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make it absolutely impossible to lay down any general rule as to the number of hours that instructors should devote to their work. Indeed, I know of no rule that can be applied, except the one that the number of hours should be regulated in each individual instance by the determination to get the largest and best results possible from the teaching force employed."

The large increase in the number of students also suggests the advisability of raising the requirements for admission in some of the courses.

The endeavor to provide for the wants of worthy students who can not possibly complete a four years' course has led to the arrangement of optional courses with admission requirements below the regular standard. "If," says the president, "students of this class are qualified to enter the different courses which are taught mainly by lectures, no very considerable addition to our teaching force would be required by their presence; but large numbers of them enter the courses in French and German, where the class has to be divided into small sections, and consequently their presence has formed an important element in the necessity of increasing the teaching force in those departments. While it is true that a considerable number of this class of students enter the university every year with a view to making up the deficiencies in their preparatory course, and ultimately acquiring a full standing in the class, it is at least doubtful whether it would not be advantageous, even to the students themselves, if we were to require that they should fully complete their preparation before they are admitted to university classes.

"The embarrassment experienced has been further increased by another fact of a similar nature. In some of the courses a knowledge of French and German is required of applicants for admission. In other courses the requirements are of another kind. It is therefore necessary to teach certain of our students the elements of French and German. When, therefore, a student having inadequate knowledge of French or German applies for admission to one of the courses in which those languages are required, a strong pressure has been brought to bear upon the faculty to permit students with such deficiencies to enter the beginning classes in those languages, and thus complete in the university the requirements for admission. This is not an unusual practice in American colleges, but it is a practice which, in my opinion, can only be justified by peculiar circumstances. If the teaching force is so large and the attendance of students so small as to make additional numbers in the classes desirable, such a method may be advantageous to the students without imposing any special disadvantage upon the university. But if any such condition ever existed at this institution, it is certain that it exists no longer. The faculty in the course of the past year have had this subject in all of its phases under careful consideration, and have decided, first, that after 1889 no students will be admitted to optional courses, excepting on condition of having passed an examination for admission to some one of the courses leading to a degree; and, secondly, that no student having deficiencies at the time of admission will be allowed to make up those deficiencies by entering any classes in the university. While this legislation will tend somewhat to reduce the number of the entering class, it will, on the other hand, tend, by securing students of greater maturity, to improve the grade of scholarship. It will also remove the cause of a very prevalent complaint that the university has constantly tended to draw away from the preparatory schools a number of students before their work of preparation was completed. That the legislation of the faculty on this subject has been wise, it seems to me will admit of very little question. The university ought not to put its vast material equipment and its other facilities for advanced instruction to doing the work of the preparatory schools. Nor ought it to encourage pupils to leave the preparatory schools before they are fully equipped for entering upon the higher work of the university."

Considering the very elaborate provision made by the university for instruction in the various subjects relating to agriculture, President Adams advises that these be incorporated into a college to be known as the College of Agriculture.

The subjects which he would have included are general and experimental agriculture, agricultural chemistry, botany, veterinary science, entomology, and horticulture.

The great importance attaching to the study of political economy and finance, and the interest which has been excited in the instruction in these subjects provided by the university during the past forty years, has led to the establishment of a professorship of political economy and finance, to which chair Prof. E. Benjamin Andrews, LL. D., has been called. Professor Andrews has occupied the chair of history and political economy at Brown University, where he has achieved marked success.

A school of law has been opened in the university during the year under review, and also a school of pharmacy.

Dr. F. A. P. Barnard, president of Columbia College, New York, in his report for 1887-88, discusses as usual many conditions having an important bearing upon the general progress of higher learning.

The total attendance in all departments of the college for 1887-88 was the largest hitherto recorded; as compared with the attendance of last year it showed an increase of sixty-one students.

The working system.—With reference to a change in the working system President Barnard observes: "In past years it has been customary to present a statement of the relative scholarship of the students in the School of Arts at the close of each year. This has been founded on the results of a system of marking for the values of scholastic performances of the students in the several departments. As much dissatisfaction has been expressed by both students and faculty with this artificial method of estimating merit, it has been resolved to try the experiment of discontinuing the numerical marking system, and in place of it require semi-annual reports from each instructor, of the names only of those who are proficient in each study, and of those who are deficient; in order to provide honorable distinction to the most meritorious, each head of department is required to report at the close of the final examination in each year the names of those students, not exceeding three in number, who, in each class, have displayed the greatest excellence in the studies of his department; and any student who is so reported as proficient in all departments is to be reported as an honor man. The names of the honor men are to be recorded in the register of the ensuing year. This plan having been introduced in the course of the current year, the results will not be reported until the close of the final examination, and will be given in succeeding reports hereafter. Thus far the plan seems to be regarded as likely to prove successful."

Latin and Greek electives. The elective system was adopted by Columbia more than twenty years ago. At present all the studies of the Senior year are elective, while about one-third of the time of the Juniors is appropriated to electives. It follows that certain studies will be elective by both Seniors and Juniors, and others by Seniors only. The following table shows the proportion of each class choosing Greek and Latin in 1887-88:

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In addition to this elective work, Latin and Greek are each compulsory upon the Junior class for two hours weekly throughout the year.

The expansion of the professional and other associated schools is an interesting and significant fact in the recent history of Columbia College.

The graduate department, which originated nearly twenty years ago in the system of prize fellowship established, was formally constituted in 1880. The school of political science, created at the same time, makes provision for the subjects which in foreign universities are included under the "philosophical faculty." These two departments, with the school of library economy, opened in 1887, and the professional schools, "fall," observes Dr. Barnard, "in the province of university instruction, and there is, therefore, in the inevitable drift of things, a tendency to concentrate our energies upon the graduate department." "This," he says further, "has been so distinctly perceived by the trustees that there has been a distinct effort made from time to time to convert Columbia College altogether into a school of post-graduate instruction. About thirty years ago this effort assumed the form of a publicly declared purpose, and after a very elaborate investigation resulted in the constitution of a definite university organization. The time was not ripe, however, for so large a step of progress, and the effort failed to prove a success. Out of it, however, grew the Law School, which, meeting a well-ascertained public want, proved immediately successful and has been permanently maintained. Some years later the School of Mines appealed to a public want similarly ascertained, and was accordingly in like manner successful. The operations of the institution have in recent years extended over so wide a field that the original college has been entirely overshadowed, and a doubt has been raised whether its usefulness has not ceased. A resolution is now pending before the board inquiring whether it is not advisable that the whole scheme of education in Columbia College should be raised to a higher plane, and which involves the further question whether it is not advisable to discontinue the department of arts. So long as this question remains under discussion before the governing board, it would not be becoming in the undersigned to pronounce an opinion upon it here. It may be permitted, however, to say in this place, that if the question were merely as to the sufficiency and importance of the work proposed, there could be no doubt that our faculties could find ample and adequate occupation if they were confined to giving instruction exclusively

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to graduate students. On the other hand, such has been the excessive multiplication of undergraduate colleges in our country in recent years that the business of those colleges is greatly overdone, and it would certainly be a material benefit to the educational interests of our country if a large proportion of the existing colleges could be suppressed. * "New York City has about a million and a half of inhabitants. It should be capable of furnishing, therefore, at the ratio of 1 to 2,500, six hundred undergraduate students in arts. This is not a number greater than could be comfortably provided for in a single college. Nevertheless we have three, not counting the minor colleges under the care of the fathers of the Roman Catholic Church. It would not be, therefore, educationally a misfortune if Columbia College should cease to exist as a school for undergraduate students. The city would still be fully supplied with educational advantages, while there could be no doubt that this institution could be more profitably employed by confining itself to the field of superior education. Whatever be the policy pursued in this matter, nevertheless it is the unavoidable tendency of things to press upon Columbia College more and more constantly from year to year the duty of providing for the wants of the superior class of students, that is to say, the business of proper university instruction. The location of the institution in the greatest city of the continent is peculiarly favorable to such an undertaking, and, though the college is not possessed of funds sufficient to enable it to carry out this complete design, it is hardly to be doubted that provision may, sooner or later, become sufficient to accomplish this object."

The success of the School of Library Economy is evidenced by the fact that the applications for admission were so numerous as to call for the exercise of considerable severity in the selection.

Though the students had been promised only three months' tuition, at their unanimous request the time was extended to four months. The value of the instruction to the students may be judged by the fact that before the close of the brief session of the school last year every student attending was already under solicitation for appointment to some place worth accepting as a librarian or assistant librarian in some desirable locality in the country.

The advantage of the increased accommodations of the School of Medicine was seen in the greatly increased attendance, which exceeded that of 1886-87 by two hundred and three.

The School of Law has been marked during the past year by an apparent recovery from the temporary depression which had followed the adoption of the rigorous rules in regard to admission to the bar imposed by the judges of the court of appeals, and the attendance has once more nearly reached the extraordinary totals of the years 1875 and 1876.

The scheme of extending the course of instruction to a longer period, which has been so long under consideration, although not yet definitely decided on, has been the subject of careful consideration by a select committee, and will probably be effected and carried into operation during the ensuing session.

The remaining associated schools have maintained their usual efficient operations throughout the year. In addition to the summer classes in surveying, mechanical engineering, and practical geodesy, connected with the school of mines, a summer class in chemistry was held for the first time in the session of 1887.

Dr. Robert B. Fairbairn, president of St. Stephen's College, Annandale, writes in his return to this Office that "the college was begun and founded under the auspices of the Episcopal Church, in the diocese of New York, for the classical training of young men intending to enter the ministry." It is entirely classical, no theology being taught. The charge for board, washing, fuel, lights, and partly furnished rooms is $225 per year. The income from this source maintains the current expenses of the college. There is no other charge. The salaries of instructors are furnished by the trustees.

Dr. D. H. Cochrand, president of the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, calls. attention to the fact that the greater part of the students leave at the end of the third year, receiving a diploma for which only one modern language is required. To obtain the degree of B. A. or B. S. requires at least five years in the college department. In the degree courses two languages are included.

"The greater part of our students leave at the end of the third year in collegiate de partment, receiving our diploma, for which only one modern language is required. To include both languages, French and German, it will require at least five years in collegiate department to get degree of B. A. or B. S. The work in modern languages extends through five years,--three years daily recitations, two years every other day.

"The test required for graduation is to put a page of ordinary journalism, not simple narrative, into good French and German at sight, and to speak the languages fluently and correctly."

Nelson F. Robinson, secretary of the St. Lawrence University, Canton, states that two years ago four hundred and fifty persons subscribed $51,088 for the endowment of the

college. About twenty-six thousand dollars have been subscribed by various benefactors upon a second fifty thousand dollars endowment fund on condition that the whole sum projected is raised.

At the twenty-ninth annual commencement, held June 27, 1888, President Gaines resigned the presidency after seventeen years of service; Rev. Almon Gunnison, D. D., pastor of All Souls Church, Brooklyn, was elected his successor, but has not yet signified whether or not he will accept the office.

Hamilton College, Clinton, has just completed the Knox Hall of natural history, which makes an important addition to its excellent equipment for instruction in science. "Through the liberality of the late Hamilton White, of Syracuse, the college collections in natural history have been enriched by the herbarium collected by the late Dr. H. P. Sartwell, of Penn Yan, and well known in scientific circles as a very extensive and valuable exhibition of our North American flora. This herbarium is the result of fifty years of botanical study, research, and correspondence. It contains eight thousand samples of plants skilfully cured, accurately labeled, and conveniently classified in sixty-two handsome volumes.

"Judge Thomas Barlow, of Canastota, has supplemented the recent gift of his large and valuable entomological collection by an almost equally valuable collection in ornithological and comparative anatomy. The college collections are now very extensive and of great importance, because so fully representing the fauna of central New York. Among the many and interesting specimens is one array, probably unique. Side by side are three generations of the seventeen-year locust (cicada septendecin, Linn.), collected by Judge Barlow, and from the same locality on the 12th of June, 1848; the 11th of June, 1865, and the 17th of June, 1882."

Madison University, Hamilton, has recently completed a new chemical laboratory valued at twenty-five thousand dollars.

This university has "opened its doors wide to the young men of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont by establishing competitive examinations for free tuition scholarships, in charge of committees located at various central points. The examinations will be opened to all Christian young men fourteen years of age and older, resident within the territory covered by the committee."

The University of Rochester has received during the year benefactions amounting to $108,074. This includes fifty thousand dollars from D. A. Watson, Esq., for the professorship of political economy.

Among recent additions to the equipment of the university is a chemical laboratory erected at an expense of twenty-five thousand dollars by Mortimer F. Reynolds, Esq., president of the Rochester Savings Bank, in memory of his brother, the late W. H. Reynolds, Esq., a member of the university board of trustees.

The library of Prof. Von Ranke, of Germany, which has been secured by Syracuse University, includes upwards of fifty thousand volumes. Though the larger part of these volumes are historical, there are rare and valuable works on almost every branch of literature. The collection is said to be especially complete in its representation of the great authors and thinkers of Germany. In the collection are a number of Von Ranke's manuscripts, a portrait of the historian, other paintings by German artists, and the desk, chair, and inkstand used in his study.

The University of the City of New York is to have two new chairs established. One will be of English, an anonymous friend of the university having pledged three thousand five hundred dollars per annum for five years for its support; the other will be of history, the Alumni Association of the university having arranged for the maintenance of such a fellowship.

NORTH CAROLINA.

The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has completed nearly a century of honorable history, having heen chartered in 1789. The trustees, upon whom the work of organization devolved, were among the most distinguished citizens of that day. As stated in the current catalogue, Samuel Johnston, one of the first Senators of the United States from North Carolina, was chairman. Governor Benjamin Smith was the first benefactor, giving twenty thousand acres of land in Tennessee. The most active worker for the new institution was William Richardson Davie, called the "Father of the University," afterward Governor of the State and Commissioner to France.

On October 12, 1793, annually commemorated as "University Day," the corner-stone of the Old East Building was laid. The buildings are now nine in number, with ample dormitories, recitation rooms, laboratories, and public halis, situated in a campus of fifty acres, covered with forest trees, and adjoining over five hundred acres of university woodland.

The university includes undergraduate and post-graduate departments and a law school. While maintaining the usual curriculum of classical colleges, it has developed a particularly strong course in English language and literature. The provision for bringing the advantages of the university within the reach of all worthy but poor students deserves special mention. The annual fee and tuition amount to but seventy dollars, and board may be had at prices ranging from eight to thirteen dollars a month. The entire annual expense need not, therefore, exceed three hundred dollars and may be reduced to two hundred.

The late B. F. Moore, of Raleigh, bequeathed to the university five thousand dollars, the interest of which is to be devoted to paying the tuition of students.

The Deems Fund was instituted by the Rev. Dr. C. F. Deems, pastor of the Church of the Strangers, New York, as a memorial of his son, Lieut. Theodore Disosway Deems, who was born at Chapel Hill while his father was in the faculty of the university. It is intended to assist needy students by loans. In 1881 this fund was greatly enlarged through the munificence of Mr. William H. Vanderbilt. On the 1st of February, 1888, there were notes, the principal of which amounted to $13,060.50, representing current loans to students. To that date one hundred and ten students had been helped by the fund. As payments are made new loans will be made to applicants who meet the requirements. They must come with good recommendations for character; or, if members of the university, must have demonstrated to the faculty that they are worthy of assistance. The loans are made at six per cent interest, on satisfactory security, and for a sufficient length of time to make the payments easy.

Miss Mary Ruffin Smith, of Orange, has left a valuable tract of 1,440 acres of land in Chatham County, known as the Jones Grove Tract, the income of which, or of the proceeds if sold, shall be used for the education of such students as the faculty may designate.

Part of this income will be available during the ensuing autumn.

Davidson College, Davidson, reports an increase of $7,500 in its scholarship funds through the liberality of friends.

The catalogue of Trinity College, Trinity, for the current year gives the following particulars relative to the organization of the work:

"The plan of reorganization of Trinity College, submitted to the board of trustees and approved by them (May, 1888), provided that the preparatory department be henceforth abolished, the commercial department be incorporated into a regular college course, and the requirements for admission to the college be gradually raised.

"As now organized the college is divided into two distinct departments, the academic and the scientific, each two years in length, and together constituting a four years' college course.

"The former corresponds to the Freshman and Sophomore years in American colleges. "The studies of this department form three separate and independent courses, viz: The classical course, in which Latin and Greek are the distinguishing features; the modern course, distinguished by French and German, and the English course, in which no language except English is required.

"The quantity of work and topics of study are fixed, except that in the English course book-keeping and commercial law may be substituted for pedagogics and drawing, the latter studies being especially adapted for teachers in the public schools and the former suited particularly for such as may after leaving college enter mercantile life. "These courses have in common an equal amount of pure mathematics, history, and English.

"Each student is required to take one and may not take more nor less than one of the three academic courses.

"The scientific department corresponds in time and work to the Junior and Senior years of American colleges. It is divided into schools capable of indefinite expansion numerically, each extending through two full years without any very marked line of division between them. These schools are so organized as to give a limited amount of connected work in the continuous and progressive study of particular subjects for two years. Each school comprises one or more courses of two years requiring from two to four hours of recitations or lectures per week."

OHIO.

The year has been marked by special activity on the part of the friends of liberal education in Ohio, which is doubtless due in part to the stimulating influence of the centennial celebration of the first settlement of the North-West Territory.

As observed by Dr. Fairchild, president of Oberlin College, in a recent article: "With three exceptions the colleges of the State have come into existence under the impulse of denominational interest and need, except as local enterprise or individual

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