !, general question OF cribbing presents no
The success Of seif:goyernment at Bryn Mawr
mas been assured now for five years and under
as it has been, in u college situated near a large
city, The students have absolute freedom of
their actions so That did they not submit nnbso.
!utely to the authority of the association they
youth, get themselves into scrapes. But
they are required always to register their
night, even though they 60 only to one Of
the other halls of residence. II they go to town
pointed isHf TIE 'f ESe @nit e"T Bo a sdhaP Sop is APT r.
enough that they are put on the train and met
train with them; In the daytime. that Is up TO
haIf after 8 o'clock, they may come and go as
a keen sense OF honor about not takip9 aa NAM
tage OF 1t is one of the things that the entering
classes soonest learn.
When the rules Of the associatioD aro d;so
beyed a penalty is imposed. II a student breaks
a m Fqis %Sit atm more NOR than one, she is repEl.
issTed by the Executive Board, but the power { Of
with the association at large. The extent Of tho
assoSiation.s independence OF the college authors
sesses the power of expulsion, nasmuch as it has
theprivilege ofrecommcnding the expulsion on
promise to support the decisions of the body. In
ane eveht OF as extreme a measure as expulsion
The five members OF the Executive Board nrs
pVer tSo co OF great power and have jurisdiction
the association consisting Of the whole body o.
sbbelen,s; graduate and undergraduates. 1t is
tion to bea member of the board %srgI and rG Pnse siSti me-
ONCE demands no inconsiderablo qualities 10th
f S,m,nd ana character. Tact, Judgment, frmness,
ttnirhesS. and, above all, n level head are essen
nal tl"l; The power OF dealing with people and tho
fho eTio and character OF the students who. in tho
formed the committee asked by the President
:" nn Oh inc college to assist them in draw.
iis up the charter. may bc Judged from rhu fact
u uneir having since. in some part, become
MISS Emily James Smith has undertaken ihs
InS Oh q COLLEGE herself and has become dean OF
crs anaJt"; "nm as such vol known TO New York
q ~ y 1ancation., Miss Helena Dudley h,s
t no' Rou ior several years with great success IN
~" BOSTON college Settlement, being head work.
sp bnerG. BESIDES. Miss Dudley has pur-GcI
S"m = economic studies on hor own part. Mli-l
Iuusnn hrlluy Franklin has been Instructor of
dL o = ~ Nnsgar over since taking her doctor 4
r rinsn ~ rom i'ryn, Mawr In 1892. Miss Katha.
nv, nv ~, snlpleS In head mistress OF a Bryn Mnur
h ronn nrho"l In Bryn Muwr. Miss EmIl-
Wellesley, wv u" po'''AoAI science ~
IN Mss ms Annie Crosby Emery has gone This in
,nS University OF Wisconsin as assori"tr bro.
,,"Hsor or cohparnttvc plilulogy and d,.u -
MM1ilHn' whore, II ~ reported, she il once MOI,
tho irst RIrs Gi't,goISrnmcnt Miss Emcrl. was
sanMr; Tho second President is W,raen y