Evening star., 1909-06-21
SPEAKS FINAL WORD
President Needham Defends
System at G. W. U.
MILD REBUKE TO CRITICS
Carnegie Foundation Action Called
''Hasty and Arbitrary
, FINANCIAL FACTS ARE GIVEN
Authoritative Statement Is Issued
in Order That Public Nav Be
FINANCIAL FACTS ARE GIVEN
Authoritative Statement Is Issued
in Order That Public May Be
Advised of the Real Issues.

The plans and work Of the George
| Washington University are fully de-
scribed by DR. Charles W. Needham, the
president of that institution, in state
ment which has been given out by him
and which. he declares, to be his final
word
| The discussion in the public press.
says DIR. Eeedham in his statement,
! seems to call for an authoritative state
ment of the educational work and con-
| diton of the university in order that
the people of Washington may be ad-
vised as to the real issues These con-
ditions and plans he describes as fol-
lows.
| F'irst-Prior to 1902, when the present
administration assumed charge, there
was day college, with less than hun
dred students, and a faculty of eleven
professors and teachers. There was also
| the Corcoran Scientific School. doing un-
| dergraduate work in the evening. which
| was conducted by the professors of the
| day college. These professors received
salaries in the day college ranging from
$1,000 to S1.SOO year, and - per cent
Of the students fees for the evening
| work This arrangement was made be-
| tween the faculty and the university to
| prevent any liability on the part of the
! university for the expenses of the even
ing college. In this college there was
some work given in engineering and
architecture.
! The law school was conducted by law
| yers in practice and judges in service,
no one giving his entire time and at
tention to it's management or to teach
| ing.
| The medical school was conducted in
the same way by practicing physicians,
| there being no professional teachers en-
ployed. giving their whole time to the
educational work.
The First Change Made.
Second-The first change adopted un-
der the present administration was to
discontinue the Corcoran Scientific School,
merge it with Columbian College, and
require all classroom work TO be done
before the hours of 8 in the morning and
&: 40 in the afternoon: the la laboratories and
| libraries to be kept open, with assistants,
until 10 o'clock The objects in view were
| to unite the student body and create a
| spirit of unity, and place all of the col
| lege work upon the basis of absolute
| equality. The entrance requirements were
advanced to conform to those of eastern
colleges. Part of the work taken by full
| day students and all the work of the
part-day students was given in the after
noon between $50 and $50. SO that the
two groups came INTO classroom dsSo-
citation.
| AS the students employed during the
day do not have the same time for the
preparation of their class work. they
| were limited to a less number of hours
per week. This increased the period with
| in which the halliday students could earn
| a degree by one or two years.
| The effect Of this change upon the fac
ulty was to put all of the professors
upon salary basis. cutting out the fee
! In fI,a ri =
| ferences of opinion as to the wisdom of
| this change.
Professional Teachers Employed.
| Third-The next change inaugurated
was to employ professional teachers in
the professional schools. In the law
school, four men, exclusive of the presi-
dent. are now employed, who give their
entire time to teaching. They teach by
| the case method. which requires much
| time in preparing for class work and
trained ability to impart knowledge. This
does not displace or in any way discount
the excellent work done by lawyers and
| judges of very high standing, who are
still conducting work in the school. Its
| purpose was to establish in the city of
| Washington a law school of the type pre-
vailing in the best universities, where
men who desire the most thorough train
ling in the law would be able to secure it,
A full-day law course, beginning in the
morning, was established, with fourteen
hours work per week required. This was
done to attract the students who give all
their time to study and desire to have it
fully occupied. An afternoon course of
ten hours per week is given for students
employed through the day. Thus the
needs of the two groups of students were
met. To the students giving part of their
time a less number of hours is required,
but the same quality Of teaching is pro-
vided. BY increasing their attendance to
four years, the afternoon students may
cover the entire work. while the full-day
students complete it in three years. The
part-day students may receive the bache-
lor of law tB.L.) degree at the end of
hearty approval from students who are
serious minded and desire TO secure the
best legal education.
| These changes have raised our standing
in the Association of American Law
Schools, and enable our graduates to pa SIS
successfully the bar examinations in all
the states.
Medical School Changes.
| Fourth-The changes in the medica
school involved practically the same edu-
cational problem and were met with the
| same objections as those in the law
school The administration advocated the
extension of the laboratories and the en-
| ployment of specially trained men to
/ teach the laboratory courses. This was
done and resulted in the employment o'
! four professional teachers on regular sal
aries to do this work. The expense in
volved was the increase of the salary
| lis. and the expense in establishing and
| ma int aiming the laboratories. Another
| change made was To increase the clinical