The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-08-22


at the former university and four COL
leges, somerville, Lady Margaret's, St.
Hilda's and st. Hugh's. at the latter.
Long before Oxford and Cambridge
thought of opening their doors to
women the movement began in Lon
don by the foundation in 1849 Of Bed
ford and Queens colleges, not "col-
leges" in the strict sense of the term,
but nevertheless an attempt to Offer
higher education to women. Not until
very recently did these colleges become
aifiliated with the University of Lon
don, although for several years they
have prepared for the university ex-
am1nations.
1t is interesting to compare the OPP
portunities for higher education in
Great Britain with those offered in the
United States. There is no comparison
as to the numbers availing themselves
of these opportunities. Newman has
about 100 students, Girton less than
125, Somerville 80, Lady Margarets so
or 60 and st. Hilda's and st. Hugh's
about rs each. There are larger num-
bers at some of the colleges affiliated
with the University of London and at
the University of Edinburgh. but in no
case are the numbers comparable with
those at the principal American col
leges for women. A partial explana-
ton of this disparity is to be found in
the larger constituency from which our
colleges draw, but the chief reason for
A. f, %hn< hn
cation of women has not as yet become
popular movement in England. 1t is
not in any sense fashionable" and as
a result the class Of students Is dis
tinctly an earnest one, with few, If
any, who go simply for the college life
and experience.
In comparison of the English I'M
dergraduate course with the American,
one is impressed with the emphasis
placed upon specialization, an under
graduate going up to Oxford or Cam
bridge for a three-years' course in the
philosophical or historical SCHOOL de-
voting his entire time to the one line
of work and winning his degree upon
that. In some cases liberal educa-
ton precedes the university training,
but that is not invariably true and the
comparison with the American system
seems to be that of a high degree of
specialization versus a broader and
more liberal culture.
While 1t is true that there are many
advantages In the aff1liation of the col
lege with an old university, there are
obvious disadvantages. The wheels of
progress must often drive heavily
when weighted with tradition and con-
servatism and desirable changes be
made with difficulty. In no country are
the opportunities for the higher educa-
ton Of women SO numerous and so ac-
cessible as in our own, where 1t would
seem that she who runs may read. All
types of mind and every variety Of cir
cumstances and conditions may be met
in the great number of Institutions
now open to women and in the wide
opportunity for choice which they Of
fer. The state universities and great
endowed institutions like Cornell and
Chicago offer coeducation, Harvard
has its annex, Columbia and Brown
their affiliated colleges, while Bryn
Mawr, Vassar. Wellesley Smith,
Holyoke and hosts OF smaller institu-
tons afford opportunity for study in
the distinctive woman's college.
AS broad choice is offered in the
curriculum and in methods, varying
from the required courses and closer
classroom work of the smaller col
lege, to the wide election and lecture
system of the university. There are
no subjects. no lines of work from
which women are debarred; they may
study architecture and civil engineer
ing in the best technical schools. the
ology in the seminaries, and medicine
and law supplemented by practice in
the hospital and the law Office, as well
as literature and art, domestic science
and pedagogy. The advance during the
last ten years has been largely in the
direction of graduate study and the
college woman of to-day who expects
to enter teaching or any other profess
sion regards her undergraduate course
as preliminary simply to the advanced
work which she hopes to do at some
time in the future. The opportunities
for such study are not less numerous
than for regular undergraduate work,
some universities, as for instance Yale,
opening their graduate courses to
women on the same basis as to men.
while not admitting them as under
graduates.
These opportunities are supplement-
ed by those which the European uni
versities offer and which give to the
American student the broader culture
which comes from contact with the
old-world civilization, although the
actual academic advantages may be
no greater, and sometimes not as great
as In our own country. There is to-
day a wide chance for choice In study
abroad, The classical student feels