Evening star., 1943-05-16
Simmons Resists Pressure
To Cut 4-Yeor College Course
President Beotley
Says Students Need
Complete Program
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Simmons College, first college for
young women in this country to
recognize the necessity for profess
sional instruction combined with a
cultural and liberal education, is re-
sisting wartime pressure for gen.
eral acceleration Of its four-year
program for undergraduate stu
dents.
ANY other course" says its presi-
dent. Dr. Bancroft Beatley, would
be to weaken, rather than to
strengthen, the contribution of this
college to the war effort"
This decision, he admits, has been
a difficult one for this pioneer Bos-
ton education institution. whose 40
year history has been parallel in
many ways with the growth of wom-
ems work in industry and the pro-
fessions.
Simmons" he points out, with
its combined professional and cul-
tural objective, must assume re-
sponsibility for giving its students
the most thorough preparation for
their part in the war effort and the
reconstruction period which will
come after peace is declared. 1t is
also fortunate in having a type of
program to meet the situation that
faces America in the immediate and
the most distant future Is 1t not
wiser, then, to take the long view
ahead to what may we'll be pro-
longed war followed by lengthy
period of reconstruction? In my
opinion, the most patriotic thing a
young woman can do in these cir
cumstances is prepare herself fully
to serve the Nation both in the war
effort and in that period of recon-
struction."
DR.. Beatley is emphasizing to
both prospective students and
those already enrolled that the pro-
fessions for which Simmons is pre-
pairing are experiencing an in
creased demand. He is pointing out
even more strongly though that
technical education cannot be hur-
ried, and that the enlarged respon-
sibilities which young graduates
.are called upon to accept under war
conditions demand far greater ma
turity and technical competence
than is required in normal times.
To Make Some Exceptions.
Simmons College will permit ac-
celeration looking to earlier gradu-
alton in the cases of individual
students who show exceptionally
rapid growth in maturity and tech
nical competence.
1t will also modify the calendar
OF its two-year graduate, program
in social work to permit students
to complete its requirements
through a year and half of study.
To aid in solving problems pre-
sented by the wartime employment
of armies of women in industrial
plants, Simmons College has lust
concluded what is thought to be the
first two weeks program of its kind
offered by an American college.
Hundreds of women employed in
war production plants and indus
tries in all sections of the East re-
turned to the classroom to be
trained as deans of women in in
dustry.
Planned primarily for women en-
gagged in industry as personnel su-
pervisors or as counsellors of woman
workers, it met a great need in i'm
proving the ability of the person In
the plant who was the industrial
nurse or some member of the per-
sonnel department. It's discussions,
demonstrations and conferences
dealt with the orientation of new
workers; methods and techniques OF
counseling: homework and personal
problems; safe and suitable work
clothing; foods and nutrition: su-
pervision of wasfuooms and other
facilities and services: absentee and
recreational problems and kindred
subjects. So successful was it that
employers are clamoring for an
other session at an early date
Directly connected with both OIL
william and war needs and it's timely