Dean's Annual Report Explains Higher Standard of Scholarship

Continued improvement in scholarship among the students in Harvard College, is emphasized by A. C. Hanford, Dean of Harvard College, in his annual report to President Lowell, made public today. The change, dean Hanford finds, is due in part to the depression, and also to the working of the House Plan, the improved arrangements in the Freshman year, and to an improvement in the quality of men admitted.

Dean Hanford's report also discusses the changes which have been made to assist financially deserving students including reduction in room rents in the Houses, reduction in charges for meals in the Houses and the Freshman Dining Halls, and the establishment of a temporary plan for student employment within the University to offset the decline in commercial employment for self-supporting students. The total amount of assistance to undergraduates in the form of scholarships and other aids in 1931-32 amounted to $260,254, or about one-fifth of the total amount received for tuition.

Improvement in Scholarship

Discussing the general improvement in scholarship, Den Hanford says:

"There is general agreement on the part of instructors in courses, tutors, and administrative officers that the undergraduates took their academic work more seriously than usual. This feeling is borne out by statistics which show that the percentage of students on the Dean's List this fall is higher than at any time since the establishment of such a list; 26 percent of the upper classmen are now on the Dean's List with an average of B or better as compared with 23.2 percent on year ago, 21 percent in 1930, and 21.4 percent in 1929. Of especial interest is the fact that all classes have shown an improvement, while in the past usually one class has done much better than the others. Not only are more than one-fourth of the upper class men now on the Dean's List, but the proportion who are approved candidates for honors is greater than in any previous year--38.1 percent as compared with 34.4 percent for last year. Also the percentage of students who had their connection severed last June was lower than in any of the preceding three years. Moreover, a larger proportion of the candidates for degrees in June 1932, received their degrees with honors than in the previous year--32.6 percent as compared with 28.5 percent in June, 1931. The percentage of lost degrees was also lower than in any one of the preceding three years.

Effect of Depression

"A good many will perhaps be inclined to attribute the general improvement in scholarship chiefly to the depression, which has caused students in take their work more seriously and is strive harder to make grades which would entitle them to consideration for scholarships. This factor no doubt has played some part and may be a partial explanation for a general improvement in all of the classes. It should not be forgotten, however, that for some time there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of students who are candidates for honors and in those who graduate with honors.

Benefits of Mouse Plan

Dean Hanford's report also discusses the working of the "House Plan," which was placed in full operation in 1931-32.

"The experience of the seven Houses during the first year of operation under the plan as a whole has been such as to give us a clearer idea of the effects of the now arrangement upon undergraduate life from both the educational land social points of view. The living and eating conditions of about 1700 upper classmen have been improved as compared with the situation existing prior to 1930. The libraries have been used to the fullest extent. A more suitable environment has been provided for the carrying on of tutorial work, since the majority of students are assigned to tutors attached to their respective Houses.

"The House have been provided a much more popular and natural basis for intramural sports than was available under the old plan of inter-class competition. The report of the first inter House Athletic committee for the year 1931-32 shows that in almost every sport there were from twice to three times as many men playing under the House Plan as under the former class system.

"While the House have not been in existence long enough to warrant final conclusions as to their results, the fact cannot be disputed that they have already done more than a little toward providing improved social and physical conditions as well as a more suitable environment in which the upper classmen may carry on their intellectual life. Although not the only cause, there is little doubt that the Houses did much to contribute toward the marked improvement in scholarship throughout the three upper classes which has already been commented on."

Scholarship and Aids

Discussing the scholarship resources of the college, Dean Hanford says:

"During the year 1931-32 the assistance to undergraduates amounted to $260,254, classified as follows: scholarships, $184,490; beneficiary aid, $11,551; loans, $64,213 (including $14,530 from the fund which is under the control of a board of trustees in Boston.) The amount awarded in the form of scholarships was approximately $5,700 greater than in 1930-31 and was the largest amount of scholarship aid that has been distributed in the history of the College.

Scholarship Shrinkage Offset

"For the year 1932-33, however, there will be a falling off in the amount available for scholarships and loans due to the fact that the income from invested funds will be less and the repayments from loans somewhat slower, especially among the recent graduates who have found it difficult to obtain employment. At the present moment, it is estimated that the total shrinkage will be about $18,000, although it is reasonable to expect that some of this will be offset by additional gifts during the year and by residuary bequests which will become available. The loss in income available for scholarships and loans will however, be more than offset by the sums of #40,000, made available for temporary student employment and $5,000 for special House aid, so that the total estimated amount available for student aid at the disposition of the college, will be about $287,000 an even greater sum than during either of the preceding two years.

May Limit Needy Students

"Although Harvard College is now making every possible effort to assist deserving and capable students through scholarships, loans, beneficiary aid, and employment within the University, the question arises whether there is not a limit to the number of students who need such assistance that a college can absorb.

"In the days of prosperity when the number of students who required aid was relatively smaller and the opportunities for employment were capable of expansion, it was not necessary to give much thought to this problem. At the present time, however, the demands for scholarships, loans, and employment far exceed the supply, and although everything possible is being done to enable the student of first-rate ability, character and promise to obtain an education, there are some men who doing so much work that they are deriving very little gain from college, while others have been forced to assume such a heavy loan burden that they will be seriously handicapped for several years after graduation.

Dropped Freshmen Poor

Although the new Freshmen made an excellent showing the dropped and re admitted Freshmen continue to present a serious problem, especially the readmitted men. 36.4 per cent of the dropped and readmitted Freshmen were unsatisfactory as compared with 13.6 per cent for the new Freshmen and 15.9 per cent for the class as a whole.

"The readmitted men among the dropped Freshmen made an especially poor showing both on the basis of the new higher requirements and these formerly existing. 56.1 per cent or over one half failed to meet the requirements of 3 O's and 1.11, while 34.1 per cent would have been unsatisfactory under the previously existing requirements of 2 O's and I. D. as compared with 28.9 per cent for the readmitted Freshmen in 1930 31.

"The Administrative Board after a period of experimentation, has come to the conclusion that too much weight must not be given to the Summer School program alone as a basis for readmission, but that a more careful scrutiny must be made of the deficient student's school record and his showing during the Freshman year in order to determine whether his low scholarship has been a long-run tendency or is of a temporary nature that might be overcome and improved. A brief study of two recent first year classes, for example, has indicated that if there has been a continued mediocre showing in school and during the Freshman year the work done in Summer School is not by itself a sufficient test.

"Also it has been our experience that the man who receives at least one honor grade during the regular college year or who is only slightly deficient in his first year of college has a better chance of success than one who has not shown anywhere the flare of ability. Therefore in readmitting Freshmen for 1932-33 a more careful scrutiny of previous records of applicants has been made. Also in severing the connection of certain Freshmen last June the Board definitely discouraged those with the lowest records from seeking readmission and advised them to turn to something else than college work. As a result, the number of Freshmen readmitted for the year 1932-33 has been reduce more satisfactory results we should give up readmission of Freshmen except in very special cases, because many of these men are a drag on the College and profit little from college work."

Examination Exemption

In regard to Senior honor candidates who neglect those courses in which they have been excused from the April hour and final examinations. Dean Hanierd says that a still longer period of experimentation and careful study of the situation should be made, and that each Department should make an investigation of its undergraduate courses to see that they bear a close relation to the field of concentration.Leighten Reports on Freshmen

Discussing the problems of the Freshmen in the future, Delmar Leighten '19, dean of Freshmen in a supplement to the report says:

"A time of financial retrenchment like the present is perhaps not the time to point out opportunities for improvements which involve expense. Clearly lightening of the load of instructors in Freshman courses or an extension of the function of the Adviser to include greater responsibility than he now feels for the intellectual development of his students would involve considerable expense if much improvement is to be made, Fortunately, the large increase in the number of new men has been partially offset by a shrinkage in the Sophomore enrollment.

"If, however, another class as large as the Class of 1936 should be admitted next year, provision of additional assistants for Freshman courses must be made if sections are not to be enlarged further. At the present time 14 Freshman courses have an average of more than 25 men per section. It would seem desirable to keep sections below 25 at most. It is, therefore, with a view to the problems of the immediate future that it is urged that attention should be kept on the large part which the quality of instruction in the Freshman year plays in laying the foundation for the ultimate intellectual development of students in Harvard College."

Dean Leighten also points cut that although a "tutorial system" for Freshmen might be impractical there is still an opportunity for the Freshman Advisers to find ways of encouraging intellectual interests, and net allowing the original enthusiasm for intellectual accomplishments to dissipate or permitting the appreciative response to any kind of personal contact which reveals to him the nature of the University's activities and makes him feel a part of these activities to disappear entirely