New-York tribune., 1902-12-31


beginning to specialize 1t must not be forgot
ten that, so long as students are admitted 10
he professional and technical schools d1rectIy
from the secondary schools, they are specla4lz.
ing severely at sixteen or seventeen years OF
age. By putting them through two years COL
lege, course the beginnings OF highly specialized
study would be deferred two years l regard
this as a great gain. On the other hand. 10 IN
sst upon a four years college course, the age
eighteen years. is to postpone unduly the period
Of specialization well as to put the best pro
fessionaI and technical instructors out OF the
reach Of all but relatively few.
Question. Would you think it advisable for
them colleges in general. of the disunctvely
American type) to introduce two years course
for the degree of A B., and give the degree OF
A. NJ. upon the completion of four years
course?
would raise their standards of admission to
point where they rest squarely upon four
that the plan which l have outlined might De
adopted by them all. So long as the entrance
requirements below this standard, the col
leges practically comforting the degree or
A. B. for college course of three years. or for
Of two and one-half years, at the present
time. The remaining year, or year and half,
OF this work is work which has, during the last
generation or two. been transferred to the sec
ondary schools.
Question. But would 1t not dehase the value OF
the a. b degree to confer it upon the completion
of a college course of two years?
Answer. That depends entirely upon the mean
ing of the term "debase." Suppose the cond1-
tions of admission to college were still further
increased to a point where they were equivalent
to the standard of admission TO the present Ju-
Nor year at Harvard or at Columbia; would II pe
necessary to the naintena &c of the standard OF
the A B. degree that the college course should
continue to be four years in length from that
point. Well it is just such a change as this
which has occurred during the last thirty or
forty years. 1t seems to me quite unreasonaol Ole
to suppose that, after a considerable portion or
the work heretofore done in college has passed
over to the dominion Of the secondary school.
No cCl6 r10JIS 90 on
course, simply for appearance sake, or to hold
fast to the tradition that the college course must
occupy four years. My fundamental proposition
is that the American degree Of Bachelor of Arts
gained it's significance and has its significance.
because of what Is known as the old fashioned
four years course OF college STUDY, ana Shat the
appropriate time to confer the degree was. and
is, upon the completion of such course.
interest in the question of degrees which many
do They seem to to require too much ex-
planation to be worth very much; yet we have
them, and they can be so administered as 10
have real value That value will depend, pri-
marily, upon their definiteness and upon the
standard of excellence required for attainment.
I should like to improve the present conditions,
in both Of these respects: but l care much more
about the establishment Of a two years college
course than about the degree 1t earns. or
whether 1t earns any degree
Question. Would your suggestions have
tendency to make student life more concen-
trated and strenuous. discouraging the four or
five months OF vacation idleness that is now
customary, and making the ordinary college
student take himself seriously as worker?
Answer They certainly would. There Is an
ethical aspect of this matter which has escaped
attention, and which ought TO be emphasized.
Charming the privileges and delights OF
college life 1t is not good thing for the Amert-
can boy to spend four formative and precious
years Idly he may do in college. l say
advisedly "as he may do Not a few college
students oLerwork themselves and very many
spend four profitable years; but my own obser-
vation and the comments of numberless parents
force to the conclusion that many boys drift
through college more or less aimleSsly; and, IN
consequence injured rather than benefited
by the experience. Personally, I should rather
have a boy work through two years OF college
life than lo through four years; it would be
better for his character and better for his intel
lectual development West Point and Annap
oils can teach the colleges some lessons in this
regard
Question-While the element OF time spent IN
college may fairly be held to be subordinate 10
the amount and quality of the work done. yet
may not the value Of the time element be under
estiIna ted?
Answer Yes It may and I realize that there
is some danger in q shorter college course, on
that account-but the best consideration which
1 have been able to give TO the subject convinces
that this danger is quite outweighed by the
a longer period OF college residence not we'll oc-
cup!ed. A certain amount Of cultivation-and
even OF culture-may be absorbed from college
life and work by the student who puts very
little energy into his studies. But I think
that this does not happen often; and that, IN
any event, II is not consideration which can
be permitted to outweigh those on the other
side.
FREIGHT BLOCKADE IN PITTSBURG.