The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-19
FOURTEEN UNITS
 ID BE REQUIRED Entrance Requirements at Uni
 versity Are Raised WELL DEFINED POLICY Abercrombie Writes Letter to Superin- tepdents and Principals Explaining New system-Unlt System to
 Be Adopted Next Term
WE'LL DEFINED POLICY

University. February 1s.-(Special)
 Tn pursuance of a well defined policy of educational advancement inaugur-
 aled in 1908 the university will in-
 crease its entrance requirements for next session and thereafter to the na- tional standard of 14 units. In view
 of this fact the university has Just ;ssued to superintendents and princi- pals an explanatory letter and sup plemental folder explaining fully the new entrance requirements. The poi Icy of the university in Its relation to tbe schools of the state is best set forth in the letter which follows:
 "To sunerintendents and Principals:
 "In order to elevate educational stan dards in the state; to increase the value of university degree; to place the university on the same basis as other state universities and colleges;
 to avoid duplicating the work that ie-
 ultimately belongs to the field or sec ondary education, thus promoting the test interests of the high schools by leaving to them the work they were constituted to do, the University or Alabama last year decided to move
 out of high school territory and to increase it's entrance requirements III the fall of 1910 to the national stan
 dard of 14 units. Accordingly, at the
 opening of the next session (Septem-
 Der, 191O,), in order to be admitted 10 any department of the university 0 student must present IA entrance units, or ir other words, must have com
 pleted a reputa ble high school course.
 "The adoption of the unit system will necessarily bring about some changes in those schools which are now accredited schools of the univer- sity. in case those schools wish 10 continue their present relationship. Tn this system, great stress is laid on the | length of the recitation period as well
 as on the amount of ground covered in each subject. A unit Is defined as a subject which has been studied dur ing an academic year of 36 weeks with five recita tions per week, the recitation periods being at least 40 minutes in length.
 Tt is earnestly requested that those schools whose courses of study ana recitation periods do not measure up
 to the standard of 14 units notify the
 university of their intention in regard
 to strength ening their work so as to
 meet these requirements. It is advis- nble that this be done not later than
 March 1G, as the annual cataiog Will
 go to press about this time. The uni versity will be able to retain on Its accredited list only those schools meas uring up to the above standard.
 "The relationship in the past between the university and its accredited schools | has been most cordial, and 1t is sin cerely hoped that the spirit of coop eration and mutual helpfulness that ex- | Ists at present will grow stronger year | ty year. Very truly,
 JOHN W. ABERCROMBIE, "President." The supplemental folder which is to accompany this letter goes Into some
 detail concerning the new entrance re- l auirements. Fourteen units will be re- ouired for unconditional admission to | the college of arts and sciences (aca- demfc department), the school or en- | cheering, the school Of law, and the
 sch ool of medicine. For admission tc | the school of education the applicant
 mus. have completed the work of the
 soph omore year in the college of arts
 and sciences or it's equivalent.
 All applicants for unconditional ad-
 mission must present units in Eng
 fish, 2h units in mathematics and
 unit in history The remaining re.
 ouired units differ for the bachelor oi arts, bachelor of science, engineering
 law and medical courses.
 | In order that students may not 1ost
 credits for work done in the higf
 school the university allows a wide
 range of subjects from which the nee essary number of units may be made
 up. The following subjects may be of.
 fered for admission: English, mathe.
 matics, history, Latin, Greek, French
 German, Spanish, agriculture, astron'
 omy, biology. botany, chemistry, geog
 raphy (commerciaD, geography (phys.
 icaD geology. physics. physiology, zo-
 ology, mechanical drawing and manua | training.
 l .. .l | toned in more than four units wil oe admitted. In 1911 the maximum oi
 conditions will be three, and two 1T 1912