Evening star., 1937-09-05
G. v. |NAUGURATES.
NEW STUDY PLAN
Major Course Investigations
Expanded With Individual
Faculty Supervision.

A new plan of study for the under,
graduate major at George Washing.
ton University. intended to place the
institutions Liberal Arts College anon,
the Nations most advanced. educa.
tionally, will be inaugurated this Fall
The action will complete revision O,
the liberal arts program which ha.
been in process for some time.
The new-type major displaces the
mere accumulation of course-credit:
as the basis for graduation, substitut.
ing as the criterion for the granting
OF the baccalaureate degree the mas.
terry by the student of content anc
method in field of knowledge. Un.
der the new system, the major pro.
gram Of each student will be individ.
ually formulated and supervised by
faculty members. Independent read
ing and study will play as large 6
role in the major discipline as vii
the successful completion of statec
courses As evidence that he ha:
attained to the mastery of his majol
field. the student will be required ir
the senior year to pass a written ex.
animation
Expands Character Of Major.
The new plan expands the char.
acter of the major, making Of it CO.
ordinated approach to a broad fiele
Of learning rather than a narrow
specialization confined to one depart.
ment of study Thus, rather thar
major in history, or in English, q
student may major. for example. ir
international relations, extending
over many subjects in the division
Of the social sciences; or he may Sc
lect a major such as American
Thought and Civilization" which
would involve studies not alone in
the division Of languages and litera.
lures, but in the division of the So
cial sciences as well.
The traditional fields will be re-
tanned as majors, while the new plan
is in the experimental stage, but it is
expected that the plan will be gradu-
ally extended to include all majors
Even in the traditional fields the new
approach and philosophy will prevail
Introductory Course Offered.
For the convenience Of the student
pro-seminar course will be given In
each major field, under the supeS-
vision of the division in which the
major is taken. This course, planned
and administered by the professor OF
the department of the major subject
will provide advice, guidance and
instruction for the student. When
registered in this course the student
will have the privilege Of visiting any
other courses offered in the college
This pro-seminar is not intended as 9
"cramming course" Its object is tc
present the content and methods o1
the major field as whole by organiz-
ing and co-ordinating the knowledge
obtained in the various formal courses
in the major subject, as we'll as by
suggesting material not usually in
cluded in such courses.
Motivating the reordering of the
university's liberal arts program-o1
which the new regulations for the
major are a parts the endeavor tc
get away from the bookkeeping
methods for which the American col
lege has been criticized; to place the
emphasis upon individualized schol-
arly effort and unified intellectual
achievement rather than upon the
mere accumulation of a, stated total
Of miscellaneous and unco-ordinated
units" course e-credits," or "hours"
and, further, to create between teacher
and student q "master-apprentice'
relationship which will offer to the
student opportunities for individual
development under the stimulus Of
intimate contact with mature anc
scholarly minds.