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

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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

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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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U D l Geoizcs A. VVORKS Dmn of Sludzrnts COORDINATING STUDENT INTERESTS Although the chief task of the Dean of Students lay in the coordination of the great number and variety of student agencies and activities, Dean WOl'kS and his assistants accomplished much in the way of creation of new interests during the process of reorganization. Greatest single advancement came in the strengthening of the advisory service in the College. With the college student so largely responsible only to himself for the completion of advised Work, and with the formation of large lecture groups, the necessity for personal counselling from experienced advisors became ex- tremely important. Under the direction of Dean Aaron Brumbaugh the coun- selling staff was increased in size and scope of activity. Klore effective con- tacts with the students were made, while the student reaction to the New Plan and to the Freshman XVeek Program was carefully canvassed with the view of adjusting them to student require- ments. Of special importance to undergradu- ates vvas the initiative assumed by the Office of the Dean of Students in the coordination of student group activities. Although the burden of much of the ac- tual realignment of interests was accom- plished through the Student Committee on Student Affairs, many of the ad- vances in student organization were di- rectly supervised by the Office. Thus, Dean VVilliam Scott and Social Director Damaris Ames were chiefly responsible for the creation of the three underclass councils and for the fine work executed by the Social Committee. In these in- stances the intelligent guidance of spe- cial activities by administrative officers resulted not in a decrease of undergradu- ate initiative, but rather in an increase in the amount of responsibility the stu- dents were willing to assume. Page .H