New-York tribune., 1902-12-31
TWO YEARS FOR An 4. B.
DIR. n. II. BUTLER 5 IIEWO
Interest IN Them ReUi0ed By Current
Incidents.

z
fective if il had preceded the Universitys ap-
pIication for membership. Taking natural
though perhaps not highly decorous advantage
of the opening thus afforded. a spokesman OF
the association said few days ago;
The professors of New-York University. VINO
as all mni of the institutions Of our asSocIatoi
were invited TO attend Tuesday nlghl ; oalltt
and who refused, actuated py plque d. Ll!c
failure of their university TO obtain meTnoeIsnIP
in the associat ton We are now fornled oL IiioS5
universities who are working toward the end
Of placing their educational schools on the p@SIs
of higher education, or requiring the degree OF
A r from students who desire to pursue uni
versity courses
This last phrase forces readers to recall that
the chief figure in this association whose mem
bers are engaged in promoting hlSher eooc0-
ton, and especially in requiring the degree OF
A. B. from students who desire to pursue UNI
versity courses" is President Nicholas Murray
Butler OF Columbia, who recently startled the
educational world by proposing to cut the oio
course down one-haIf and grant the degree OF
A b after two years study. Many Of his col
leagues in the association, however. disagree
with him The whole situation revives interest
in Dr. Buffers startling proposals. ana espe-
cially in the defence he made OF them atter Ihe
storm they first reused had begun to rattle
about his ears Here are some extracts from
his later publications on the subject;
CFrom President Buffers report on Columbia, l9O2)
/
whole tendency of cur present educatlonal sys-
TEN is TO postpone unduly the period OF selL-
support and 1 feel certain that public opinion
will not long sustain a scheme of forma! tram
ing which in its completeness includes klnoeF-
garten course Of two three years, an eIemen-
tary school course Of eight years secondary
school course of four years. college course Oh
four years. and professional OF teCnr,oa eIIei
school course of three or four years toIo"eu
by a period Of apprenticeship on small wages
or wages at all. -.
Four years is, in my opinion, too long time
to devote to the college course as now cohstl-
tuted especially for students who are 10 remain
in university residence as technical or proIes-
sional students.
One consideration OF vital Importance appears
to have been overlooked in the numerous dis
cussions of this whole matter and that is the
fact that there is no valid reason why the col
lege course should be of one uniform length Tor
all classes Of students. The unnecessary as
sumption OF the contrary view has greatly com
plicated the entire question both in the pubic
and in the academic mind. 1t must De renlen-
bered that for the intending student OF la"'
medicine applied science VINO goes 10 COL
lege, three or four additional years OF unlVer-
sity residence and study are In prospect a1teT
the bachelors degree has been obtained For
the college student who looks forward to a
business career, the other hand. academic
residence closes with graduation from college.
For the latter class therefore, the college course
NAV well be longer than for the former. Whle
two or three years OF purely college lie ana
study may be ample for the man who proposes
to remain in the university as professional or
as a technical student three or even four, years
may be desirable for him who at college
graduation leaves the university, its atmos-
phere It's opportunities and its influence Tor
ever.
So long as there were no graduate schools.
and therefore genuine universities, IN the
United States and when the bachelors degree
was the highest academic distinction to be
gained in residence, II was sound academic and
public policy to make the require ments Tor the
degree of Bachelor of Arts high as possible.
It the only mark OF scholarship that the
colleges could give. AS result. the average age
at graduation increased Now however. conaI-
tions have entirely changed. Nearly. or quite,
one-half of the work formerly done in college
for the degree Of Bachelor OF Arts Is now done
in the rapidly increasing number or secondary
schools, particularly public high schools and no
small part of it is required for admission TO
college
It would appear to be wise, and possible, to
treat the length of the college course and the
ment for the degree Of Bachelor Of Arts from
the standpoint Of present day needs and the
largest social service.
NV own belief is that Columbia University
will perform the greatest public service If 1t
establishes two courses in Columbia Couege,
one of two years and one of four years-the
former to be included in the latter-and If 1t
requires the satisfactory completion OF the
shorter course it's equivalent elsewhere, Tor
admission to the professional and technlcal
schools OF the University. By taking this step
we should retain the college with It's two years
of liberal studies integral element in our
system shorten by two years the combined
periods of secondary school. college and profes-
sional school instruction, and yet enforce
standard of admission to our professional schools
which both in quantity and in quality is on
plane as high the Columbia degree OF Bach
elor OF Arts Of 1860 which was recognized as
conforming to a very useful standard or ex-
cellence At the same time we should retain
the four years course with all It's manifest ao-
vantages and opportunities for those who look
forward to a scholarly career. and for as many
of those who intend TO enter upon some active
business after graduation as can De induced TO
follow 1t.
II Columbia College should offer two courses
in the liberal arts and sciences one Of two
wears and one of four years in length. the sec
ond including the first the question would at
once arise as to what degrees or other marks
Of academic recognition would be conferred
upon students who had satisfactorily completed
them
NAV withhold the bachelors degree until the
completion of the longer course, and grant some
new designation to those who satisfactorily
complete the shorter course This has been
done at the University of Chicago. where grad
yates of the junior college course Of two years
are made Associates in Arts. Or we may de-
srade-as it is called-the bachelors degree |
from the artificial position In which the develop
rnents of the last forty years have placed It,
and confer Ii upon the graduates or the shorter
Master of Arts for the longer course of four |
years. The latter alternative would be my own
preference.
The A B. degree of to-day is a very uncertain
quantity, and time alone will show whether it
means much or little
The college, as we have it is peculiar to our
own national system of education and is per-
haps its strongest, it certainly is its most
characteristic feature 1t breaks the sharp tran
sition which is so noticeable In Europe between
the close surveillance and prescribed order of
the secondary school and the absolute freedom
of the university. It's course of liberal study
comes Just at the time in the students life to do
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