Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-06


cned for In Indiiscriminnte Awarding
OF Degrees - Greater Authority
Wanted for the State Board to
Control Mushroom Institutions
and to Certify to Teachers
Licenses.
AS a. result of the Investigations of the
State Board Of Education through Its
secretary, Mr.. f. F, Brent, degree
mill" in Virginia will discontinue its
work, and its policy Of granting valua-
bic collegiate degrees to nonresident stu
dents under the fimsy pretense of initiat-
ing them into its alumni association has
been effectively stopped.
<. a letter has been received at the Of
fee of the Secretary Of the State Board
Of Education from the president Of the
institution in question, stating that the
nonresident degree feature Of the insti-
tuition would hereafter be discontinued
Considerable correspondence has passed
between the president of the college and
: : . - ~
the secretary Of the board, and the last
letter from the secretary seems to have
brought about the desired end The pres
ident Of the college referred to was In
formed that quo warranto proceedings
would be instituted against his l+institu-
as all the evidence in the case was of
such a nature as to show that high de-
gree were being hawked for price
among nonresident students. tending to
bring the value Of college degrees in
Virginia into disrepute, if the practice
were continued. the jacking UP by the
State Board has caused q discontinuance
i of the policy that has been severely con-
| demned by the colleges of standing in the
State.
Degrees That Were Good.
The institution to which the attention
Of the State Board has been directed
with good results, has been offering de-
Tses such as Ph. D., D. G. l.. and S.
| D. T.. to students all over the country
| under the announcement that 1t was
! chartered by the State of Virginia. Be
| lieving that the integrity OF college de-
grees given by institutions incorporated
| by the State should be protected against
| mountebank colleges without any endow-
nent, equipment, or faculty necessary
! to affix value to the degrees, the State
| Board has gone after the college In ques-
| ton with a. sharp stick, and has followed
| up its investiga tions so closely and thor
! oughly that the college has practically
| sued for mercy from further searching
| investigation. and has notified Mr.. Brent
| that the nonresident degree policy will
| be abandoned.
When the Virginia institution started
out on its plan of giving these degrees
! a year or more ago. it announced thai
| it was taking up the work Of Taylor
| University, at Upland, Ind, which lnstt-
! tuition granted more Phi. p. degrees last
| year than either Harvard or Johns Hop
J kins although the annual income for its
| support was less than the salary pa1c
| to one professor at Harvard. Mr.. Brent
| said yesterday that the State Board hae
taken the initiative in this matter. al:
though it properly belonged to the va
rious colleges of standing in the State
who ought to protect themselves agains,
such imposition. One of the leading col
| lege presidents in Virginia said recently
! that the Legislature should empower the
! State Board Of Education to control the
issuing of degrees, and furthermore thai
|
| licenses to teachers who have GRADUATED
from reputable colleges just as licenses
are granted to lawyers and doctors, aftel
| they have received their degrees from In
| stitutions of high standing. The State
| Board Of Medical Examiners passes upo1
| applicants who wish to practice medicint
| in Virginia; the same is true Of pharma
| cists. dentists, and lawyers, and yet there
| is no examination of the fitness OF teacn
/ ers who have received degrees from col
| leges, but who are intrusted with duty
! no less important than that Of law
i yer, a doctor, or dentist.
College President Arrived.
During the session of the Constitutions
! Convention, "a II effort was made by on
| of, the college presidents In Virginia t
have incorporated into the organic lay
( Of the State some provision for the Is
suing Of certificates to the State teacher
by a board, but the plan seemed likel,
\ to arouse opposition, and as the colleg
! president said, The members Of the con
vention were not anxious to shoulder an.
i measure that seemed likely to add an,
unpopularity to the Constitution. prefer
ring to unload that task on the Legisla
ture- -
/ DR.. w. w Smith, chancellor for tn
/ Randolph Macon system, speaking abou
this Illicit degrees giving. said recently
..Reputablet colleges. In Virginia, incorpo
i rated under the laws Of the State. shoult
1 have their graduates protected agains
this indiscriminate awarding Of degree
i by mushroom Institutions. and It shoul
i be controlled by the State Board of Edu
i cation. The colleges of standing Wit
4 endowment and prestige. have nothing t
fear for their graduates. but the p9bd
should be. protected against men appliyn
for positions to teach with degrees tacke
to their names that have been a;warde
4 By institutions totally wanting in tn