The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-29
THE WASHINGTON HERALD. SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20 1912
Government Expert Classifies
All Universities and Colleges
Many Are Weighed in the Balance and Found Wanting
Georgetown Is Put in Second Class-Ony Fnty-nine
Are Classified in First Grade.

called A. B. degree that Is about the
equivalent Of regular high school d.
ploms and advertise extensively as col
leges. They are to-day. just as they
| have always been. blots on the academic
map. The sooner the government de-
vises way to put them out of their
miserable existence. the better Il will be
for institutions that are sailing under
proper colors
But to return to Class ". These col
leges are institutions whose bachelors
degree would be approximately two years
short OF equivalency with the standard
\ bachelors degrees OF standard colleges.
| Fortunately, New England and the East
has no representatives in this list. But
there are forty such colleges In the
| country, most OF them In the South and
| West Their case Is not entirely hope
less. but nearly. so. To name them would
do no particular good. because. as al
ready stated, none of them are ever men
toned in this part OF the country. II is
| fact that there are in the United States
forty institutions calling themselves coll
I leges and yet doing work two years I'M
der the standard.
Secrecy I'm High Places.
| And now a word or two regarding the
dissemination Of all the information here
tofore given. II would seem on the face
Of things that the classification of Amer
lean colleges was important business. 1t
certainly is important to a good many
people II fifty-nine colleges are main
| tanning higher standards than all others
the country ought to know about it; II
2s5 other colleges are not quite up to
snuff," that fact ought to be proclaimed.
| And yet the government has had printed
only 200 OF the reports containing the re-
suits OF DR.. Babcocks investigation. In
deed. II Is not even certain that all of
| the institutions investigated were favored
! with copies. A survey Of this SORT IL IL
is worth anything at all. or even semi
| authoritative. deserves the very widest
public notice II II isn't sufficiently ac-
curate or good enough to receive the
Federal Endorsement, II should be shelved
entirely. Why 200 copies should be set
tied upon as the size OF the edition is
| surely a mystery. What good is II to
Harvard or Yale to be quietly infor med
In a government paper that they are
standard colleges? They have always
known II. The ones to be told of this
| fact are the laymen, the persons who are
not In intimate touch with educational
affairs. but who are. nevertheless, inter
ested to know how their favorite college
stands in relation to other institutions
Some thousands OF fathers and mothers.
! sonal sacrifice, will this fall send their
sens and daughters to universities and
colleges. Ought they not to have a re-
liable guide to choice, and is II not the
duty of a paternal government which
strives even to regulate our letter writ
ing to help them spend their money to
| the best advantage? Then. why all this
secrecy about the public's business!
There may be a suitable explanation.
and II there is, many Of US would be
more than pleased to hear II.
In conclusion. II may well be asked
what will be the effect OF this classified
ton by the governments representative.
In a sense. this is Judgment day for the
colleges Of the land. Heretofore they
have had a pretty free hand and allowed
! to rate themselves as they saw fit. Now
they are finding out that their own views
| Of themselves and those of outsiders do
not always coincide. Perhaps this new
knowledge will do them good. II may
certainly be set forth that the Bureau
Of Education will regard its work well
done and worth while II some of these
weak sisters see the situation in the
right light and attempt to better them
| selves accordingly.