Excerpt from President's Report: June, 1898

The burning questions in educational gatherings for the past five years have been those of entrance requirements and the con tents of the curriculum. At the recent meeting of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools held in Chicago two important actions were taken. The first approved the plan of the continuous study of English throughout the four years of the high school and the first two years of college as re quired work. The second approved the plan of admitting to Freshman any student who has completed a good four years' high school course, no matter what grouping of studies may have constituted his course.

This, it will be observed, is a pretty radical measure, but it marks a distinct tendency in the state universities throughout the northwest. President Eliot has announced that Harvard is committed to this principle and will put it into operation. (see report for 1896 page 93 et. Sq.) These actions all go to show that in the near-future there will be a lack of uniformity in eu trance requirements, and therefore a lack of uniformity in college courses. It has seemed to me that some changes in our courses could be made to advantage. I should favor a change that wouldmake all courses in the college department three hour courses and so arrange them that every professor would be prepared to give as a minimum twelve hours work. This would accomplish everything now accomplished and at the same time give greater flexibility to the curriculum. This arrangement would increase the opportunity for electives in the upper years and at the same time improve the quality of the work by emphasizing the power of choice. The question as to what courses should be offered is not to be overlooked. I recognize the limitations of a small Faculty and would not sacrifice thoroughness to breadth. The question involves a study of conditions. I venture to suggest that in some departments elective work might cover the same territory as the preparatory course with a view of preparing men to teach these subjects. This would meet the demand of students who are preparing to teach and would enable us to apply in a practical way the principles of a sound pedagogy. For example, why should not a Junior in college study with profit an elective course in Cicero and Vergil with a View to his preparation for teaching it? This would involve a different problem from that before the teacher preparing a boy for college. If successfully carried out it would greatly improve the teaching of Latin in our secondary schools and result in benefit to the college teacher by furnishing him a better class of students. There are other subjects that illustrate these principles quite as well. If put into practice they would, in my judgment, do much to remove the odium that is justly attached to the present methods of teaching pedagogy and would also bring the colleges into a closer and more helpful relation to the schools that are their constant source of supply.

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