Acceleration Program Will Offer Three Year Degrees

During the last war, there was no accelerated program that favored a student who wanted to finish College in three years, and therefore most of the undergraduates were drafted, or volunteered before they could get their degrees. Last spring, however, the Faculty anticipated a repetition of this situation and prepared for it.

Today, all "Sophomores and Juniors interested in taking accelerated programs for the degree (involving three or three and one-half years in College and at least one full course in Summer School)" should get in touch with the Assistant Dean of their class "at once." The notice from University Hall goes on to say that "Honors Candidates, and other students under Plan A who have the approval of the Administrative Board, are eligible."

The new ruling includes three definite and precedent-breaking changes in the College course regulations. All of these changes are calculated to encourage more men to go through in less time, whereas the old rules purposely kept the three-year men down to a small, select group.

The first change concerns the standards required of the student's record. He no longer has to have been on the Dean's List for two out of the three years. If he is an Honors candidate, that is sufficient.

The other two changes deal directly with the number of courses required of a man wishing to streamline his road to the magical sheepskin. Whereas University Hall used to slap on an extra course for the privilege, it now declares that not only will a man take the same number of courses as the four-year student, but he will shift one course to the Summer School season. This means taking 14 in three College years, and one in Summer School, instead of 16 in all, as formerly required.

But the Faculty has gone even one step farther: it has offered a possible reduction of one full course under the new program, provided the student is in Group Four and has been recommended by his department. Those who are able to take this advantage can get a degree on 13 College courses and one at Summer School. The reason why the Summer School course has been specifically required under all these plans is because the Faculty feels that a three-year degree-seeker needs the extra College time for added Tutorial work. If he did not have this time, his Tutorial would be the first thing to suffer.

Three Science departments started this movement last April 8. Then, on May 20, the Faculty voted to apply it to the entire University.

With the present program geared to including a lower record requirement, a normal course requirement, and a possibility of getting one full course reduction on Departmental recommendation. University Hall expects many Sophomores and Juniors to jump at the opportunity.