The sun., 1897-02-07
Tho University of Pennsylvania.

| A"o Va ShhSI hN"hh"s
We have before us the report Of Provost
CHARLES G. HARRISON Of the University Of
| Pennsylvania; IT covers the period from
June 8, 1894, to Sept. 1, 1896. The prog
ress OF this institution during the short
period named Is one OF the most remarka-
BILE phenomena In the recent history Of the
higher education. We refer, not only to
| the increase In dnan cial resources and In the
number Of instructors and tutors, but to the
Improvements effected in almost every de-
partment OF the university.
The donations made to the University Of
Pennsylvania since June, 1894, aggregate
s944, ,o00 exclusive OF upward Of $4,000
contributed for the hospital department
During the same period there was AN in
crease Of l In the teaching force and OF 234
in the number Of students. There are now
2,e8e students and 26l instructors The
increase in the number OF students is par
ticularly noteworthy, because in the winter
Of 1s94-sb some important changes were
made In the regulations for the admission Of
students to the college proper. At that time
the Academic Council voted to abolish the
admission OF students by certificates from
private schools. 1t determined still to ad-
init applicants, wholly or In part, upon
diplomas from public High Schools, but 1t
directed that all others should be subjected
| to an entrance examination. II was further
decided by the council in the same year
that the admission requirements In French
| and German should be materially increased.
| Not only have the conditions for entrance
become more rigorous. but during the
last two years the standard OF study
prescribed in the college has been
higher than that heretofore maintained.
In lS94-95 a large number OF students
were unable or unwilling to adjust
themselves to 1t, and the council found IL
necessary TO drop 93 students from their
class into a lower one or out of college,; in
the last year 1t has only proved necessary to
drop 50. although the requirements have
been somewhat more severe. The decrease
in the number Of feminine students from So
to 2S Is explained by the facts, that, first,
the only regular course In the college proper
now open to women IL the four-yeRr
course in biology, and that, secondly,
| it has been made much harder for
students of either sex to enter for
special or irregular courses. In the
graduate school there were last year SO
regular students who held a baccalaureate
degree; Of these, 32 were graduates OF the
University of Pennsylvania; / 8 held degrees
from other Pennsylvania colleges, and "a
were graduates from colleges Of other
States. Among the regular students study
ing for the degree of Doctor Of Philosophy
there were go who did not possess the
baccalaureate degree OF any college,
but were admitted as having equiva-
lent preparation. There were also 80 spe-
cial students, by which are meant students,
who. whether from choice or necessity, are
not candidates for higher degree. The en-
larged usefulness Of this graduate school is
due partly to the establishment of eight
scholarships. fourteen fellowships, and five
senior fellowships; tho income whereof is
derived from a permanent fund OF $780,
900 presented to the university for the pur-
pose.
Some important changes have taken place
in the Medical Department of the Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania We have previously
pointed out that hereafter at this school
there will be no candidates for the degree In
medicine who are not pursuing four-year
course. Nevertheless, there were S7S
students in the school last year, a
larger number than had ever before
been attained. No fewer than 88l enterod
for four-year course, although 1t had
been anticipated that the action of the
faculty In lengthening the course by one
year would diminish the number of appli-
cants for admission. The new and more
rigorous entrance requirements will go into
effect with the session 1S06-97. These re-
quirements are TO increase yearly In Sc
verify until the year 1900, when they will
be identical with those at present prescribed
for admission to the freshman class of the
college proper, Moreover, the medical fac
ulty earnestly recommend that students, be-
fore taking up the study OF medicine, pursue
in some college of good standing a course
leading to the degree OF Bachelor OF Arts or
Bachelor OF Science. We should note, In
connection with this subject, that the Uni
versity Hospital has been enlarged by the
Agnew Memorial Wing, the Maternity Hos
pital, and the Pepper Clinical Laboratory.
To the dental faculty has been added a
chair OF oral surgery. The Dental School
now has students from twenty-four foreign
countries as well as from all parts OF
the United States. In the Law Depart
ment Of the university the number OF
students has increased during the last ten
years from 129 to 3lS. Until recently the
requirements for admission TO this depart
ment, like those prescribed for admission to
the Medical School, have been much too
low. A committee appointed by the fac
ulty to investigate the matter have recon-.
mended that students wishing TO enter the
Law School for the session ls97.9s shall
be required to pass an examination equiva-
lent to that for admission to the College De-
partment. Assuredly such standard of
requirement is low enough, and 1t should
be eventually raised.
Although astronomy has been offered as a
course In the &ollsge proper for many years.