Evening star., 1898-07-13

the time and money spent The truth is
that the college can scarcely effect its aim,
and the reason is obviously the fact tnflt
the student must be twenty-five thirty
years old before he can settle down i'll life;
but wherever the college is a part of Il
university and the range of electives is
very broad, the student may elect in such
way to enter his professional course
of training at its second year, instead of
at the first. His electives can thus be
made TO cover the first year of the profess
sional course.
Al Columbia University DR. Butler SAYS
the arrangement of the course SO as to
make this possible has resulted in these
electives being taken by students who
never expect to take professional courses
afterward. This is especially true of the
law courses, though il is true Of the
scientific and the medical courses also
There are certain students in mental sci
ence and in political science which all
students desire. and these are made avail
able to all in the Junior years.
All this is possible only in cases where
the college Is a part of the university sys-
tenn In the 420 or 430 colleges in which
this is not the case the question arises
whether the course should not be reduced
to three years. After reducing The en-
trance requirements the professional
schools have heightened their courses. and
the question whether the law and medical
courses should not be extended over from
TOUR to seven years is continually dis
cussed in our day. The real solution is not
O.
qulrements and TO eliminate those studies
now included in the professional curricu-
Ium which are not Immediately connected
with professional training.
Discussed by Dr. Smith,
DE- William b. Smith of Tulane Univer-
sity. New Orleans discussed the paner of
Dr. Butler He does not think the experi-
ment of Columbia University is a radical
solution of the problem. There is great
ueai OF waste due to proper organization
ana adjustment in our educational system
great step toward this will be a cutting
INTO Two or the college courses, and the
policy outlined by DIR. Butler Is really one
step in this direction. The policy of Column
bia University is really shortening of the
college course; but the natural point Of
cleavage is at the beginning of the Junior
instead of the senior year. The German
schools give to their pupils about the same
training at the age of fourteen or fifteen
years which our students get in freshmen
ana sophomore years. Our present college
course, without sacrificing any of the cul-
ture elements which it contains may ter
inmate with the sophomore wear: and the
student may begin his professional train
ing at the age of eighteen or nineteen
years. We may say two years This result
is now being accomplished in GerIna nv ard
England Our college will be 4 bout euuiva-
lent. on its classical and scientific sides 10
the German gymnasium and the real
'schule"
Professor A. T Ormond presented a very
interesting discussion of the question of
shortening the college course. The method
of shortening the college course in wears is
one with which Professor Ormond is rot in
sympathy. The four years of college each
of them. are the most important years in
the history of an Individual. Human life
and their value. is too great both to the in
dtvidual and to society. In place of the re-
dUction in years, Professor Ormond sug-
gests reorganization of the educational
system as whole. so that the secondary
course wiz not contain studies which can
be omitted until the college course
President ]. NJ. Baker Of Colorado Uni
Versity emphasized the need of some step
in the direction of saving time now lost
He tavors the reorganization plan, and the
arranging of studies so that a year can be
saved by election. He feared we might
possibly be forced to shorten the college
course in order to save il. Young people
are short-circuiting the college course con-
tinually.
President King of Grinel Collese. Iowa.
thought there was the same difficulty with
reference to the high school course. Prob
ably the professional courses should con-
tain only subjects of professional value
and be preceded by some sort of liberal
education.
DIR. Hinsdale's Paper.
The second paper was presented by DR..
b. A Hinsdale of Michigan University, on
the question. rs il possible and desirable
to form federation of colleges and uni
versities in the United States similar to
the national federation of medical schoolsg'
AS to the success OF this federation Pro-
fessor Hinsdale says ii has been measur-
ably useful and successful. The organiza-
tion. briefly outlined by the speaker it's
aim and method seem most commendable