Evening star., 1934-12-24
COLLEGE STARTS
OWN NEW DEAL y
Abolishes Recitations and
Grades and Students
Work Harder.

OLIVET, Mich.-A college without
formal class rooms, where the stu
dents drop into the comfortably fur
nished studies of instructors for con-
ferences instead of following a routine
schedule of recitations-a college
without credits, examinations or
marks.
No, this Is not prospectus for a
utopian college Of the future. The
picture represents college life as the
visitor at Olivet College may see Il
today.
Olivet has behind it two months of
an educational new deal, introduced
by its 35-year-old president, Joseph
H. Brewer, jr. DR.. Brewer declares it
Is too early to reach definite conclu-
sions as to the ultimate result of the
plan. which in many ways goes be-
yond the departures from academic
tradition tried out in DR.. Alexander
Meiklejohn's experimental college at
the University of Wisconsin.
Has a "Club Air."
Enough has taken place in these
two months, however, to indicate that
educational history is in the making
at Olivet.
The atmosphere is more like that
of young peoples club than col
lege-but don't get the idea the stu
dents are loaflng. With compulsory
class attendance and all the rest OF
the usual academic routine abolished,
some of them may have had the idea
that attendance at Olivet this year
would be something of q snap.
If 50, they have all been disillu-
stoned. The students find themselves
working harder than they ever did
under the old system. And apparently
they like it.
Raps Pedagogic "COddling."
DR.. Brewer, in announcing his plan
last Spring, did not mince words in
criticizing pedagogic methods.
I'VE have been guilty in the past
of prolonging criminally the adoles-
cence of our children by too much
coddling," he said. 1T is inevitable
that the lockstep Of courses, time
schedules and examinations, all the
elaborate machinery by which we
conceal ignorance, should be broken
up"
On this basis, the experiment has
gone forward. With 207 students and
q faculty of %, Olivet is small enough
to make the plan of allowing students
great freedom practical one. The
administration is in close enough con-
tact with each student to know how
he Is progressing, without the need for
tests and grades.
The instructors are tutors, instead
Of professors in the accepted sense.
The tutorial method. as well as many
other features of the plan, derives
from Oxford University, where DR..
Brewer took his master Of arts degree.
Other features derive from the pro-
gressive educational methods intro
duced at the University of Chicago
and at Colgate. In its sum, however,
the Olivet plan Is a distinctive one,
adapted to the special needs Of the
college.
Student Free to Browse.
Placed before the student are all
the resources Of the college, its library.
natural history museum, laboratories,
gymnasium, faculty. He is free to
consult with men Of special knowledge
in the fields In which he is interested
and to seek the advice of his tutor: he
may attend any Of the lectures given
BY instructors In any department.
In general. mornings are devoted
to study and conferences, afternoons
to athletics and outdoor activities, and
evenings to group discussions, debates,
concerts and dramatics.
The first attempt to take stock of
how things are going has just been
completed. The students have filled
out - anonymously - questionnaires
seeking their honest opinions Of the
new plan.
Students Speak Frankly.
A glance at the pile of returned
ouestionnaires shows that, at any
rate, the students already have at
tanned an attitude which enables
them to speak their minds frankly.
Every detail Of the plan which has
not yet been fully adjusted comes In
for criticism.
Social science lectures are still too
rigid and formal" reports one student.
A member Of the faculty is advised
to inject more human interest in
lectures"
toopyright. 1884. by North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc)