Central Washington University - Hyakem / Kooltuo Yearbook (Ellensburg, WA)

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1925 COURSES The EJlettsburg State Normal School nt the present time in especially emphasizing training lor the Junior High School on a basis of three years t— minimum preparation This seems to be one of tile most promising fields Jfl open at the present time and the movement is national. Practically certain L employment at good salaries Is available for all who are properly prepared. Reference to the outline of the courses in the first two years shuw that they hare been changed somewhat by the reduction of the amount or elective work In the first two years and a corresponding amount of increase in the elective work In the third and fourth years. This has strengthened the courses ill every depart ment and Is resulting in greater success on the part of our graduates who now are fundamentally well-prepared and whose high standard of work Is hcing gen¬ erally recognized. The Appointment Office Is constantly receiving letters compli¬ menting the high standard of work done by our graduates. A change in the plan of groups of the major departments has been made In the third and fourth year work so that we now hnve 5 major groups, all of which give a wider preparation for teaching and are not so nn.rowly departmental as heretofore. The adrantages of this plan seem to he that It give some relief to those who after preparing in one department are unable to get employment with¬ out combining two or three kinds nf work. The number of positions open in pure work in Art. Music or Home Economics is very limited but there are a large num¬ ber of positions open where this major work is combined with general teaching ability In other Helds To meet thir type of preparation and the demand from the field 5 major groups have been worked out as follows; Croup I Croup II Croup III Group IV Group V Educational Supervision and Administration with major In Ed- cation and Psychology, Social Sciences and History along with ftebate and Public Speaking. Health Education and Physical Training with Home Economics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences. Athletic and Poaching. Art. Industrial Arts. Junior High School Sciences. Physics and Chemistry. Languages. Literature, Music leading to specialization In either Music or English. The advantages of broader preparation are well indicated in the above groups. Far the past two years we have been closely scrutinizing our own course of study and during most of that lime | have been a member of the Commonwealth Fund Committee on investigation uf the curricula of teachers ' colleges. This In¬ vestigation so far as It ha gone shows that oar own courses are well In advance of the usual situation In regard to professional content. Ill general the tendency seems to be toward reduction of the number of electlro course . This has been the tendency In our own organization for some time but my suggestion fnr next year still furthor reduce the free elective offered in our curriculum and narrows our courses down very definitely to such as arc focused upon Ihc training of teacbers for elementary schools and for Junior High Schools. We are not in theory ready lo say that normal schools should not train high school teacbers or that they could not because I really believe that they could do this work better than it Is now betug done In our State but as a matter of State policy I am still lu favor of the principle of dividing the functions of the institutions for a few years more at least. This means that 1 am ready to definitely take the stand that at present tile normal schools of Washington are not justified from a financial viewpoint In opening up training deportments for high school teacbers even if permitted to do so by State law. A year ago we opened up a course for the Improvement of scholarship and for the purpose if clarifying more definitely our educational objectives. This was required of all First-yenr students nr.d was a course in Contemporary Civilization ofrered on a five-hour basis for three quarters. To undertake this course without adding to the number of teacbers wss more than should have been done but the members of the faculty voted to try it lor one year Slid the result ha been far

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New Library Building

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reaching In lt» benefits to student scholarship though It lias meant a tremendous overload on our faculty. This same course has Increased the load upon the Library 0 percent on the average throughout this year. Contrary to the usual belief any change front an eloettve to a required course generally LVCREASEH the coat Instead of DECREASING it. One reason for this is Ihat under the elective ntyaem many type of low- coat and relatively low-value subjects are elected where more solid courses are avoided. Kt r Instance if we were giving Ihee e aame three hundred students certain courses in Huslnesa Education the teacher would coat us leas In salary and there would be little or no expense for Library work. Also large group could he handled. The aame would be true If we used certain non-essential courses In Mathematics. It I true that we are using nactlons wllh large enrollment which somewhat controls the cost but good teachers of Social Science cost more than teuchcrs In other fields and library Bource material must be greatly enriched. CAMPUS PLAN NORMAL SCHOOL Present Buildings Outlined by Shaded Llnee. Proposed Building and Additions to Present Structures by Straight Lines.