The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-08
WEDNESDAY, MARCH s \, 100. 1909 !.
The University Standard,
Nh ! 9


Rs The University Standard
- another column will be found g A com
IA ,,,,,,,; IN Hon from {, II correspon aetlt -
=. 3, :, shoro ~ a., who asks us whether
q, ~ n alleged BY the Presby ran
8 standard in its Issue Of tept 1' e. -
that the University Of rgll ls y - =
a 1owered her standard and is now ~ GO CON-
f5Ss ,,at;t,on9 with the colleges, which were were
nncc ..all ambitious for their graduate IS
tB ~ % to the University and take the ~
a degree there n N Il 81
5 II IN reply to this question we are ape ape
3 state senphatlcally "a that the lniver-5
stty has not lowered, but On the conIrIafs,
S has raised her standard, and ~ tila
Tar more men with collegiate degrees 7s
y, "a q ken the 81. a.. degree mt the Cn1-
IT. rersity ia very recent years than ever
before. i5 b al u, @ 5s
!S$ = : ~ a,umnus can contradict this sec
ond statement, we shall gladly ad VI ou W
s error, But NE are strongly OF the opinilo eli
ma. Win the possible exception OF Jen-
M Mn u wise Garrett, who took the AL
n degree In 1879, and who probab bly, dhouugh
Ii ne are not certain Of III, held a#degree
from q William and Mary when he went
,a3tha University. II would he harrt to
@s ~ Ne a single man Will, coliege degree
vTs,o took the University A. A. before the the
,sar 1854. There may hay been YER 9 :"
Eets.ar such men, ard we shall be gao
It'll Is learn their names. If they ever existed;
,a.. our own Investigations have failed
8tsc, dis.coysr a single one. In Inc eleven
.ea-s tro1s. iss. TO 1874, inclusive, how
aver as nan. as seventeen degree men
ron, colleges in various States have
received the Masters degree at the lniVcr-
sity OF Virginia: and. OF these seventeen
AZ no less than thirteen received II in the
last six years. IN other words--Swithou
Is entering into similar details concerning
he Phi. u. degree-it is altogether de-
Il lusion 10 suppose that the University $
y attractive power over college graduates
s was greater in the past than In the pres
S5 emit Exactly the reverse is true.
INK And now for the question OF the Uni
IA yerslty standard, which word We use IN
the sense In which it is employed by our
correspondent and by the religious period
"a ical quoted 81 him. When the latter as.
# serts that the University has lowered he!
standard, the meaning is that the NJ
degree Is now easier OF requirement thar
w tn the good old times. This, however, i
distinctly not the case. In spite Of the fal
greater attractiveness Of the degree.
THE history of&this degree at the Uni
Foyersity may be divided into three periods
the ante bellum period, the period from
1866 to 1892. and the period subsequent t.
III that year. Several years ago we lookee
IN the records from $40 10 1861, and fount
5 that during that time seventeen men tool
3I the NJ. a, degree after only two years Q
\ study at the University. In the sccon'
period only one man succeeded in &C
liza complishing the feat in SO short a tins
a In the third period not q single one la
done SO Except half dozen OF thos
who, having already spent four years
getting a college degree, were for tina
reason excused from doing some OF thcI
FIJI work over again at the University; an
" IL may be safely predicted that no ma
will ever attempt to do II again, Thu
this degree has become progressiycl
greater, and is greater now than ever bt
H5G fore. 4a 5
1.-THE false notion that the STANDARD
+. lad been lowered arose from a tot,
1nsconception OF certain emlnently WI
changes made in the requirements in 1ss
8 Before that time there was no fretdo
Is of choice as TO subjects; the result heir
tiiat the course WAS as distasteful
MI many able students as would be dim
&at which each man was required 10 e
precsely the same quantity az evel
s other man Of precisely the same thing
* but since 1889 the degree has been co
TERED upon those who "a receive L
s b. A. degree, the requirements for viii
admit OF considerable freedom Of rhoi,
3 and (2) perform successfully the work
e advanced courses IN four subjects select
by timself and approved by tho facul
@E m 1883 II WINS enacted That candidates
Is lhe. NJ. "A. degree who were Bachelors
Arts OF other institutions should be ,
cused from doing certain parts Of /,
-. Is. work over again at the UnIy
y SHY. That they have had no ''soft snu
% will clearly appear from the fact II
88tEe seventeen men with coilttge tegre
Woo have taken the NJ a. degree
the University since 1894 spent. OH
aye.asc, very nearly three years 81
University ~ addition ~ Inc four sc
preyAusly spent AZ thei1 various collie