Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-07

vi tHe tlllc WiieH TIE dDanQ0Nlnent OF
the degree should be made. We fix
the time at the commencement If this
year. In case the degree should be
abandoned those now in courses lead
ing to the degree would be allowed to
graduate but no further registration
for the degree would be made.
Now this question must be conSid-
cred from the point of view of the edu-
catiOnal interests of the State and
particularly of the University of Maine.
We may properly ask ourselves what
the policy of the State has been i'm re-
lation to the maintenance by the State
of educational institutions. That policy
has been that the common schools
should be maintained by public taxa
ton, that common school education
and even a high school education
should be given to every boy and girl,
and for that reason it is just and
proper that the taxpayers should be
obliged to pay for that education. 1t
has also been the well defined policy
of the State that the colleges of
the State, giving an education which
could be enjoyed only by % few.
should be established and maintain
ed by private beneficence and
under private auspices. and that they
should be aided by the State ONLY
when under the terms of the consti-
tuition they ask for aid in some special
respect, and that the public funds
ought not to be drawn upon for the
payment of the expenses of educating
the comparatively few who enjoy the
benefits of college training That,
say, is the well established policy of
the State. After the change of name
was authorized, the trustees of the
university established in connection
with the other work of the institution
courses leading to the giving of the
b. \. degree. We should determine
whether from the standpoint of the
rights of the people it is a good prop
osition in itself, whether it is for the
the interests of the State and the in
tcrests of the University.
| wish to make a few general state
ments as to what the B. A. degree
is and the position it occupies in the
University. The University of Maine
is divided into five colleges aside from
the agricultural experiment station.
That is, there is a college of agricul-
ture, a college of technology, college
Of pharmacy, a college of law and Il
college of arts and sciences. The to-
tai registration at the University now
is 6S1. Out of that number 127 are
registered in the college of arts and
sciences. The college of arts and sci
ences gives two degrees, one of 3. s.,
Bachelor of Science, implying a study
particularly along scientific lines, the
other of 3. A., or Bachelor of Arts,
implying course of study particularly
along the classical lines. Out of the
127 students registered in the college
of arts and sciences, 20, including sew
en- seniors, ten juniors and twelve
sophomoreS, are registered for the B.
a. degree. The rest of them are reg
istered for the 3. S. degree There
are three kinds of courses which are
taken in common at the University
First the courses which are taken
only i'll general by those students who
are studying for the B. S. degree in
some form and, which would not be
studied by anyone, taking the B. A.
course. Among those are the advanced
courses in engineering, agriculture.
horticulture, courses of that kind. The
second are those courses which are
taken in general only by those stud
ents who are studying for the b. A.
degree, and those departments would
be Greek and Latin. The third class
of courses are those studies which
are taken in common by the students
who are studying for the r. 4. de-
gree and those who are studying for
n hnr Iarrpn aud thnSn nr+
ments would include English, Modern
Languages. History, Economics, Phil
osophy. In those departments it will
be found in the natural order of things
that the advanced courses are the ones
that are necessarily maintained for
the 3. A. students.
The first question that cOnfronts us
is as to the need of the 3. A. degree
from the point of view of the cduca-
tional system of the State in general
At the time the Il. A. courses We're
established at the University they were
already being given in three colleges
in this State | say there was no eS-
pecial need for the establishment of
those courses. first on account of the
grade Of work given at the other COL
lcgeS; second. because it was not nee
cSSary on account of competition with
other colleges; third the necessity
does not exist on account of the eX-
pcnScS at the other colleges The queS-
ton Of the tuition at the other colleges
as compared with the University of
Maine is not important Wnen we are
considering the needs of q student who
needs to have his tuition given him,
because neither Of the other colleges
has ever turned away deserving
student because he was not financially
able to pay his tuition and provision
is made by each, Of those three col
lcgcs for just that condition. 1t is not
necessary then for that reason. 1t is
not necessary and WAS not necessary
on account of location. | have here a
statement compiled from the cata-
lOgue showing the number Of students
taking the r A. work at the Univcr-
sity and at Bowdoin, Colby and Bates.
from the eastern counties of the State:
a. B. STUDENTS.
Bow
L. Of NJ. doin. Colby. Bates.
1.i115 ok. $500, II ?! 9
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