HISTORY 5a

A conspicuous violation of a generally accepted recommendation of Dean Moore's report on the reading period is evident in History 5a. The recommendation in question says: "Courses should be readjusted so that the lectures, at least, and in so far as possible, the regular assignments will cover the important parts of the course as a whole, leaving certain special topics for investigation or further development during the Reading Period." The regular assignments in History 5a carry the student up to 1828. The period between this and 1840 is left for the reading period. Such a disregard for the clear and unmistakeable intent of the recommendation shows very little of the spirit of cooperation.

But this laxity to conform with the report is not as serious as the consequent defeat of the purpose of the reading period. This aim, which is to train the student to think for himself, is certainly not attained by the assignment of four hundred pages from a text book and biographies. The Professor in charge of History 5a ought to make the changes now which, will eventually have to be made in order that this course will harmonize with the spirit of the Reading Period.