New-York tribune., 1900-04-09
THE SOPHOMORE DEGREE FAD.

The Chicago University scheme of conferring
academic degrees at the end of the second or
sophomore year seems-so far as it can he IN
derstood at ALTO be marked with even greater
ineptitude than the average educational fad
We say $50 far as it can be understood" because
we are by no means sure that we, or any one
else, save possibly its designer. can with any
degree of certainty make head or tail of the
thing The first and most prominent point we
can make out of Dr. HarpeEs own apologize is
that it is disgraceful for a man to drop out of
college at the end of the second year where
fore this degree is devised to spare him that
disgrace. That is a proposition which will we
imagine, meet with a pretty vigorous denial
from the majority Of American college men.
1t is not to be conceded for one moment that
there is any disgrace In leaving college before
the completion of the four years course Thou
sands of men have done it, and are doing it
every year, because of lack of means, impaired
health, changed tastes and plans or other en-
tirely honorable reasons. To many who are
constrained by circumstances such withdrawal
may be matter Of regret. To insinuate that it
is in any respect a reproach to them is little
short of monstrous. But even if it were would
that reproach be removed by the receipt of some
little Associate in Arts degree? If it would
be, then what about the fellows who drop out
at the end of the freshman year? Should not
the deep damnation of their taking off be saIved
by the beStowal Of degrees upon them? And
then the hapless lads who, fully meaning to go
through college are compelled to stop at the
end OF the htAsn school course; surely they
should have the privilege Of tacking some con-
solatory letters to their names. To be logical
why not go to the root of the matter and grant
academic degrees to all who successfully pass
entrance examinations in the kindergartens?
Hopelessly inept too, seems the notion that
the freshman and sophomore years are college
years and that the junior and senior years be-
long 70 university life 1t is not thus that the
line between college and university is to be
drawn, unless, indeed are TO say that hence
forth the college course is TO be shortened to
two years and all further study be counted
postgraduate work; In which case the regular
baccalaureate degree should be granted at the
end of the second year. The true conception of
a college is that of institution giving four
year courses in arts and general science
adapted TO serve as the foundations of any
higher, special and professional courses that
may be desired, and leading to the degrees of
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science 1t is
only after such q course has been completed
and such degree granted that the work of the
university begins And the true university
scheme is that OF an institution providing
courses in arts and science in direct continua
tion Of those of the college, leading to Masters
and Doctors degrees and also courses In spe-
cial professional studies, such as law medicine
and theology leading TO similarly advanced de-
grees therein. There is of course, no real need
that q university should provide a college
course. Some universities do not. Others do
In our local institutions for example college and
university are combined III Columbia IJniver-
sity the old School of Arts remains under the
name Of Columbia Colleges college pure and
simple. SO in NewYork University the old
schools OF Arts and Sciences remain AS Uni
veIsty College. But in them the line between
university and college is distinctly drawn as
II * i'll the cases OF universities which do no
college work and colleges that undertake no
post graduate work. Instead of making that
distinction more clear, Dr Harper's scheme
would, rs il seems TO us. confuse and muddie it
in most hopeless manner
There are. ii Is true, two considerations which
some might deem in favor OF the scheme. but
which cannot appeal to so true and disinterested
an educator as the president of the University