Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-09-19

same privilege. Every department is
eager to find students who wish to do
special work. The section of our cata-
logue on special honors is deserving of
far more attention than it receives
| Our library is not a mere collection OF
books; it is such a collection served by
trained librarians, whose services in
guidance in the use of material is more
than half of the institution of the IL
brary. A student who graduates with
out learning how to make use of
library as an instrument in investga-
ton is leaving without the acquisition
OF one of the most important benefits
OF a college course.
One advance we are making at this
time deserves especial attention. For
several years past the Middlebury Col
lege Summer Session has been aCquir-
ing an increasing reputation for the eX-
cellence of its work in modern Ian
guages. The method first brought to
us by Dr. Lillian l.. Stroebe of Vassar
College in the study of German has
been extended to French and Spanish
under the able leadership of Professors
de Visme and Lacalle. That method in
brief has been to secure exclusive at
tention to the study of the one language
and to organize the teachers and stu
dents into social group, living to-
together in a separate building and in
as nearly a foreign atmosphere as pos
sible, and maintaining the constant and
exclusive use of the foreign speech in
social life as well as in the classroom.
Our success was evident the past sum
mer by the attendance of representa-
tives from twenty States and three
foreign countries, including graduates
from over fifty colleges and universe
ties and many holders of advanced de-
grees.
1t has been at least unfortunate that
there has been slight connection be-
tween this Summer Session effort and
the regular work of the standard aca-
demic year. We have had virtually
two colleges, having little in common
except that they used the same plant
at different times. am glad to say
that we are now in position to remedy
this situation and are today making a
beginning which may be expected in
good time to bring our modern Ian
guage work in the college year to the
same enviable position our Summer
Session enjoys. Professor de Nisme
comes to us as head of the Division OF
Modern Languages and Senorlta Rod
riguez, one of the successful lnStruc-
tors at the recent Spanish School, IS
here as instructor in Spanish A year
hence we expect Senior Lacalle to
transfer his allegiance from the l. ).
Naval Academy to Middlebury as
permanent instructor There is here
the possibility of the development OF
peculiar excellence in Middlebury COL
lege which may prove OF great i'm
portance.
A college is a public institution and
its executive is called upon for many
duties outside its walls There is need
of an officer OF the Faculty to give spec
ial attention to matters OF curriculum
and educational policy, to assist IN IN
ternal administration on the academic
side as distinct from the work OF Deans
in matters of discipline and in moral
and social leadership, and to have
care for the harmonious organization
of the Faculty for the best work Of
which the college is capable. In some
institutions such an officer IS called the
provost. Dr. Collins has grown natur-
ally into the work, especially in hi;
management of the Summer Session