Evening star., 1942-07-19

Close to half a million students, at
some 500 colleges and universities in every
section of the United States, are now, Tor
the first time in their lives, spending the
long summer days in supervised study.
And about so 900 teachers, forgetting the
long vacations associated with their craft,
are similarity working day and night on
the basis Ct a 12-month year.
This development is not the least i'm
portant Of the changes which the war is
making in the American way of life. And
to a people profoundly convinced OF the
value of education the development is
certainly one Of the most interesting Of
these changes. Whether "acceleration'
proves temporary phenomenon, or be-
comes the standard practice in our col
leges, it will without question perma-
nently modify many pre-war educational
concepts ard procedures.
Some consequences of the accelerated
educational program are already appar-
ent. The shortage Of manpoWer, both in
agriculture and industry. has been sharp
ly emphasized this summer by the cur
camps and resorts have been greatly af-
fected by the absence of college youths
who, as counselors, walters and bellhops,
normally handled their seasonal needs.
New England in particular is suffering
from the confinement to campus OF many
professors who normally form the bulk
of many summer colony there.
Colleges Benefiting.
But these are minor dislocations, OF
trivial national import compared with
the more fundamental reorientation of
academic life.
The underlying question is whether ac-
celeration, introduced to meet the war
emergency is to be regarded as a nee
essary wartime evil or as an overdue, If
| somewhat drastic, reform in American
education practice. 1t is as yet too
early for any one to speak categorically.
The general experience of the past few
weeks, however, carries strong indication
that college administrations, faculties
| and student bodies are all benefltlng
from the p,essures to which they are this
summer being subjected.
|
mean for the Nation 1t is necessary to
have a clear idea of what is meant by
"acceeration," term which became part
| of academic vocabulary as result OF the
huge conference of college and university
executives convened in Baltimore, within
a month of Pearl Harbor, by the United
States Office OF Education and other gov
,rit 70
At this conference, attended by nearly
1000 college representatives from 4e
States, it became evident that the tradi-
tional four-year course would have to be
compressed for all male students in order
to meet Selective Service requirements
Saving Of IL Months.
That eventuality had indeed seemed
probable from the time of the passage OF
the draft law Other considerations espe-
cially the prickings of conscience over
the social waste of educational plant
largely unutilized during the summer
months had prepared the way for
change. Discussion at the Baltimore con-
ference merely served to confirm the will
for acceleration which had in any case
! peeil CIySCdAlhiIlS
No formula for procedure, other than
individual exchange of viewpoint, was
laid down at the Baltimore conference
In view of the differing backgrounds
standards and difficulties of the colleges
no simple formula could have been
adopted But the conditions of the COM
mon problem have secured certain uni
formity of result.
The basic issue was how to cut at least
one year out of the normal four-year
course The obvious method was to utilize
the summer vacation periods for scho-
lastic compensation. And the most simple
formula, though not necessarily the most
productive of happy solution, was SEEM
ingly to arrange the summer term sc
that it would be the equivalent of q
normal semester.
Thus attendance at two summer terms
would equal credit for one standard aea-
denic year, permitting graduation after
two years and nine months of continuous
study, a saving of II months.
In application however, this formula
is not as attractive as it at first glance