The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-22

In Virginia must go!
THE STATE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN.
Miss Mary L. Cobb delivered very
practical address on Some Compura-
tive Costs Of the Education Of Wo-
men" at meeting of teachers and Of
ficers at the Summer Normal School
held In Martinsville d fortnight ago.
The purpose Of the meeting was to
stimulate an increased interest in the
establishment Of a State college for
women.
Pointing out that Virginia spends
$475,25o on State institutions. Miss
Cobb said: I'VE are confronted by this
conditions: Within the last five years
the high schools in the state have
grown from 10 to 600; these high
schools are calling for college-mained
teachers. True. the State institutions
for the most part furnish the rrinci-
pals and many Of the fine corps OF as
sistants, but very often the principal
is lonesome. He is tn. only man IN
the school OF the 5000 teachers in
the state the Overwhelming majority
are women. They form about 60 per
cent. of the whole teaching force"
With an explanation of the lamenta-
BILE fact that there is no place within
the State where woman may obtain
university training, Miss Cobb en-
plains that many women do so out
side of Virginia to get such train
ing, adding many more would do SO
IL the cost were not so discouraging q
factor in the undertaking."
The statistics gathered by Miss
Cobb relative to the expenditure mat
a woman must make for her univer-i
slty education when she seeks it out
side of the Old Dominion are based on
figures given by Virginia women who
nave gone to these institutions, her
own personal experience, and the OIL
cial figures for student expenses of
the institutions named.
Subject to variations of decrease and
increase, owing, to individual condi-
tions and opportunities. the following
figures have been complied by Miss
Cobb as the total expense which an
economical woman would have to bear;
at the universities named:
Cornell, s4os.
Chicago, $500.
Columbia, s5Sl
Ypty - % ir5.j
Another statement which Miss Cobb
makes is worth serious attention, for
1t seems that woman studying
at the summer school should now re-
ceive formal University credit for
what she has actually done, In cases
where she is not in any way seeking
admission into 1.-THE University Of Vir-l
ginia. This particular sort Of case
Is manifestly inequitable, Miss Cobb
states the case as follows:
Even in our University Summer
School which is open to the teachers
Of the State regardless of sex. there
Is no possibility of university credit
forbthe lady Several years ago a Nir-:
ginin teacher asked the President for
it. for certain course, which was Of
fered in the Summer School; she ex-
planned that she only wanted to have
this credit transferred to another uni
yersity to which women were admit
ted. He could not grant the request,
because women are not admitted to-
the University Of Virginia. That par
3ticular summer session was advertised,
in glowing colors for High School
teachers, for college students That
same teacher at a Northern university
at anS average cost OF $3.50 without
extras, received a credit for six hours
toward her degree, which has since
been conferred, The same courses at
1.-the University Of Virginia would have
cost her $50.
"Now the State was urging lust such
equipment. For precisely the same
work, the young man in the public
school service mig ht receive credit
toward his degree. The lady active IN
the public school service, eager to
equip herself for that SERVICE the
State demanding that broader equip
ment, must leave the State, and at a
cost OF $7OEmor than the cost Of the
equivalent work a ii her own State uni
versity, earn the six hours credit, Is
not the Summer School credit that
lsis granted, while good. of It's kind, an
ostentatious discrimination against
the lady teacher?
ave have seen that the estimate Of
5000 per year within the state, Sbol
per year without the State, Is eco
nomlcal. $5O01fo four years IS AZ ,oOo
s3OO for four years is $780, dl Herence
| of $500 for the four college years. AL