Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-24
COLUMBIAN CHANGES
Important Action Taken by
the Board of Trustees.
B. A. COURSE 3 YEARS
UNIVERSITY TO ADMIT ALL
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
President tiov1 rf
President Needham's Explanation of
the New Plan and Its Bearing on
Education at Washington.


Important changes have been announced
with regard to the organization and plan of
the Columbian University of this city, the
chief feature being a reduction of the
| course for degree of bachelor of arts from
| four to three years, the action having
been taken by the trustees of the university
On the unanimous recommendation of the
| faculty, in accordance with the tendency
| which has recently developed among the
| leading universities of the north, notably
Harvard and Columbia of New York The
| annual report of President Charles w.
| Needham. copies of which are just off the
| press, explains the scope of the new plan of
| organization, which affects the three depart
ments known as Columbian College, Corco-
ran Scientific School and School of Gradu-
ate Studies. President Needham says:
The organization proposed will supplant
| the three departments last named and
reorganze the work the basis of sub
| jects. In the place of schools with deans
and faculties We shall have subjects, each
with a head professor and assistant pro-
fessors. The professors and assistant pro-
fessors will be organized into two bodies
one, the preident's council consisting of
the president and the head professors of
university subjects and the deans of the
professional schools, and the other, the
university council, consisting of the pres1-
dent, head professors, assistant professors
dean and designated professors of the pro-
fessional schools. The first will be the eX
ecutive and the second the advisory body
of the educational work Of the university.
This organization will bring all the pro-
fessors together upon an equality prevent
the friction growing out of division OF
interests represented now in several facul-
ties and by divided leadership under differ
ent deans. 1t will unity the whole teaching
force under one common leadership, and by
this association increase the efficiency OF
the university a whole and create uni
versity spirit.
THE head professor is required to divide
each subject into three sections: % A two
year general culture course; (2) three
year specialized course, and 90 a course
for original research.
Work to Be Progressive.
THE advantages of this division are that
it will make the work of the student pro-
gressive from the time he enters the insti-
tuition to the end of the original research
section. He will not have to go over any of
the ground twice, but will in the full course
outlined cover the whole field of study and
inquiry In given subject 1t will also give
the student during his entire student life
at the university the benefit of the best
mind upon the subject and this Will
strengthen the under graduate work It
will give to those in the culture courses the
advantage of all the science work. All stu
dents will be entered and listed in the cata-
logue candidates for degrees, including
under each degree the names of all candi-
dates therefor in the university.'
Henceforward Columbian University will
admit graduates of all approved high
schools in the United States upon their GER
tificates of graduation The universities of
Michigan, California and Minnesota take
students from the high schools of their re-
spective states. Columbian University has
ir,iIa cd
from the District high schools, and by virtue
of the rule will hereafter extend this
privilege to the graduates of the high schools
of any other cities which are regarded as
equipping their students to the proper de-
gree of efficiency.
The A. B. Course.
With reference to the reduction of the
A. B. course from four to three years, Pres
ident Needham says:
THE next important change is in grant
ing Of the degree of bachelor of arts at the
end of three years, allowing the student in
his third year to pursue as part of his work
a professional or specialized course. A few
years ago movement was started to pro-
vide a systematic and scientific teaching Of
professional studies. At that time courses
in the professional schools extended over one
or two years at most These courses, added
to the four-year college course, required the
student to spend five or six years in prepa-
ration for profession. The demands for
better professional training made it neces-
sary that the professional course should be
enlarged and the work systematiZed. To
lengthen the professional courses to three or
four years without reducing the college
course necessarily meant lengtnenng the
student life to seven or eight years. From
that time to this the controversy has been
going on between the educators in special
lied or professional work and the old insti-
buttons of learning in reference to the
length of the college or general culture
course. 1t has been insisted that the re-
quirements of the present age make it nee
essary that a man devote at least three
years in special study to prepare himself
for a profession or calling, and that this
work should be systematic scientific and
thorough. For this reason 1t is insisted that
this work should be recognized and the
courses which are for general culture and
for which the bachelor Of arts degree Is
given should be shortened. so as not to COM
pei the student to spend so much of his jfe
in preparatory work.
Six Years of Preparation.
''It wiz be observed that if the three-year
general culture course prevails and three
years specialization is added we still have
six years of preparation before a man
enters upon his life work, and IT, as pro-
posed in this ordinance, the student is al
lowed to combine in the third year these
two courses ii reduces the period to five
years. The same length of time will be
quired OF every man preparing for profess
sional work as was required under the old
system, the only difference being that less
amount Of this time will be given to general
culture and more of it to specialized work
The present method Of teaching in the pro-
fessional and technical schools Is disci-
plinary, and therefore I cannot believe that
there will be any less of the higher cduca-
70 no val, of