The Irish standard., 1912-07-06
Catholic University Degrees for Sisters

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This year for the first time the Cath
clio University of America has award
ed to representatives of our Sister,
FOODS the honors of academic degrees.
At the commencement exercises on
June 5, the baccalaureate in arts was
conferred on eighteen candidates,
members Of Sisters College, represen-
tatives of seven of our leading teach
ing communities.
These Sisters possess qualifications
markedly above those usually found
n candidates for this degree. To a
thorough academic and professional
training they have added experience
in teaching ranging from three to
thirty years. Since their graduation
from high school and normal school,
they have endeavored to keep abreast
Of the times both in academic ah,i
professional subjects by taking cours-
es in various colleges and UNIVERSE
ties. At times they have felt them
selves obliged to seek instruction in
non-Catholic universities, but they
have always looked forward with hope
to the time when they might be per-
mitted to do advanced work under
Catholic auspices and they have hast
ened to avail themselves of the ad-
vantages which this university. ex-
tended to them on the first of last
July.
In many instances these candidates,
before coming here, had accumulated
for the obtaining of the bachelors de-
gree. But this university counts
among it's requirements for degrees one
year of residence work and to meet
this requirement the Sisters took up
residence here last June and have
continued their work uninterruptedly
to the present time, period of more
than eleven months.
Academic Attachments.
During the summer season and dur
ing the scholastic year of the Sisters
College, these candidates selected
courses in accordance with their ac-
tual attachments and with view to
their special needs as teachers. The
summer session offered them wide
range of subjects to choose from, and
during the academic year they pur-
sued professional courses in the Phil
osophy of Education, the Science and
Art of Study, Primary Methods, Pub
lie School Management, Catholic
School Management and the History
Of Education, and academic courses
in Psychology, Introduction to Phil
osophy, the History of Philosophy,
Ethics, Mathematics, English Litera-
ture, Latin, Greek, French and Ger
man. During the summer school and
during the months between the close
of the summer session and the open
ing of the academic year these stu
dents pursued laboratory courses in
Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
| The courses were under the direc-
tion of professors of the Catholic Uni
v"rsity and identical in content and
method with the parallel courses CIV
en- by these instructors in other de-
partraents of the university. The stu
dents work during the year was most
satisfactory to the instructors and the
courses closed with final examinations
in which the candidates obtained re-
markedly high percentages.
Excellent Records Of tho Sisters.
The usual time requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Arts in the rep
resentative universities of the country
is 2,160 class hours of collegiate work,
taken after the completion of STAN
dard high school course of four years.
In this university the minimum re-
quirement is 2,176 hours. The candi-
dates from the Sisters College have
a record of college work ranging from
2,176 to 3,40S hours and averaging
2,733 hours, or thirteen hours more
than five years Of work.
These Sisters are qualifying for
work as teachers in our colleges,
academies and parochial schools. In
many instances, however, they will re-
main in the university to fulfill the
conditions prescribed for the obtain
ing of higher degrees.
A Long Felt Want.
These results are the more crafty
ing because our Sisters have for a
long time been appealing to the uni
versity for help in their educational
work. In the midst of all their school
occupations they have been profiting
b. every possible means to keep in
the foreground as regards improve
| r0ent ~ method and curriculum Thew