The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-15
WON'T EXTEND.
10.COLL....E'||:',C|E'|::.S,;';.
.f,tstt S
Dr. BoatWright on Elimina.
ton Of Examinations.
/ NEW system At COLLEGE "a
!, one viii Be Instituted at the Opening N
( About Two Weeks-seyera' I'M
NJ portan, Changes WIN Sc
= Made.
NEW SYSTEM At COLLEGE:

ss Not 81 little interest centcrs at thls
mo,nent in the much agitnted question: o.
! examinations In schools, private ana pun
i,rT rho movement toward an ellmlnh-
,,on If Tits feature OF the scholastic year,
,nost objectionable to the pupil, has pc
gun in the public schools OF Rlc ;l y y.
md Henrico and other secondary lllsti-
tutions Of learning and 1t BIDS ialr 10
rrow in popularity as II progresses. an
Interesting and important question that
has INV arisen in connection with the
mntter ia whether or not this radical move
ment will extend to the colleges and UNI
versities as we'll as whether 1t VIII STOP
4 in the secondary schools IN @Wnlch ~ W
rhn. This latter seems the most llKelS
course. ,,o,,t
When Richmond College opens In about
two weeks It will institute nm eiltr..y
new system Of examinations Inc 1uou..S
and the trustees have realized the neeu
4 for n change and they have made IT, bu.
tharo vii, he no Wholesale elimination OF
the examinations, such ms the boys de-
sire. There will be examlnations sun.
though, they Will be shorter and di1lerent-
" arranged and distributed through me
year. Beyond this the faculty would
rot 90 and Furthermore the new scheme
IL to be d permanent thing. Hence there
Is no chance that the new plan propos 1,,l
for the High School OF Richmond "'ii
ever work It's way into the college
Heretofore there have been t"o VIZ" va,
ten examinations at the college, one n 7
FEBRUARY and the other at the close OF
the college year in June. Each lasted
about Ten dnys. ali tho classes being sus-
nenf,ad during this time. The eXamlna-s
t,on OF each class consumed from live
to ten hours. The new plan Involves q
change from two written examinations 20
three The session will he divided !, lh.o
three parts, and each professor VIII 81
fnr as possible, have q detih,te &c, Cou, %
for On CHI third. The first third VIII eng ~
-, before Christmas and the ,a
rano,ninr norton Of the session shai,
no divided into two parts Of about equaI
& inn,,th At the end of each division NOT
Is ,ooro finn Ave days will be set ap.ilt
f,r exominntions. It is probable ttlt.t
fn,r DAYS will be sufficient no SHIFTS ,l.
oSam,nntion will exceed three hours IN
length. whereas under the olo 81 -
Ave to ten hours was the RUE, Us =
regarded as one OF the NUS ..,. .,a,,s n
changes of MI. w 1''''''' s}E
day will be held. .o,,, pres,-
~ I.oatwrigbt5 said he was watcnils
..,;.,, rro,t inte,> 1t the experiment t 'elii's
Ia ~ tho public schools of Richmono.
IA, approved the method proposea pul
aid not think the scheme "ouM npp.s ~
/. Ia higher schools lie Ethousht ~ Mou.u
meet with success IN me seoH , - or,d
stitltIons,. but said that 1t could not ~"
would not he adopted at Richmonu Co'-
EIeee, Moreover, he predicted that me
scbeme would make no Roadway III the
no,locas md universities. Dr.. Bontwrlght
n this connection, quoted the ioilo"ii ~,
section from his annual report 20 VIC
trustees, which has never before uee'
made public: aho
decision with reference to the new
scheme of examinations at the college)
yyn taken before recent public discussion
Of the uuestio of examinations II mas
lieen considered by the faculty for aboul
twelve months, and Is, therefore, taken
after mature elaboration. 1t Is IN me
with changes already tested anu hPproNeu
Nv some of the best Northern colleges and
universities and 1t Is believed the plan
e 1,r oposed will meet our needs. ESalnina-
& lions, L, unuuestiona bly,, have sometimes
taxed the endurance OF students rather
than tested their knowledge or their pow
err to think. On the other hand, exami-
nations are excellent mental discipline
They, compel. students to review and sys-
tematize Work which may, of necessity,
have been done, piece by piece In prepa-
ration for examination students consider
the subject OF study as an organized
whole, and reason aids memory In the
mental grasp. Life has It's tests more
severe than examinations. and It Is part
OF the business of college to train It's
students to do work under stress and
strain. Attentive students need never fear
the brief examinations proposed by the
faculty. 1t should be added that for sew
eral sessions It has been customary tt
give monthly examinations, or writer
nuzzcs, on the details Of the months
work, and that these examinations have
helped to determine graduation.