New-York tribune., 1900-03-31
UNIFORMITY IN DEGREES.


An interesting tendency in the educational
world to-day is that toward concerted action
among the higher institutions of learning for an
approximately uniform standard of scholarship
Thus various leading colleges and universities
have practically united to prescribe common
code of requisites for matriculation. There is
no reason why such a system should not be sue
ceSSful. Nor is there any why graduation from
a preparatory school Of approved standing
should not entitle the student ipso factO to be
matriculated in any of the colleges All that is
necessary Is for the colleges to prescribe the
qualificat tions and for the schools TO provide
them in satisfactory manner.
Similarly various institutions have been en-
deavoring to unite in an organization which
shall prescribe the attanments requisite for the
bestowal of the degree Of Doctor of Philosophy
and other graduate degrees. This, too, is prac
ticable and benefcent scheme There GER
tain advanced degrees which are, and doubt
less will continue to be, bestowed in purely
honorary manner, ION general principles" Chief
among these is the degree Of Doctor Of Laws,
which Is often conferred upon men who know
little or nothing of law but have attained emf
nence In political life, in the Army Navy, in
business, in philanthropy elsewhere. But
there other doctorates. notably that IN Phi
losophy, which are conferred either in course or
the world. 1t Is certainly desirable that these
should be appropriately conferred and that
those conferred in course-as Phi d. generally
is-should have definite meaning, a standard
value ascertained by the character and amount
Of work actually done In the courses leading up
to them.
1t may not be amiss, however. to recall the
fact that for every doctorate there probably
some hundreds Of baccalaureate degrees. and
that indeed, the latter form the foundation and
are the prerequisites of the former. One cannot
enter course candidate for Phi. D. unless
he has already received A. B. Why. then, should
not action be taken TO assure definite and uni
form standard for the A. B. degree? 1t is in
tended to make all Doctorates of Philosophy
practically equal by requiring for them a uni
form amount and style of work. Yes; but is 1t
not equally necessary to make the starting
points, the baccalaureate degrees, uniform? To
make the tops of buildings all on the same level
it is not enough to make the buildings them
selves all of the same height, but III addition
their foundations must all be on the same level.
Apart from this reason, there are other most
practical and potent reasons for establishing
Of course, within certain elective limits of lati-
tude-a uniform standard of scholarship for the
degree of A. b. That degree, as every other
degree in course should have a certain fixed
and definite meaning. If It has not such
meaning II is snare and delusion. And at
present, it must be confessed. II does not seem
to have such a meaning. In most colleges it
means the completion of four years course,
comprising both Latin and Greek. But 1t is now
proposed to let it mean in some colleges a course
of only three years, with no Greek and perhaps
with no Latin Then one A. b. will be a cIassi-
cal scholar and another will be entirely ignorant
Of the classics-a deplorable state Of affairs.
We are not at present arguing either pro or
con on the length Of college the utility
of the classics, but merely in favor of making
the numerically chief Of all college degrees
mean something and thus be worth having. Let
II be authoritatvely agreed what is the mean
ing of arts or liberal arts. If young man be
Bachelor of Science or Of Laws or of Music or
of Divinity we know what he has been study
ing. His degree has unmstakable meaning
and recognized value But If he be a Bachelor
of Arts he may be intellectually not fish
flesh fowl, nor yet good red herring BY all
means let the higher degrees be scrupulously
guarded and bestowed with discretion according
to ascertained standards of merit. but at the
same time let us not play ducks and brakes with
the degree which Is Of most of them the begin
ming and the foundation.