The sun., 1919-07-20
PREPARATORY SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND ACADEMIES

tendance Of the summer session at Wis
consin Is usually less than one-half OF
the regular semester attendance, and the
faculty IL provided, with the exception
Of certain specialties from the outside,
from our members. who receive add
tlonal compensation for their services.
This very materially augments their
yearly salaries In amounts from $500 to
$3.50 year. The principle In vogue here 10
to alternate the appointments. so that In
rotation. TO large degrees- each member
receives his assignment OF summer Sos
sion service The financial returns from
the fees OF the summer session students
at Wisconsin make Il largely self-sup-
porting. This of course may not be the
universal experience, but It is men,
| toned to show the economical feature
OF the system In contrast with the four
| quarter plan, where your faculty must
necessarily he paid additional for an ex-
ira quarter OF years service The re-
suit Is the same whether you allow for
a quarter leave of absence with pay or
pay for the four Quarters in cash. OBJ
yiously from a financial viewpoint the
advantages will show In favor Of the
'semester and summer session plan.
The query may naturally be raised
as I'd whether courses pursued through
two eeinesters and a summer session
where the work during the latter period
Is conducted under somewhat peculiar
conditions have the same relative value
as under the quarter basis Experience
at Wisconsin IN the summer session has
indicated that high grade Of intensive
| work has been performed by the ma
jority of the students, and that the
work accomplished In quality may safe
~ be regarded as the equivalent In char
Nf
The above argument presented in sup
port OF the financial administration Of
the summer session may equally be re-
garded as a completely vicious principle
from IN educational perspective. A va
cation should give a professor a sum
Client period for rest and recreation, but
Its main object should be to allow mem
oers of the faculty some opportunity to
90 unimpeded research. to strengthen
scholarship. to prepare now courses and
70 work over old ones. A summer school
which unduly draws on tho vitality of
the regular faculty members and PAYS
them In cash Is Just so far a force
weakening the higher efficiency of the
institution. Leaves of absence gained
by teaching In the summer session mako
up Tor this in some few cases. but n
haoltual money payment really limits
the average salary IL actual efficiency in
the end is considered. Should this view
be taken seriously. it will be borne in
mind that there still remains for rest
ana recreation six or moYe weeks
period after the close of the sum-
mer session and before the resumption
OF work at the beginning OF the academic
year, and also that the assignment fnr
summer work usually comes on alternat.
years. Therefore. can this amount OF
extra service required be regarded as
excessive for a year when accompanied
ny pay, either in extra salary or leave
OF absence earned?
Advantage of tho Three-auarter
Summer Session Plan.
1. This plan completes a subjec. at
the beginning of the Christmas recess
and at the beginning of the spring re-
cess and avoids a break in teaching
continuity through Interruption by legal
vacations. This Is direct advantage
over the semester system which causes
serious break near the middle Of the
semester by the Christmas vacation IN
the first semester and the Easter recess
In the secopd semester. With the natural
interruptions caused by vacations in the
middle or each semester It has the effect
IN fact or dividing the year into four
parts, with registration and examina-
ticns, however, recurring but twice.
= 1t provides for opportunity of in
tensive study of a subject and ncces-
sarily eliminates two and largely three
hour courses and consequently reduces
the number Of subjects to be carried
during the quarter. There is a strong
feeling among some instructors that
such a change would be a great edu-
cational advantage to the student, and
this Is the strongest and most fun
dainental argument to be advanced In
favor OF the three or four quarter plan.
But 1t will be admitted without oppo-
sition that concentration for a short Pc
riod In five or even six hour periods
per week can successfully be accom-