University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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sf I ,rg GRADUATE EDUCATION BUILDING THE NEW SCIENCE OF EDUCATION The Graduate Education Building was erected with a part of the 1,500,000 dollars given to the University by the General Education Board for the sup- port of the scientific study of educational problems. This Board selected the Uni- versity of Chicago as a center for devel- opement of the science of education for two reasons. First, the Middle West has in recent years been more vigorous in educational experimentation, in en- richment of the school curriculum, and in reform of methods of teaching and of school administration than any other part of the civilized world. Second, the contributions of the Department of Edu- cation of the University of Chicago to the science of education have been so conspicuous as to justify fully the ex- pectation that increased contributions to this science will be insured by added equipment. The Department of Education con- ducted two laboratory schools-an ele- mentary school and a secondary school. These schools were the trying-out grounds for the new plans of organiza- tion and administration and for new courses of instruction. Whenever a new enterprise is undertaken in the Labora- tory Schools, trained experts from among the members of the faculty of the de- partment test the results of the innova- tion. The new Graduate Education Build- ing of the University of Chicago showed that an entirely new idea with regard to the science of education was beginning to be accepted. This building has a statistical laboratory, a fully equipped apparatus workshop with a skilled me- chanic, dark rooms for photographic work, laboratory rooms, record rooms, work rooms for members of the staff engaged in school and college surveys and other studies in the field of school and college administration, and a library with work space for two hundred stu- dents and stack space for 100,000 vol- umes. The stack now contains 60,000 volumes on education. There is a spe- cial-collection room, where reports of school systems and colleges are made available for students of educational ad- ministration. Page 32

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5 D - DoUcLAs WAPLES Amng Dean of Graduate Library Schoal THE GRADUATE LIBRARY SCHOOL The Graduate Library School was of- ficially opened in October, 1928, with George A. Works as dean of the School. The School, now under the leadership of Acting Dean Waples, was established in response to- the insistent demand of the library profession that the study of librarianship be advanced to the univer- sity level. It was an entirely new idea as far as Library Schools were con- cerned. The 'aim was to carry the work forward from a point Where other Li- brary Schools left off. It was believed that the whole field of librarianship had scarcely been scratched for research ma- terial. With that fact in mind, the School decided to give only higher de- grees-Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy, and to -admit only those stu- dents Who had had at least a year's ex- perience and training at some Library School beyond a Bachelor's Degree. Numerically, the Work of the School is still microscopic in comparison with that of the other professional schools of our University. For the present its stu- dent enrollment is limited to fifteen and its faculty to four members. During the three years of its activity only Hve grad- uates have attained the Master's De- gree and three the Doctorate. These, like all of the non-degree alumni, have successfully established themselves in professional practice. But these figures fail to reveal the quality of the School's real accomplish- ment. Though its task was one of pio- neering, time has been found to estab- lish a successful periodical, to publish reports of research, and for faculty mem- bers to serve as consultants in numer- ous professional enterprises. Next au- tumn Louis R. Wilson is to assume the deanship of the School. Dr. Wilson not only served the University of North Carolina as librarian since 1901, but he also served as director of its library train- ing school, and editor of its university press. Outside the University he played a leading part in many movements for library extension and improvement and has. participated in the councils of the National Association of Librarians. With his coming, the School promises to enter on a wider field in its activities. Page 31

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U D THE COLLEGE PLAN CHAUNCEY S. Boucuisra Dean -of ffm College of Arts, Lzinralurc, and Srimce During the past eight months the University has been engaged in carry- ing out in practice a new educational idea. New-not in each individual pro- vision-but, in its far-reaching applica- tion of methods not generally used in higher education in this country. The outstanding single factor con- tributing to the success of the Univer- sity's new plan is the core around which the details have been executed. This is, simply, the fact that the objectives of higher education -have been defined. The University, With its excellent facilities and trained personnel, has studied and more critically than has any other like will continue to study these objectives institution in the past. Not satisfied with just defining the objectives sought after in a college education the Univer- sity undertook to find the best ways of measuring achievements secured once the objectives were defined. Once the ob- jectives of present day education were defined the task of putting a system in- corporating the new ideas into effect was relatively easy. The reorganization of the University necessitated a general house-cleaning in the College. The curriculum was scru-- tinized by a staff of capable men who de- termined What place each course had in the College. Some courses were added to the curriculum and some were re- moved, where it was decided that they were out of place in the new arrange- ment. The emphasis which has been placed on the curriculum of the College is in part an answer to what the University has attempted to do in redefining a gen- eral education. ln the past, for exam- ple, the number of courses in some de- partments has been multiplied almost at will, ,with no regard for what is best for the student. Educators have come to the conclusion that an unguided browsing into any number of courses, no matter how good, was not the best way to secure a general education. In solution to the problem the Uni- versity instituted the survey courses in the four fields, the Biological Sciences, the Humanities, the Physical Sciences and the Social Sciences. These general courses span the scope of general educa- tiong and they are followed by a series of second-year sequences courses which offer preparation for divisional courses in addition to completing the general education of the College. The University of Chicago has taken the initial step in changing the outlook on higher education throughout the country. The initial success of the new plan will only be amplified as time goes on and the workings of it are manifested in more and more ways. The result can be nothing but-higher education on a much more sound basis. Page 33