Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-23

~ ~ SO AAOANAfANE MGMkD
Associated Press Education Writer
How much Of a students first
year in college is wasted time?
How much more could he learn
under ideal. no-nonsense condi-
tons?
Hofstra College hopes to ind
the answers to these questions,
and many others, In q revolu-
tionary experimental college to
be opened In September, 1860, at
Hampstead. Long Island. N. Y.
Hofstra officials are convinced
that an average to good" student.
removed from the rah-rah atmos-
phere Of a big campus and given a
heavy dose Of hard work and in
dependent study, can achieve
academic miracles.
The goal is to compress the FIRST
two years Of college work into one
year. To reach It. 1.-THE students
will attend classes a full IL
months, and be on the campus
81a hours day.
In planning q bold, new APP
proach to college education. Hof-
stra officials have thrown out
many tradition-bound ideas Of
what q college should be. and
what It should do. These ideas,
they say, "have contributed to
the general inefficiency Of Ameri-
can education"
They aren't sure how their ex-
pertinent will work out, but they
feel they are blazing o new edu-
cational trail.
How the Plan Works
This is the plan:
The college will be set UP In a
building. near. but not adjoining,
the main Hofstra campus in
Hampstead. There will be a maxi
mum of 100 students, all fresh
men, and six full-time faculty
members.
The regular school year will
start on the first Monday in Sep
TENDER, and continue through the
fourth Of July. The rest Of July
and all of August will be devoted
to concentrated study Of one for
eign language.
Glasses will be held from $3.50
am. to 5 pm, Monday through
Thursday. Working students will
be limited to week end jobs. and
this allows them one extra day.
Friday may also be used for make
up work, or advanced study.
Only two courses will be offered.
instead Of the normal five. One
will be required, the other elective.
There will be three hours Of in
dependent study in each class
day, plus another hour Of small
group discussions.
Skip Sophomore Year
Many, perhaps all, Of the stu
dents, who complete the one-year
course will move directly into
third-year work on the main
Hofstra campus.
Somewhat similar programs
have been tried elsewhere, but
they have all been slanted toward
the gifted or unusually bright stu
dent.
The Hofstra experiment is
aimed directly at what may be
called the typical college student.
He will be average to good" with
grades in the C-plus to B range.
He will live at home and commute
to college. He will probably have
to earn at least part of his college
expenses.
The Hofstra plan is a speedup,
and college officials make no
bones about it.
"Speedup is essential" says DR..
Jack johnson, vice president OF
Hofstra. IF our plan works, if we
can cram two years into one, we
can handle that many more stu
dents and ease the teacher short
age by about one quarter. It will
permit earlier specialization. and
it will reduce the cost of higher
education"
The required. year-long course
for each student will be called ian
introduction to science and the
humanities." 1t will include math-
ematics. physical science, social
erianco 1itarot,iIe fina arts and