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RECENT ATTEMPTS OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AT COLLEGI

STANDARDIZATION.

Several influential associations of higher institutions have in 1 past two years added to the already numerous definitions of t standard college and of the junior college. The following are pro ably the most significant of these efforts.

THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN COLLEGES.

The Association of American Colleges has published a study l Dr. Calvin H. French which in substance establishes three grades standard colleges. Dr. French designates these as the minimum co lege, the average college, and the efficient college. The pith of th interesting report is given here:

Comparative table showing the minimum, the average, and the efficient college.

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According to Dr. French, we mean by college efficiency that “all the forces of the institution are working adequately and with the least possible waste to accomplish its chief ends." Can this be done when the library and laboratories are inadequately equipped and supported, or its teachers underpaid and overloaded with work? These are prevalent conditions in many splendid colleges which, however, are not efficient colleges. The following digest gives a summarized statement of the financial needs of standard colleges with from 200 up to 1,000 students:

A standard college of 200 students is one that has a faculty of 21, giving it the equivalent of 17 full-time teachers and 4 full-time administrative officers; an income of $10,800 from tuitions, $1,000 from other fees, $7,000 from room rents or other sources, and $38,700 from endowment; an expenditure of $27,500 for instruction, $10,000 for administration, and $20,000 for maintenance;

a productive endowment of $774,000 and a plant worth $500,000, making a total property of $1,274,000.

A standard college of 300 students should have a faculty of 31, giving it the equivalent of 26 full-time teachers and 5 full-time administrative officers; an income of $20,250 for tuitions, $1,500 from other fees, $10,500 from room rents or other sources, and $58,250 from endowment; an expenditure of $45,000 for instruction, $15,000 for administration, and $30,000 for maintenance; a productive endowment of $1,165,000 and a plant worth $750,000, making a total property of $1,915,000.

The standard college of 500 students calls for a faculty of 51, yielding the equivalent of 44 full-time teachers and 7 full-time administrative officers; an income of $45,000 from tuitions, $2,500 from other fees, $17,500 from room rents or other sources, and $111,000 from endowment; an expenditure of $9,000 for instruction, $27,000 for administration and $50,000 for maintenance; a productive endowment of $2,220,000 and a plant worth $1,000,000, making a total property of $3,220.000.

Standard colleges of 750 students will have, on these estimates, a faculty of 74, yielding the equivalent of 64 full-time teachers and 10 full-time administrative officers; an income of $67,500 from tuitions, $3,250 from other fees, $26,250 from room rents or other sources, and $197,000 from endowment; an expenditure of $174,000 for instruction, $40,000 for administration, and $80,000 for maintenance; a productive endowment of $3,940,000 and a plant worth $1,750,000, making a total property of $5,690,000.

The standard college of 1,000 students requires a faculty of 97, yielding the equivalent of 85 full-time teachers and 12 full-time administrative officers; an income of $90,000 from tuitions, $5,000 from other fees, $35,000 from room rents or other sources, and $321,500 from endowment; an expenditure of $262,500 for instruction, $60,000 for administration, and $120,000 for maintenance; a productive endowment of $6,250,000 and a plant worth $2,400,000, making a total property of $8,650,000.

From the standpoint of a study of 52 colleges and universities, Dr. French has decided that 55 per cent of the income should go to instruction, 30 per cent to maintenance, and 15 per cent to administration. Only 20 per cent of the income should be obtained from the students; the remaining 80 per cent should come from endowments.

THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES.

For nearly 20 years the Association of American Universities. has considered problems relating to graduate study. Among these problems is that of the proper classification of universities and colleges with respect to their qualifications for preparing candidates for graduate work. At the last meeting of the association held at the State University of Iowa, November 9 and 10, 1917, the com-mittee on classification of universities and colleges presented the following report:

The Association of American Universities approves the following revision of the list of universities and colleges accepted in 1913. It recognizes the institu

tions in this undifferentiated list as falling within the three groups described by the association in 1914 in the following terms:

GROUP A. Institutions whose graduates should ordinarily be admitted to the graduate schools of this association for work in lines for which they have had adequate undergraduate preparation, with a reasonable presumption that advanced degrees may be taken with the minimum amount of prescribed work and in the minimum time prescribed. Students who choose work in lines for which their undergraduate course has not prepared them adequately must expect to take more time and do additional work.

GROUP B. Institutions from which only those graduates of high standing in their classes who are individually recommended by the department of undergraduate instruction corresponding to that in which they purpose to do their graduate work may be admitted on the same basis as graduates from institutions in Group A.

GROUP C. Other institutions whose graduates should be admitted to graduate schools, but with the presumption that more than the minimum time and minimum amount of work will be ordinarily required for an advanced degree. Graduates of these institutions (in the case of newer and smaller institutions the graduates of recent classes) presumably will be eligible for admission, with the limitations and reservations stated above to graduate citizenship or status, but without commitment as to the equivalency of the bachelor's degree of an individual student with that of the university admitting him, and without commitment as to the time which will be required by such students to secure an advanced degree.

DEFINITION OF EDUCATIONAL TERMS.

A subcommittee of the National Conference Committee on Standards of Colleges and Secondary Schools, appointed some years ago at the suggestion of Commissioner Claxton, presented on March 1, 1918, a report making certain recommendations which, after modication, were adopted, as follows:

The term "department is restricted to the various subjects taught; as, for instance, department of Latin, mathematics, of physics, etc.

The term "course" is restricted to the instructional subdivisions of a subject; as, for instance, Course I in English.

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The term group " is restricted to a combination of subjects related in content or method; as, for instance, the group of classical languages, of the biological sciences, etc.

The term "curriculum" is restricted to a combination of courses leading to a certificate, a diploma, or a degree.

The term " division" is restricted to the larger administrative units of a college or university; as, for instance, the extension division, the division of agriculture, the division of arts and sciences.

The term "school," as applied to part of a university, is restricted to that part the standard of admission to which is not less than the equivalent of two years' work in the college, and which offers instruction of not less than two years' duration, leading to a technical or professional degree.

After a long discussion as to the definition of "college," it was voted to print the following provisional definition for criticism and further discussion, action to be taken by the committee next year:

A "college" is an institution requiring for admission graduation from a standard secondary school, or the equivalent, and offering a four-year curriculum leading to the first degree in arts or science, of such character as to qualify for admission to a graduate school of recognized standing.

Such an institution is indicated by the following characteristics:

A minimum requirement for admission of 15 units of secondary work, not more than 2 units of conditions being allowed, all special students under 21 years of age being required to meet all of the usual requirements for admission, preparatory courses, if any, being distinct in faculty, students, and discipline. A program of studies having a reasonable relation to the resources of the institution.

A curriculum of 4 years of at least 32 weeks each of actual instruction. Not less than eight departments, each having at least one full-time professor. A staff, two-thirds of which are of professorial rank, having had at least 4 years of study in a graduate school of good standing, receiving salaries of approximately $2,000 a year, and teaching not more than 16 hours a week.

A minimum productive endowment, beyond all indebtedness, of at least $250,000.

An annual income of at least $40,000 a year, at least half of which is expended for instruction.

An expenditure of at least $1,000 a year for laboratory equipment and apparatus, and of at least $500 a year for books and periodicals.

An annual or biennial published report of assets, income, expenditure, faculty, curricula, and student body.

THE NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION REPORT ON STANDARDS OF ACCREDITING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

The North Central Association at the meeting of March 21, 1918, withdrew its membership from the National Conference Committee, and at the same time adopted a separate report embodying standards for accrediting American colleges and universities. The standards given herewith involve the definition of the "standard American college." a definition which differs in many respects from that adopted provisionally by the National Conference Committee:

The "standard American college" is a college with a four-year curriculum, with a tendency to differentiate its parts in such a way that the first two years are a continuation of, and a supplement to, the work of the secondary instruction as given in the high school, while the last two years are shaped more or less distinctly in the direction of special, professional, or university instruction. The following constitute the standards for accrediting colleges for the present year (1918):

1. The minimum scholastic requirement of all college teachers shall be equivalent to graduation from a college belonging to this association, and graduate work equal at least to that required for a master's degree. Graduate study and training in research equivalent to that required for the Ph. D. degree are urgently recommended, but the teacher's success is to be determined by the efficiency of his teaching as well as by his research work.

2. The college shall require for admission not less than 14 secondary units, as defined by this association.

3. The college shall require not less than 120 semester hours for graduation. 4. The college shall be provided with library and laboratory equipment sufficient to develop fully and illustrate each course announced.

5. The college, if a corporate institution, shall possess a productive endowment of not less than $200,000.

6. The college, if a tax-supported institution, shall receive an annual income of not less than $50,000.

7. The college shall maintain at least eight distinct departments in liberal arts, each with at least one professor giving full time to the college work in that department.

8. The location and construction of the buildings, the lighting, heating, and ventilation of the rooms, the nature of the laboratories, corridors, closets, water supply, school furniture, apparatus, and methods of cleaning shall be such as to insure hygienic conditions for both students and teachers.

9. The number of hours of work given by each teacher will vary in the different departments. To determine this, the amount of preparation required for the class and the time needed for study to keep abreast of the subject, together with the number of students, must be taken into account; but in no case shall more than 18 hours per week be required, 15 being recommended as a maximum. 10. The college must be able to prepare its graduates to enter recognized graduate schools as candidates for advanced degrees.

11. The college should limit the number of students in a recitation or laboratory class to 30.

12. The character of the curriculum, the efficiency of instruction, the scientific spirit, the standard for regular degrees, the conservatism in granting honorary degrees, and the tone of the institution shall also be factors in determining eligibility.

13. No institution shall be admitted to the approved list unless it has a total registration of at least 50 students if it reports itself a junior college and of at least 100 students if it carries courses beyond junior college.

14. When an institution has, in addition to the college of liberal arts, professional or technical schools or departments, the college of liberal arts shall not be accepted for the approved list of the association unless the professional or technical departments are of an acceptable grade.

No institution shall be accredited or retained on the accredited list, unless a regular blank has been filed with the commission, and is filed triennially, unless the inspectors have waived the presentation of the triennial blank.

THE JUNIOR COLLEGE.

Three types of junior colleges have recently evolved in this country. The first type, exemplified in the junior colleges of California, is an integral part of the State educational system. The establishment of junior colleges in connection with the city school system tends to keep at home in the local junior colleges large numbers of freshmen and sophomores who otherwise would overcrowd the large universities and make difficult the prosecution of advanced collegiate and university work. The desire to relieve the expensive university plants from the pressure of an undue number of immature students has been an influential factor in the spread of junior colleges of this type.

The second type is found in Missouri and in the South and Southwestern States. These junior colleges are largely the result of the contraction of small denominational colleges whose degrees and

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