New-York tribune., 1907-10-26
DIX. SCHURMAN'S REPORT
President Recommends Radical
Changes at Cornell University.

Ithaca, N. Y, Oct. 3.-President Jacob Gould
Schurman has prepared for the annual fall meet
ing of the Cornell University board of trustees
tomorrow what he himself terms a ''radi-
cal report" In this he advocates a striking
addition to the requirements for entering pro-
fessional courses reducing the fees for instruc-
ton and for a new scheme of housing Cornell stu
dents. President Schurman, instead of merely
porting to the trustees what has been accomplished
In the last year in the various colleges and depart
ments broadly considers the different fields Of ed
ucation over which he has supervision in relation
to educational ideals. professional demands and
the public welfare with regard to the manner In
which work has been done at Cornell in each or the
departments
Broadly speaking. President schurman recon-
mends that the time necessary to obtain a profes-
sonal degree at Cornell be extended from four to
FIVE years. The first year he would devote TO
purely humanistic studies, such as history. Ian
guage, literature economies and politics: the sec
ond to the pure sciences and to a comprehensive
outlook over the general scientific field. This would
constitute the first division. The second division or
three years would be devoted to purely special
technical training. It is He states it is his
belief that required five years would induce most
students to take six in order to obtain both
an arts and a professional degree.
President Schurman's recommendation regarding
the Cornell Medical School is the most notable
utterance of his report. He declares for making
the medical college a purely graduate affair He
Harvard in Baltimore by Johns Hopkins and IN
New York by no institution. The time is coming.
he declares. for a differentiation of work in New
York City, and Cornell should seize the oppOr-
tunity; otherwise the Cornell Medical School can
not keep abreast of the times in medical science.
President Schurman would require for entrance to
the medical college not only the degree Of Bachelor
of Arts. but a degree equivalent to Cornell de
gree in value and earned by work in courses in
physics, chemistry and biology equal to the Cor
nell courses in these studies.
In his plea for reduced fees for tuition. which
can only come from larger endowment, President
Schurman remarks;
If the republic is TO remain Democracy there
must be educational ladder extending from the
assembled by the talented, studous and d.hgeut
wcll-to-do and rich. Every advance in the fees
charged for tuition and other purposes In colleges
and universities tends 10 exclude certain portion
So oa k16 IL iio' H coeab Ie mat bes f
y1iyht 6a raisad ~ such ~ felre mar Tberai
culture and professional training should become the
monopoly of that minority of Americans who can
afford to spend at least hundreds Of dollars an
nually on the education of each of their children
Under such conditions there would result an un-
just and dangerous alliance of capital and brains
an aristocracy OF wealth in combination with AN
aristocracy of trained talent
President Schurmau's scheme for housing stu
dents is for the university to acquire through beue
factions several houses accommodating forty TO
fifty students These houses would have "a
mon room FOR social intercourse and would be
rented To coneenlai groups These would have all
the advantages of dorIuitorieS the Harvard plan.
with all the social features which make fraternity
Iodses desirable. This plan already has been made
operative Tor women students. who enjoy also dor
mitory advantages in Sage College and Cottage.
by the renting of several houses in town by the
alumnH associations. There the girls do their own
work cooking. sweeping and so forth. reducing
expenses to low figure.
The new school of pedagogy is carefully treated
hy President Schurman, who believes that IL will
grow 70 large proportions one service which the
school Of pedagogy VIII undertake in the near
future is that of helping the rural teachers of the
state to he vitalizing force in the country com
munities In connection with this the Cornell Col
lege Of Agriculture will work with the school OF
pedagogy.