Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01
COLUMBIAN OKEHS
NEW STUDY PLAN
Faculty Hopes to Foster In
teIectuaI Development of
Individual Student.


OF the student as an individual and t.
overcome the limitations of mass edu-
cation an independent study plan fol-
Columbian College, the Senior College
Of Letters and Sciences of George
Washington University, has been adopt
ed by the faculty. This step is part OF
q broad educational program now being
carried out within the university. which
emphasizes the achievement OF the in
dividual rather than the classroom
group.
The independent study plan. which
will 60 into operation with the opening
Of the university in the Fall, will af-
ford the exceptional student opportunity
to undertake individual study in one
or more fields, free from routine class
room work and under the personal di-
Tection Of member of the faculty.
Establishment of the Master fell
and the student capable of profting
thereby, relationship which is impos-
sible in the large classes of the modern
American university, will result in a
fuller development of the intellectual
abilities of the exceptional student" DR..
Cloyd Heck Marvin, president of the
university. said in announcing adoption
Of the plan.
Principle is Not New.
1.-THE basic principle of the indie
pendent study plan, tee intimate rela-
ton between teacher and student, Is not
O new one. It rests upon the 'appren-
tice' idea Of the guild from which the
university grew. It's adoption will not
change the present organization of coll
lege courses but, wherever an individual
student is capable and DESTROYS, of pro-
crossing beyond the field of classroom
work, teaching which Is highly indi-
vidualized and vitali5ed may be avail
able to him.
The plan is one of selection both on
the part Of the faculty member and on
the part of the student If the student
desires to carry on independent study
In any of the courses offered in the
Senior College he may submit his project
instructor to whom he applies feels the
student capable of carrying on such
work he may accept him.
This does not mean that all students
who make high marks will elect to
undertake individual study, nor does 1t
mean that a professor will take even
the most brilliant student unless he has
special aptitudes in the field which will
enable him to profit by independent
not, therefore, made a division as be-
tween superior and inferior students,
which would be pernicious in an edu-
cational system in democracy. It does,
however, free members of the faculty
from the necessity of requiring a routine
from students who desire and who may
probably be taken into wider fields. 1t
recognizes that work that is valuable
Tor one student may not be of equal
value to another of equal intelligence
It enables the teacher to recognize
achievement as the one standard rather
than rigid conformity to formal course
requirements"
Established Junior College.
Other steps in the educational pro-
gram which have been effected are:
The establishment of a junior college
to care for the work of the first two
college years, underlying the senior coll
lege and the professional schools; the
reorganization of Columbian College as
the senior college embracing the junior
year, the senior year and one year of
graduate study and leading to the BAG
calaureate and masters degrees; the
creation within the senior college of d.
visions of study under which the cur
rtculun departments are grouped in &C.
cordance with their content affinity,
thus establishing the cooperation of
faculty members in related studies and
bringing the student in contact with
nelds OF learning rather than with iso-
lated courses.
Glasses in all schools of the university
have closed their sessions for the year,
and examinations now are in process.
They will continue through Wednesday.
Senior week festivities will be inaugu-
rated Saturday evening with q recep-
ton and dance In honor of the members
Of the graduating classes, to be given
by the General Alumni Association Of
the university, and will close with the
commencement exercises on Wednesday,
June IL, when some 500 seniors will re-
ceive their degrees.
A special edition of the George
Washington University student publica-
ton, the Ratchet was issued this week
and Is being sent to students and alumni
Of the university. The edition contains
an eight-page rotogravure supplement,
an eight-page literary supplement and
IA eight-page news section.
DR.. Marvin to Go Abroad.
Dr.. Marvin was the speaker at the
commencement exercises Of Fairmont
School on Wednesday. DR.. Marvin has
been chosen 10 deliver o series Of lee
lures upon the Monroe Doctrine at the
seventh session Of the Geneva School
Of International Studies, in Switzerland,
this Summer and will sail for Europe
IN July. The lectures will be an inter-
probation of the Monroe Doctrine, its
relationship to the Caribbean policy Of
the United States and the place of the
doctrine In the light Of recent interna-
tional Developments.
Or. Marvin Is q close student of inter-
national affairs. AS q specialist In the
fields of economics and international
law he has q broad knowledge Of the
background Of world relations.
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