LOOSENING THE COLLAR

The change in the curriculum at Yale is one of the most radical actions that has been taken by any educational institution in the country. The extent of the change ranks with that which President Hutchins is going to institute at Chicago University. The purposes of these two plans are very similar and certainly commendable. They both expect to place on the shoulders of the student the responsibility for the acquisition of a comprehensive education and to make mastery of the subject and not the attainment of credits the goal of the student. Yale however limits the individual initiative that is given to the student by requiring reports from the heads of the various departments on the standing of each man.

The stimulation of individual initiative which this plan is to encourage is something to be sought after by all colleges. The student who learns something of his own accord retains his knowledge much longer and has a much clearer idea of the subject. In the training of the mind this voluntary learning has a definite advantage since the student has to choose his own subjects for study and must then exercise judgment.

The provision for the reading period is certainly well calculated to stimulate this initiative in the student, but it is questionable whether it is desirable to break the continuity of the various courses twice in the year. The uninterrupted development of a subject through lectures enables the student to get a consecutive and coordinated knowledge of the subject. With too many breaks this benefit might be lost.

Excellent though the intentions of the framers of this plan may be, it is somewhat doubtful if their expectations will be attained. Midyears may merely be replaced by tests in class on the basis of which the reports would be rendered. This would of course, offer no improvement over the old method. Without the complete cooperation of the instructors and professors the success of the plan would seem rather dubious.