^jy--^^ ■^^■^ >3>> fc>>«s>^; '^ "■■«^ S^r^ipga !-•■ lijai ^^^'^ bS^ ^„-^j>^ — -^ •" '-"^^^^■v '^HH^^^^sp^B^^H HK> .^^l^ ■_^ ^m- rj ID>S). m 0>i> >^D- >:>'.> J J) »>^ » :' ' ' j^ Wjj w>y •>^'P-iv jt % »-!> j^ irar '\ ': = ■Mn\M- ■r-^ S*S» ^^^few--; ./;_* >^ .'•^: ^^^^.*: m>i ■> '>:>*:> '->y^^- i-**"^ 1;^-^ ^~— r^..^:. ,J>,J> I»> 1 >>^>P^ > ^») «> # r * mo€ """' V jr Uni^^ty of California. \RY OK i 1< \ \ CIS- LJEHER, ly aiul Law in CcIuTnliin t'oHeffo.Now Y.irk. MiCHAEL REESf- ()/ Sun Fran )tMh ■[tLtt -'>^«|7inL*^l' in. 1^!3^W^' ..w >t flfb 'yyW '^V^J .VV*Vv^v', v_^^; V'wv !^ >*» /y^^y viiji'^*?:::::'::'- 'i » jU.-« * ^Sa^S ■fm V^ ^..VW^ '^'V'* i i».'y/»:^«p '^ W V * >'>' i 'iH^QiW' "M '¥V^^^: ^^«#^ V Wlg^m^^^^W^^^ m ii •w i^,«J>.:- v' v ■-' 'ViVf. ^v^^^Jiv^^wv;)^ i^iv'^^V 'V -;?, ^WVW^ J?! '• - -l f ~?"<^'^';r;? ,:VV V -- 'ini^i^i . J ', * M^^^!^?y ^i^Vi i«iii REPORT OF A COMMITTEE OF THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE, APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE CONDITION OF THE INSTITUTION, AND TO CONSIDER SUCH MEASURES AS MIGHT BE JUDGED EXPEDIENT TO INCREASE ITS EFFICIENCY AND USEFULNESS. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES AND FOR THEIR USE. 53'£tD-^orlt : JOHN W. AMERMAN, PRINTER, No. 47 Cedar-street. 1858. 1^'^ -h KEPORT. To the, Trustees of Columbia College in the City of New- York : The Committee appointed by them to inquire into the state of the Institution respectfully report : That in the performance of the duty committed to them, they have proposed to the President and Professors a series of questions, and received their answers to them, in confor- mity to the resolutions under which the Committee were appointed, each question being proposed orally and the answer taken down in writing, as given at the time. There were few exceptions to this mode of proceeding, and those only where manifest propriety and convenience dictated a departure from the rule. The Committee also elicited the statements of Presidents and Professors of other institutions of learning, and of other gentlemen known to be competent to give valuable suggestions and advice concerning the sub- jects under consideration. These statements were made in reply to circular questions issued by the Committee. The Librarian was also examined by the Committee ; and an ab- stract has been made of such portions of the minutes of the Board of the College as seemed to be important in connection with the matters referred. The materials thus collected have, under the direction of the Trustees, been printed, and are herewith submitted. They will be referred to from time to time in the progress of this report. The Committee was appointed on the 10th September, 1856, Their inquiry commenced soon afterwards, and was mainly terminated only in August, 1857, since which time they have given such attention to the subject as their private business would allow. By the reference made to the Committee at the time of their appointment, it became their duty to inquire into the present and past administration of the system of education and discipline of the College and Grammar School, and their condition in respect to government, order, discipline and efficient and thorough instruction, and the observance of the statutes ; to report fully upon the matters referred, stating their opinion thereon ; and if they should find any defects, either in the statutes or their practical application, to state the causes of the same, and recommend such measures as might be deemed necessary for their correction, suggesting such alterations as, in the judgment of the Committee, would tend to the orderly government of the students, and to the ascer- taining and enforcing their attention and proficiency. By a subsequent reference it was also made the duty of the Committee to take the statements and opinions of the President and Members of the Faculty and other persons, upon the subject of an University course of instruction. It will thus be perceived that the subject with which the Committee has had to deal is a very wide one ; in tact, cover- ing all the various particulars of the scheme for the govern- ment, instruction and discipline of the students which are expressed in the College statutes, and involving an investi- gation into the present condition of the Institution, and the consideration of such measures as might be judged expe- dient to increase its efticiency and usefulness. The general object of the Trustees, in devising a system of statutes, is to provide a course and method of instruction. A certain class of regulations is necessary to accomplish this main purpose. But further rules are requisite for its prac- tical accomplishment ; which may, for the sake of order and method in the distribution of the several topics discussed in this report, be thus divided : 1. Such as operate upon the students to secure their attention and proficiency and good behavior ; 2. Such as prescribe the powers and duties of the President and Professors, to give vitality, energy and effi- ciency to tiie system ; 3. Such as provide for the supervision and superintendence of the practical operation of the whole plan, to secure its continued and constant efficiency. First, as regards a course and method of instruction. The consideration of the course of instruction belongs to another Committee, to whom this Committee would recom- mend a reference of so much of the materials herewitli sub- mitted as relates to that subject. This Committee would, however, make one or two suggestions on this subject. Tlie statute lately passed requires some amendments to make it conform to the scheme of attendance adopted by the Trustees, and is in one particular inconsistent witli the statute on ad- missions, as pointed out by Professor Drisler, at pages 66, 67 of Ins statement. Moreover, this Committee would suggest the particular designation of a course of instruction in Grer- man, and in other modern languages, when attendances upon Professors of those languages shall be provided for, to carry out the recommendations hereinafter made in reference to regulations for those departments. While this Committee do not deem it their duty to recom- mend any specific alteration in the course of study — that office belonging to others — there are yet considerations connected with its success, touching the method of teaching the sub- jects prescribed by the statute on the course, which, as tend- ing to give practical efficiency to that course, they think they ought not to leave without treating. A question in this connection, upon which the Committee have bestowed much consideration, and in relation to which several of the gentlemen, whose statements are submitted, have given their opinion, refers to the expediency of the use of text-books in the several departments, and the mode of their selection and designation. On comparing those state- ments, it wull be found that the President and all those Pro- fessors of the College who have expressed theirviewson this subject, agree that instruction in every department ought to be from text-books, provided proper books can be procured ; and, with one exception, they advise that the books should be selected and designated by the Professor, subject to the approval of the Trustees, and changed only on his suggestion, subject to the like approval. In this opinion Chancellor Tappan, Mr. Stewart, Dr. Hale, President Bourns, Professor Tucker and Bishop Potter, of Pennsylvania, concur. On the other hand, Mr. Strong, Dr. Lieber and Professor Yethake think that the widest discretion ought to be allowed to each Professor. There is thus apparent a strong preponderance of opinion in favor of the authoritative designation of text-books as a general rule. As a means of instruction to put a proper work in the hands of the student, and to require him to master its con- tents, will more effectually secure his making himself thor- oughly acquainted with the subject, and better enable him to preserve the connection of its several parts, than any oral instruction alone could do ; and the mere exercise of the mind, in the thoughtful and thorough study of an approved work, is of very great advantage, apartfrom any positive know- ledge thereby acquired. Indeed, the question is not as to the advantage of the use of text-books, for they are used in all de- partments of the College to a greater or less extent. In some they are indispensable, as in Mathematics and the Classics. But the inquiry is, ought they to be designated by statute, and to what extent ought they to be made the basis of in- struction? The result of the inquiries of the Committee would seem to show that some regulation of this subject by statute is necessary. At least one of the Professors required the stu- dents to use text-books, of which he is the author, for those parts of the course of which they treat. Doubtless a Profes- sor, so situated, would be really of opinion that the success of his instruction would be promoted by the use of his own works, and that opinion might be correct, but reasons are obvious why, even in that case, the decision on this point should not be made by the author himself. Another of the Professors had uniformly adopted the prac- tice of giving to his class a list of the best text-books, stating that any one of them would be satisfactory ; in addition to this, either requiring or inciting the students to make refer- ences on the pages of their note-books to general reading, with their authorities. This designation of several works, with the liberty of choice in the student, who can hardly be supposed to have capacity to choose discreetly, seems to the Committee open to objection ; making it almost impossible to ascertain the knowledge of any student of the text he selects to the profit of others who have made a different selec- tion, leading the students to desultory instead of careful read- ing, and rendering it impracticable to grade them accord- ing to their several degrees of proficiency by a common test, which shall be both just, and the justice of which all may re- cognise. The Committee have reason to believe that the notes of references to authorities have sometimes been made by the students by means of hurried and careless examina- tion of books for that mere purpose, the time at their dis- posal allowing them to do nothing more than make a show to obtain credit with the Professor, without any profit to them- selves, but on the contrary, to their injury, through the waste of time that might have been usefully employed ; this prac- tice, at the same time, encouraging a habit of superficial reading, instead of the research which is the object sought. If only one approved text-book were used by the whole class, the contents of which each student should be required to master, all would have a common task, the examination of each would be comprehended by all the others, and there would be presented a uniform and well-understood test of proficiency. Moreover, if instead of the students being stimulated to search for authorities, they were directed to particular parts of works proper for them to read in connec- tion with any controverted points, in place of dissipation there would result a concentration of attention. It is supposed that the inquiries of the Committee on this point show the necessity of the designation of text-books by statute ; for if there be one system of instruction the best adapted to secure the proper training of the students, it ought to be adopted and enforced. It is said that each teacher has his own method of instruction, to interfere with which would impair his efficiency. But the adoption of text- books in which students should be required to be prepared, would still leave a wide field for the exercise of the discretion of cacli Professor. He could comment on the text, lecture on the points arising, state and enforce his own views, and refer particularly to other authorities. The students would be careful readers as well as hearers; and the injunction of our statute, that they " shall be habituated, as far as may be practicable, to study subjects, rather than whole books, and shall be directed by their instructors to the sources whence they may best derive assistance," would be complied with. But there is another view in connection with which a regu- lation of the kind recommended seems to be necessary. The Committee on the course have forcibly advocated the truth of the principle, that the proper object of instruction of undergraduates is to train and discipline the mind ; only to impart absolute or special knowledge so far as may be ac- complished collaterally in the process of training, but to fix habits of close attention and application, and to induce the ready exercise of the reasoning faculties. Upon this basis avowedly the statute on the course of study was framed. It was doubtless intended, both by that Committee and by the Trustees, that each department of study should be confined and restrained to such limits that the effect of its pursuit, even if considered without reference to other branches, should be to exercise the mental powers, and not run into special professional instruction ; but when considered in connection with other departments, that it should have only its propor- tional importance in due subordination to the other parts of the scheme considered as a whole. If the whole course is wisely constructed for the accomplishment of the end in view, (as was certainly designed,) it is to be pursued thorouglily in all its parts, none to be neglected, but each to be mastered to the degree and extent prescribed ; and relative attention to any one department cannot be increased without serious detri- ment. This detriment would consist not only in the disre- gard of the proper end of instruction in a particular subject, and the encouragement of a tendency to the exercise of spe- cial powers, but also in the necessary consequence of pro- ducing neglect of the studies of other departments. The intention and rule are, that all departments of study shall be mastered to the extent prescribed, and our course is too severe to render this possible, if any one branch be stretched beyond its due limit. It is therefore submitted, that a due regard either to the aim of our instruction or to the ability of the student to ac- complish the work we allot to him, requires us carefully to specify the extent of instruction in each department, not only absolutely in reference to itself, but relatively in refer- ence to others. It seems to the Committee that this end is not accomplished by the statute on the course, l^or, indeed, does it appear that its accomplishment was within the scope or design of the in- structions given by the Trustees to the Committee on that subject, adhering to which they departed as little as possible from the then existing statute. The statute passed upon their report designates subjects in the most general terms, leaving the extent of instruction intended entirely uncertain, and necessarily left to the discretion of the several Professors ; and where, in the Classical departments, particular authors are prescribed, it declares that such of the works specified, or such portions of them, shall be read as the Professor and the President shall think fit. The necessity of some regulation of the proportionate at- tention to be given to each study was felt when the scheme of attendance was settled. The object of this scheme was properly to divide the time and attention of the students amongst the several Professors. But although in some de- gree accomplishing that object, it is not of itself sufficient. There is still a great latitude permitted, which allows room for the Professor to extend the course beyond due bounds, to invite voluntary exercises, or, where different subjects for the same session are assigned, to give one an undue preponder- ance over another. Experience shows that a Professor, as a general rule, does not justly appreciate the amount of study of his own special subjects which is compatible with a due attention to those of other Professors, and, therefore, in 10 sotiie cases is disposed to press or incite the student to too great ju-o^ress in his own department. This tendency, your Connnittee suggest, may properly be restrained, as incom- patible with the general and unitbrni training which is re- quisite to the complete education of the pupil. If, then, it be requisite for the complete eflSciency of the instruction in the College, that the precise limits of the course in each subject should be prescribed by statute, the question arises, how is this practicable ? Where proper text-books can be procured, they may be designated, witli the parts proper for instruction in a particular session (if a selection should be necessary) specially prescribed. In the Classical dei)art- ment alternative courses may be constructed in the manner pointed out by Professor Drisler, at page 60 of his testimony, with the liberty in the Professor to select any one course for a particular class. But in some departments it may be im- possible always to find proper text-books. In such cases there should be a particular designation of heads of subjects, distinctly prescribing the extent of instruction. The course, thus particularly defined, would be matter of positive statute. To frame such a statute would, no doubt, be a labor of great difficulty. Yet, if the preceding views are sound, such a statute should be enacted; and from its enactment, if framed by such competent hands as to command the perfect confi- dence of the Trustees in the wisdom of its provisions, there would result in this Board uniformity of opinion on this im- portant subject, and in place of the constant change pro- duced by the repeated applications of Professors for greater time to be given to their particular departments, yielded to with too great facility, we would secure the permanency due to a well-considered system. This work might be assigned to gentlemen of acknow- ledged attainments and ability in the several departments of instruction, who are entirely disconnected with the institu- tion, or to a Committee of this Board, or to the Faculty of the College. All these modes have engaged the attention of the Committee. In their judgment a commission appointed for the purpose should possess three requisites : 1. A special 11 acquaintance, existing in some members of the body, with each brancli of knowledge to be contained in the course. 2. Experience in instruction. 3. Familiarity with the average ability and aptitude of the students of the College. All these requisites are possessed by the Faculty alone. Some of the members of the Board of Trustees have had experience in instruction, more have special knowledge of particular de- partments, but none have that intimate acquaintance with the capabilities of the under-graduates, which can be ac- quired only by the daily intercourse in the College ; and the necessary attention to their ordinary professional duties would render Trustees unable to give careful, deliberate attention to the necessary details. Strangers to the Institution would be wanting in the third requisite. For these reasons the Com- mittee would recommend that power be given to the Board of the College, and it be made their duty to frame a scheme in which shall be specified both the subjects and the extent of instruction in each department, by reference to text-books, where proper books can be procured, and in other cases by particular and definite reference to heads or divisions; so that the precise extent of instruction in each department may be definitely prescribed ; and also to frame a scheme of attend- ance in conformity with the course of instruction ; both which schemes, on being reported to the Trustees, shall have the force of a statute, and be incorporated with the statutes of the College. The other details of such a reference will be embraced in a resolution to be proposed for passage by the Trustees, and to be appended to this report. The subject of the emploj^ment of tutors as assistants to the several Professors has come under the consideration of the Committee. The system of casting upon the Professor the doubleduty of lecturing and hearing recitations is of long standing in this Institution, and is common, it is believed, to all Colleges in the United States. In special schools the practice is different. A recommendation to change this method would not be listened to with favor : nor, indeed, do the Committee think it desirable. To bring the students, in all their exercises, under the eye and observation of the Pro- 12 fessor, must be a great advantage. And it seems to the Com- mittee, that under the arrangement now made for the division of the classes into sections, with an adequate preparation at entrance duly enforced, it is perfectly practicable for the Professor to attend M-ithout assistance to the proper instruc- tion of tlie students. A large increase in the number of stu- dents might, indeed, render the employment of tutors or as- sistants necessary for the drilling and examination of the students, in aid of the Professor, who ought, nevertheless, liimself to perform the same duty so far as time would admit. The employment of tutors, however, is recommended on other grounds. A student may be dismissed or suspended, and during the continuance of his punishment must be ab- sent from College exercises; he may be found deficient at an intermediate examination, in which case he might be con- tinued in the Institution until the concluding examination, then to abide that final test ; or without suffering any pun- ishment, or being found wanting upon the ajDplication of the test of examination, he may feel that he requires assistance beyond that which the regular performance of the duties of the Professor will enable him to bestow. In all these cases it is desirable that there should be an officer or officers of the College to whose instruction the Faculty might direct the student in cases of discipline, or recommend him, upon his own application, to resort; and to secure the permanent ser- vice of one or more tutors, to be strictly confined, so far as the College is concerned, to the performance of the duties above indicated, it would be well that they should have a small an- nual compensation, to be paid out of the College treasury, and should receive, in addition, from the students, fees to be regulated by College statutes. As to reviews : The Committee think that the revision of their studies by the students, under the direction of the Pro- fessor, is in the highest degree important ; it constitutes a repetition that they might with advantage make for themselves oftener than the statute requires, but which ought to be se- cured at least once in a term. But the proper time and method of this review is a question admitting of more doubt. 13 The present statute seems, by implication at least, to require that the revision take place at the end of each term, and that it shall be pursued during a period of time to be exclusively devoted to this exercise. We are satisfied, from the state- ments made to us by the President and Professors, that the practice, according to this construction, has encouraged the students to postpone their preparation to the period assigned for review, mainly in order to fit themselves for examination, and thus, in many cases, instead of being, in fact, a revision, it has only aff'orded an additional opportunity for original acquisition, and thus promoted indolence and inattention, to the detriment of proper training. The object of repetition, and of testing thereby the continued progress of the student, could be better attained by requiring that the review should be conducted from time to time throughout the session. This plan would not be subject to the very serious objections to which the method now prevailing is liable. The proper method of instruction of the students in elocu- tion has attracted the attention of the Committee. The stat- utes were always silent as to the time or place for the per- formance of exercises in oratory, nor did they ever contain any regulation for special instruction in this dtpartinent, fur- ther than to throw upon the Professor of Rhetoric the duty of instruction in the Elements of Oratory in tiie Sophomore year. The Board of Trustees, however, appointed a Profes- sor of Elocution, the attendance upon whom has been volun- tary, and seems to have been very irregular and without advantageous results. Lately the Board have dispensed with this office, and have imposed its duties upon the Pro- fessor of Rhetoric, to whose chair they properly belono-. There is still, however, no designation of this subject of in- struction in the statute on the course, where it might properly be inserted in the curriculum of each year. But the practice in relation to tiie time and place of performing the exercises in declamation has varied. Formerly, and until late in the Presidency of Dr. Duer, the following was the method : In the Chapel, immediately after the termination of the religious service, one student from each of the three lower classes in u turn delivered an oration which he had committed to memory, either selected from a standard collection, or origi- nal ; and on Saturday, on which day the students assembled at the usual hour for religious services, four students of the Senior class declaimed original essays ; after these exercises on tbat day were concluded, the students met in the rooms of tlieir literary societies to return and receive books from their libraries, or attended the Board of tbe College, met for the purpose of administering general discipline, according to a statutory provision which still stands in the printed copies of the statutes, but which has long been obsolete under the as- sumed sanction of the Trustees, the Faculty now meeting on Friday instead of Saturday. Tbe stated meetings of the Board of the College on the last named day being discon- tinued, the attendance of the students was entirely dispensed with, and the Seniors thenceforth delivered their orations on the same days with the other students. Recently a still greater change has taken place. Upon the appointment of a chaplain to conduct the Chapel services, and the adoption of the wise and salutary arrangements to make those services more ap- propriate and solemn, declamation in the Chapel was entirely discontinued ; and since the removal of the College to 49tli street, the orations of the students have been delivered in the lecture-room before the Professor of Rhetoric and the class, or a section of the class. The motive that induced this last change, which is understood to have been sanctioned by the Chapel Committee of this Board, was no doubt to pro- mote the decorous and reverential behavior of the students in a place where religious services are conducted, by discon- necting it with all other uses. There can be no doubt of the advantages of this, or of its beneficial influence upon the students. But this arrangement (with which it is not pro- posed to interfere) leaves us without any College Hall ; yet such a room is, it seems to this Committee, under the present system, absolutely necessary, not only for exercises in public spetiking, but for other purposes. A separate and appro- priate building could be erected on the College ground, either a Hall or Chapel, at a cost, it is believed, not exceeding 15 six or seven thousand dollars. This, it is recommended, should be done at the earliest practicable period. It is deemed a wiser measure than again to devote the Chapel to ordinary College uses, and thus to lose the benefits which are confidently stated to be derived from the existing prac- tice. But the one or the other of these changes ought to be adopted, for the banishment of declamation from the Chapel or College Hall must very much diminish the efficiency of instruction in oratory. To make the exer- cise of the student spirited and eff"ective, he must speak before an audience and in a place of dignity and im- portance. Instead of finding this audience as formerly, in the assembled Faculty and students, he addresses but one Professor and a part of his own class in a small room. He thus loses the practice before a considerable assembly, which is essential to give him ease and self-possession on public occasions. Besides, the present method takes too much time from the other duties of the Professor, who could give more eff'ective instruction by short judicious criticisms daily im- parted to each class upon the delivery of the students who had spoken in the presence of all the classes. Every change, it appears to the Committee, has been for the worse. The assigning the exercises of the Seniors to the same days with those of the other classes, has diminished the dignity and importance which naturally, from the separation, belonged to the orations of the members of the highest class, besides in- creasing the length of time taken up by declamation on those days. And the last alteration the Committee cannot but think likely, sooner or later, to lead to the discontinuance of all attention to this branch of instruction. In this connection the Committee would observe, that the attendance of the students on Saturday had a very beneficial influence, by bringing them into more intimate association with one another than is practicable on other days. It gave them greater interest in each other, promoted their friendly attachments, and, in consequence, increased their interest in the College, the bond of union between them. They could now be assembled on that day with great advantage. It is 16 true, some live at a great distance. These miglit be excused, except when they have an exercise to perform, or are cited to appear before the Board of the College ; yet probably the desire to meet their classmates would, after a time, induce them to attend. The Committee would, therefore, recommend that the statutes should provide for the as- sembling of the students and the Board of the College on Saturday, so soon as a College Hall shall be provided. There is now no provision whatever in the statutes in re spect to Chapel services. Their permanent regulation, the Committee think, should be made part of the statutes. The Board of Trustees have, in the scheme of attendance, reqnired the students to attend the several Professors in sec- tions for recitation. This regulation, to secure its regular and permanent enforcement, should be incorporated in the stat- utes; and the hours at which the classes are divided into sections should there appear. The mode of this divi- sion should be alphabetical — the first half in alphabetical order to be the first section, and the other half the second section. The subjects so far treated relate to the method of instruc- tion. From their consideration there has resulted the re- commendation of regulations, the intent of which is to guide the Professor to conduct the education of the student ac- cording to the details of a system, designed to efi'ect the proper training of the student, and, at the same time, whilst enforcing his due proficiency in the whole course, not to press him beyond his ability. These regulations are for the guid- ance of the ofiicers of the College. Other statutory provi- sions operate upon the students to secure their attention, proficiency and good behavior. They relate to Tests of Pro- ficiencij^ Rewards^ Offences and Punishments. TESTS OF rKOFICIENCT. The Committee have addressed to the orentlemen whose statements are submitted the question whether the students should be strictly required to master the course of instruc- tion, or whether allowance ought to be made for those who, 17 from want of capacity or indolence, fail to do so. The an- swers received have been very nearly uniform in favor of strictness in this respect, with the qualification, however, that the same degree of proficiency should not be required from all students. It is urged, however, that the sons of wealthy parents, who have not the stimulus to exertion possessed by those in less prosperous worldly condition, may derive some advantage from the College course, although negligent, and be thus taught to use the influence of their position to better ends than they would had they not this advantage ; and that, therefore, the College ought to be indulgent towards them. But, indeed, true charity to rich students as well as regard to their classmates, admonishes us to make necessity a spur to the performance of duty. The habit of study renders study easy and pleasant. The object of the Institution is mental discipline. If mental indolence be indulged, instead of mental activity enforced, we do positive injury instead of good ; and the contagion of such examples is inevitable. Besides, what is exacted from one must be exacted from an- other, and what is tolerated in one must be tolerated in an- other. Any such distinction is therefore unjust in itself, and if once made, must necessarily render impossible strict dis- cipline in any case. Nor, indeed, is it believed that there is any ground, in fact, for an exception in favor of such a class of students. They would be ashamed to claim any such ex- emption from ordinary rules, and on all the members of their respective classes being graded according to their real merits, these would usually be found not below their fellows ; nor do the Committee believe that such students would be led to attend other institutions less rigorous. There can, however, be no doubt that allowance must be made for lack of intel- lectual capacity ; this may readily be done, through a uni- form system of marks, such as has lately been adopted by the Faculty, by declaring an average, below which if a student fall, he will not be permitted to proceed with his class. This average siiould be placed at such a grade as not to exclude students of dull or slow minds, who are yet faithful and dili- gent ; and if any prove to be so dull and slow as to be un- 2 IS able to attain tin's average, it is safe to say that they are uiiaMe to profit by the College course, and had better -with- draw from the Institution, or become members of a lower class. It would appear that such strictness as is here recom- mended has not been enforced by the Faculty; at least it was not before the removal of the College. The Committee endeavored to ascertain what had prompted this indulgence, and also whether the reasons which might have actuated the officers of the College in this respect were such as to lead to the conclusion that the enforcement of a stricter rule would produce no beneficial results. And in answer to the inqui- ries of the Committee, the opinion was expressed by the President that the ultimate results of a severe discipline would be advantageous, though it might lead to the training of only a few thorough scholars annually. Such oj)inion was also advanced by Prof. Anthon ; and the doubt was expressed by the President, whether public opinion would sanction a strict course, and whether, to avoid a large dimi- nution of students, allowance ought not to be made for de- fect of intellectual capacity, imperfect elementary training, and inattention or indifference of parents as to the studies of their sons. Prof. McYickar expressed his opinion against the enforcement of a rigid discipline. Yet the President himself recommends it according to the system above inti- mated, as do also Professors Anthon, Drisler and McCuUoh, and all these concur in opinion, that the experience of the Institution does not show that the exclusion of students lound deficient at the concluding examination is inexpedi- ent. Probably the apprehension of a diminution of the num- ber of students, as a consequence of a strict enforcement of the statutes, has led to the laxity of the ofiicers of the College. But it does seem to the Committee that the object of the In- stitution is to educate students, and not to have a large num- ber of them to be, in the main, very imperfectly educated. However large that number, if half of them graduate with no real benefit to themselves derived from the College course, (as must be the case if they fall below a reasonable lowest 19 average mark,) our office is but half performed. Our aim is to train the students to habits of diligence, attention and ac- tivity of mind. Imperfect previous elementary training and the indolence of students, whether occasioned by the inatten- tion or indifference of their parents to their progress, or by any other cause, prevent the accomplishment of that aim. We should, therefore, deal with these as evils to be reme- died, not as indicating a permanent element to be provided for. As a continuing element, they are fraught with great injury to the student. His inadequate preparation, excused session after session, necessarily, as the common rule, leads him to regard it a matter of indifference whether he applies himself to study or not, and to look upon it as a mere pre- tence that he has any serious duty to perform. He needs the stimulus of necessity. To tolerate his indolence is to increase it. Thus, instead of forming good habits, we form bad. A contrary course, in making indolence a disgrace, to be fol- lowed by a severe penalty, would, in the majority of cases, produce a beneficial change upon individual students. They would do their duty if it were really and seriously required. When public opinion is spoken of in this connection as not likely to sanction a stricter discipline, it must, we suppose, be understood as an opinion to be evidenced by the number of students found to attend the College. Experience alone can show what may be the result in this respect. A better administration must be introduced gradually, from considera- tions of justice to the students. But when a due degree of severity shall be uniformly practiced, we may take it for granted that the Institution will receive no less approbation, nor will parents be any less desirous to send their sons to it because convinced that once entered in its classes they will be both able and be required to derive real and permanent ad- vantage from its instruction. A deservedly high reputation for efficiency is likely to attract students, as to deserve success is generally to attain it. Within the twenty-five years preceding the recent removal of the College, in the face of a very large accession of population and wealth to the city, the number of students had not materially in- 20 creased ; whilst it is believed that daring the same period the discipline of the Institution had gradually relaxed. No enlargement of the classes was caused by that indulgence. It would be well now to try the reverse system ; and we may at least, with clear consciences, hope by the salutary results produced in cases of students graduating, to spread a favorable estimate of the value of real and efficient training upon the basis of a Classical education. Taking it for ^ granted, then, that there is but one safe rule, which, is to en- force the proficiency of all the students up to a standard of acquirement to be graduated by the fair average ability of students, it is next proposed to consider such statutory pro- visions as are supposed to be best calculated to test and ascertain that proficiency. The first application of any test of the acquirements of the student is made upon his presenting himself as a candidate for entrance. Upon this much depends. We are told by Professor Drisler. as the result of his experience, that the insufficient preparation of the students in the Classics is the cause of great embarrassment, leading to the ne- cessity of teaching them in the Freshman year, and that necessarily very inadequately, what they ought to have learned in the schools — this tending to the great hind- rance of their classmates, and in many cases leaving de- ficiencies never afterwards removed, and rendering it im- possible for the student to keep up with his class upon the administration of any proper discipline. He tells us, moreover, that not more than one-half of the entering students are found to possess the attainments required. The state- ment of Professor Hackley does not show any existing in- adequate preparation in Mathematics. He states that candi- dates for admission had not always been well versed in the preliminary mathematical studies during his occupancy of the chair, but of late none had been admitted not thoroughly pre- pared. The Committee are of opinion that it is expedient to secure a strict entrance examination in Mathematics as well as in Classics. There are well understood objections to such strictness : that the College ojQTering no inducements beyond 21 the instruction it affords, candidates not qualified for admission would either not enter College at all, or go to other institu- tions more loose in their requirements ; that students, not at first qualified to enter, may, and often do, make up their de- ficiencies after entrance ; and that even the indolent, though thej may not recover their lost ground, will yet derive some advantage from instruction. The last of these objections supposes that the evil will be permanent — that the de- ficiency evidenced by a want of due preparation at en- trance, arising from indolence, should be suffered to con- tinue during the student's subsequent College course. But the Committee have already expressed the opinion that this is inconsistent with the maintenance of due disci- pline, and that such deficiencies, arising from such a cause, ought to occasion the separation of the student from the Institution, unless he will join a lower class. As to the first objection, if we are convinced that the prescribed prelimi- nary preparation is requisite for the student to derive proper advantage from the College course, and to prevent the re- tardation of those really fitted for entrance, it would seem better to meet the difiiculty in the outset, and not to admit such (the irreclaimable) as must be soon excluded. The sec- ond objection has, indeed, great force. If a student can make up his deficiency, why not admit him, and allow him to do so ? But how is this ability to be ascertained in the out- set ? We can make no distinctions ; all must be treated alike. If so, the corrigible and incorrigible must all alike be suffered to enter College. Then we cannot punish for de- ficiencies known but disregarded, and we must lend our efforts to bring the student forward from the point of prepara- tion we have admitted to be sufficient in the first instance — put aside the proper business of the Freshman year, and un- dertake therein the work of the Grammar School, instead of the studies of the Freshman Class. This would derange the whole course. Therefore, though it be true that a few candi- dates for entrance, found upon examination not to be quali- fied, might, if admitted, afterwards with great labor make up their deficiencies ; yet it would be better that even these 22 should wait anotlier year for the next entering class, or pur- sue their studies out of the Institution until fitted to enter that class for which they first present themselves. By requiring, in all cases, adequate preliminary prepara- tion, we will secure it, raise the reputation of the College, extend the desire for the education atibrded by it, and excite the schools to greater efiiciency. It should be borne in mind that, while entrance examinations may be strict, it by no means follows that the same degree of proficiency must be required from all candidates. There must be difi'erent grades. The same scale of marks used for other examinations would show a number below which if the student falls it may be presumed that it would be unwise to admit him, under the conviction that subsequent diligence cannot suffice to enable him to comply with the requirements of the Institution. In such a case it is more just to the student kindly to inform him and his parents of the true condition of tilings, and to recommend him to pursue his studies for another year, after the expiration of which he may again present himself for examination, than to admit him on his first application, with the nearly ascertained certainty that at the end of his first year he must be dismissed. Oftentimes the deficiency may be found to arise from the immature age of the candidate. Strictness at the first is the best remedy for this, as showing to him the necessity for delaying the commencement of his College studies. Taking it for granted, then, that the quali- fications of candidates applying for entrance ought to be as- certained by some competent test, the question arises, what regulations are advisable for the purpose of securing strict and impartial entrance examinations, and of forming and pronouncing a judgment upon the result ? For it is manifest that if strictness be exercised, it is highly expedient, for the satisfaction of the students, parents and teachers of schools, that both the trial and the decision of the question should be made by such authority and in such mode as to command respect and confidence. Upon examining the statutes we find no provisions in re- gard to entrance examinations. Chapter IV. declares the 23 pre-requisites for admission ; but nowhere is it declared in what manner they shall be ascertained. Under the power, however, to make all such regulations for tlie better execu- tion of the Colleo;e svstem as shall not contravene the charter, the statutes nor the orders of the Trustees, it is believed tlie Board of the College have power to regulate this subject. They do not appear to have done so: and the Committee suppose that entrance examinations are of sufficient impor- tance to require permanent statutory provisions concerning them. The Committee find that the custom prevailing during the Presidencj'of Dr. Harris presents a marked contrast with that now in force. We quote Professor Anthon's testimony as to the former practice. He says: "The applicants for admission were formed into one large class, and each student was publicly examined by the Mathematical and Classical Professor. The Board were generally in full attendance, together with the President; minutes were taken of the per- formance of the candidates by the attending Professors, whether examining or not, and referred to in determining their votes as to their admission, and relative order of merit on admission. At the end of the examination by book, in the Classical department, a piece of English was given out to the candidates, which they were required to turn into grammatical Latin before leaving the examination room, to which fictitious names were to be appended ; and it was generally understood that this last mentioned exercise carried with it the greatest weight in determinins; the relative merit on admission. ]^o candidate was allowed to hold communi- cation with another while so turning the piece of English into Latin. The examinations were extremely rigid, due al- lowance being made for any trepidation on the part of the candidate. The Faculty then held a meeting, at which they compared notes and settled, the relative position of the can- didates by number ; and the result was then formally an- nounced by the President in the College Chapel." To this may be added the well-understood fact, that such examina- tions were uniformly attended by the masters of the schools, who exhibited the greatest interest in the test thns applied 24 to their pnpils, and a just pride if one of them could obtain the first place, an honor regarded as very important. Contrast with this the present practice. Professor Hack- ley stated, on the 8th of July, 1856, in relation to the two entrance examinations then last past, that there were some students examined at the time publicly appointed, in the pre- sence of the President and of the Professors instructing the Freshman Class. One-half of the whole class came from the College Grammar School, and were not examined at all, but were admitted on the certificate of the Rector of that school, (which appears to have been the uniform practice ;) of the remaining number, not more than one-half were examined at the appointed time and place. It farther appears, that two days are publicly appointed by the President, upon either of which students may present themselves for examination ; the one at the close of the concluding examination of the under- graduates, and the other the Saturday before the first Monday in October ; and that all students applying after the last day are privately examined, without any excuse required for not applying at the time prescribed. The President and all the Professors state that none of the ofiicers of the College are present at either of the appointed examinations, except the President and the Professors instructing the Freshman Class. The mode of conducting the examinations on such occa- sions is clearly detailed by Professor Drisler. At the time of which the Professor was speaking, before the recent removal of the College, the candidates were assembled in the Chapel ; the Classical Professor took his seat at a table, at one end of the platform, which extended across the upper side of the Chapel, and the Professor of Mathematics stood or sat near his black board at the other and opposite end of the platform, the President being seated midway between them ; then one student was called up by the Presi- dent to be examined by one Professor, and another by the other Professor, and the examination of both proceeded simultaneously. This statement is enough to show that neither the President nor any of the candidates not under examination could judge of the performances of the students 25 examined under such circumstances. The examinations were made in a phice that might be called public, if the public were invited to attend, but they were substantially private. It is also estabiished b^ the testimony, that the President in effect decides as to whether the candidates shall be ad- mitted, not, indeed, in opposition to the examining Professors ; but he claims it as resting entirely in his own discretion, and the question is never brought before or determined by the Board of the College. It seems to the Committee that the earlier practice was the better, and presented advantages which the latter wants. Thus, by grading the students according to their relative merit, as exhibited on their entrance examination, the effect was accomplished of exciting the emulation of students and teachei-s, and thus improving the schools ; and then, by re- quiring all the Professors to attend, and afterwards to judge of the results as members of the Board of the College, their personal observation and active cooperation were applied to secure the proper performance of a duty, which, in its after consequences, must affect the success of the instruction of each of them, as well as increase or diminish the reputation of the Institution ; and their subsequent action in judging of the result, gave a dignity and aspect of deliberate care to the conclusion, which could not but be salutary. All these fea- tures are now wanting, and to secure their revival the Com- mittee recommend the following regulations for incorpora- tion in a statute : That all candidates for entrance into the Freshman Class shall be assembled in the College Hall on the Monday preceding the commencement of the fall term, in t je presence of the President and all the Professors, and shall be examined by the Professors instructing tlie Freshman Class. That they shall be graded in order of merit, by a number affixed to the performance of each, ex- pressing both absolute and relative merit, according to the system used for other examinations ; and if any candidate shall fail to attain a prescribed minimum number in any de- partment, (to be by general regulation settled by the Board of the College,) he shall be deemed unfit to enter. The pa- 26 rents and guardians of candidates, and the teachers under whose instruction they have been prepared for entrance, but no other persons shall be invited to attend. It shall be the duty of the Board of the College, at a meeting to be held after the conclusion of the examination, to judge and deter- mine whether the candidates, severally, shall be admitted, and also as to the absolute and relative merit of each ; and tiie result of their deliberation shall be recorded in their minutes, as to the merit and order of the admitted candidates, and shall be announced by the President, in the Hall, at some convenient time, of which the persons present sliall be informed at the conclusion of the examination. The Committee specify the use of the College Hall for en- trance examinations, because it is essential, if their main recommendations are carried out, that some large room asso- ciated with general College uses should be selected for this purpose. The provisions for the action of the Faculty are intended to secure their active participation in the examina- tion, and the particularity used seems to be important, in view of the plan proposed being new, and of tlie delicacy which would render Professors unwilling to judge of the examinations of their associates, unless peremptorily re- quired to do so. There seems, to tlie Committee, no advan- tage in making the examinations public, but great good may result from the attendance of those immediately interested. The same time should be assigned for the examination of all the candidates, in order to give greater interest and impor- tance to the occasion, as well as to effect the simultaneous grading of the whole class. Inconvenience to such as leave town for the summer months is alleged against a day in July, and want of freshness of preparation in such as complete their school studies early in the summer, against a day shortly preceding the beginning of the fall term. But one day only should be appointed, and it is most just to all that it should be as late as possible, in order to give to each every opportunity time will allow to fit himself for the examination. There may, however, be causes perfectly sufficient to excuse the attendance of students at the appointed time, as sickness, to 27 be certified by a physician, or absence from the city really unavoidable. These should be judged of by the President, and all students excused for such causes should be examined subsequently, on some certain day, to be fixed by general regulation ; the examination to be conducted and superin- tended in the same manner as the general examination. No position should be given to these candidates, in the order of the class, until the first subsequent public examination. The regulations proposed would subject students of the College Grammar School to the same test as other candidates. This is deemed fair and right, due to other schools, and necessary to secure the interest of their masters in the College, as well as in itself furnishing a very desirable opportunity of ascer- taining the efiiciency of instruction in that preparatory de- partment of the Institution. Upon examining the testimony submitted by the Committee, there will be found a decided preponderance of opinion in favor of the principles which have guided the Committee in making their recommendations in regard to entrance examinations. The Committee think that some provisions are necessary to regulate the manner of admission of students to entrance into the hio-her classes. Such candidates are now admitted by the President, on the certificates of the Professors who instruct the class into which the candidates intend to enter. In order to prevent the too ready admission of such students, the Committee recom- mend that they be examined at the same time with the candidates for entrance into the Freshman Class, in the pre- paratory studies required for entrance into that class, and again, on the day immediately succeeding, be examined for the higher class. And the Committee think that the regula- tions relative to entrance examinations before recommended should be made applicable to all candidates, into whatever class they may propose to enter. Besides the test of the acquirements of the students ap- plied upon their presenting themselves for entrance, there are provided semi-annual public examinations of all the stu- dents. The particulars which have come under the observa- tion of the Committee in reference to these examinations, be- 28 fore the recent accession to the professorial corps, are as fol- lows: In most departments, al though not in all, the subjects of examination were marked upon slips of paper correspond- ing in number with the number of students in the class, and, when called, each student drew one from a file of such slips and presented it to the Professor, who then examined him upon the subject thus drawn. If the examination papers were previously put into the hands of the students, (as was the case, as the Committee have had reason to. believe, in only two departments,) this mode allowed of contrivance by which students might arrange the distribution of subjects amongst themselves. It appears, also, that except in one or two instances, the Professors never made any memorandum of the performances by the students at the examinations. The President alone would perform this duty. Until very recently, none but a verbal report of the results of public ex- aminations were made to the Board of the College, and then only specifying the names of such students as were found de- ficient, and of such as were absent. Recently, such reports were made in writing, and expressed the character of the performance of each student, as well as communicating the names of absentees, and of such students as the examining Professor deemed to be of the best general standing in his department. But these particulars were not reported by all the Professors ; some of them contenting themselves with communicating only those details which were formerly given in the verbal reports. Absences from the public examina- tions seem to have been very numerous. In one examina- tion eleven were excused from attendance, or excused after non-attendance. And absentees, as the President states, if their standing warranted it, were not examined at all. The nature of the excuses allowed as sufficient do not seem to have been always sickness or unavoidable absence ; some- times proof that their health did not allow them to prepare for examination was accepted. In rare cases only were excused students subjected to an examination afterwards. In one in- stance, seven absent students were remanded to a lower class after a concluding examination ; and before the commence- 29 ment of the next session, witLout any examination whatever, they were allowed to proceed with their respective classes, on condition that they should mate up their deficiency before the next succeeding Christmas vacation. Usually, however, judg- ing from the recollection of the President and the minutes of the Board of the College, students absent from the public ex- amination, without excuse, were required to be privately ex- amined by the several Professors from whose examinations they had absented themselves, before being allowed to pro- ceed with their class ; but they were never otherwise disci- plined for the offence. It is obvious that the discipline of the College, at the times to which the testimony relates, was very lax in regard to absences from the public examinations, and there is reason to believe that students designedly avoided attendance for fear of failure. Both Professor Drisler and Professor McCulloh state, in forcible terms, the necessity of a remedy being found for this evil. The discipline by the Board of the College of students found deficient at the concluding as well as at the interme- diate examinations, has been very lenient. The cases (already alluded to on page 28 of the seven students, absent from the concluding examination in 1856, and sufi'ered to proceed without any examination whatever, are the most marked instances. Yery commonly, however, when students have been reported by the President or Professors as having failed at the public examination, they have been ordered to be re-examined in the department in which they had failed, but rarely was there any report of the result of this examination made to the Board of the College, and there is reason to believe that sometimes the examination has not taken place. There is no evidence upon the minutes that in any case was the Board satisfied that students so failing had made up their deficiency before they were allowed to rejoin their classes. Such examinations, when they took place, were always made by the Professors privately. The Commit- tee would not be understood to say that students failing at public examinations, were always allowed to retain their con- nection with the Institution. There are occasional cases of 30 greater severitj, but usually after a probation succeeding a failure. The Committee have thus endeavored to disclose the state of the discii^line of the Institution respecting the public examinations, simply in order to show the necessity of a statutory remedy to prevent, as far as possible, for the future, the existence of the evils thus made manifest. These evils are the want of a due strictness in the examinations to make them really what it was intended they should be, tests of the proficiency of the students, and not a mere form ; an absence of a due superintendence and direction, and ofiicial cognizance of such examinations by the authorities of the College other than the examining Professors ; the occurrence of numerous absences without check or punishment for the offence ; and the want of an adequate discipline of students when found deficient. The present statute requires these examinations to be close and rigid. The Committee do not think they have always been so. But the statute certainly gives to the Board a discretion to exclude a student, found at the concluding examination to be deficient in the studies of the preceding year, from proceeding to a higher class, or to allow him to proceed. In that respect the action of that Board has been strictly within their powers. In other re- spects the discipline, in regard to the examinations, cannot be justified, although a long continuance of usages must have made it very diflicult for the Faculty as a Board, by interference under their general power of regulation, to in- terpose an effectual remedy. There are two objects which ought to be, if possible, at- tained through means of the public examinations of the students ; first, a test of the proficiency of the pupils, accord- ing to the results of which, taken in due connection with the character of their performances in the lecture-room, they shall take grade or be separated from the College ; and, second, a test of the efiiciency of the instruction ; for if it should be known that at successive examinations a large proportion of the students, of fair standing in other depart- ments, were grossly deficient in one, it would indicate some defect in the instruction. It is only on such occasions that 31 the effect of the Professor's instruction upon whole classes is brouaht under observation. It therefore seems important to attain, if possible, both of such objects. But neither of them can at all times be secured if each Professor has the sole control of the examination upon the subjects of his course ; because, under certain circumstances, there may be tempta- tion to give such facilities to the students examined as would render the result an unreliable indication of the attainments of the students. This is the present method, and it consti- tutes the chief defect in the existing practice. The remedy is to provide for an efficient superintendence and direction of the examinations ou the part of the officers of the College other than the examining Professor. Experts in the several departments of knowledge, who are not officers of the Institution, might be appointed to conduct the examinations and to report the results to the President. If such experts, perfectly qualified, could readily be found will- ing to assume the office, this, at first sight, would appear to be the most effectual means to attain the end in view. But the Committee do not feel willing to recommend this measure, in view of the expressions of opinion adverse to it, found in the testimony. It seems doubtful whether in all the de- partments perfectly unobjectionable examiners could be procured who would undertake to perform the duties of such an office in the presence of the Professor; there is a serious doubt whether it would be fair to the stu- dents to subject them to be questioned by any one but their own instructor ; and if possible it would be better to assign this, and all other duties, to the officers of the College — by imposing these upon them distinctly and plainly, to give them at once power and responsibility in the matter, with the expectation thereby of securing the exercise on their part of constant care to prevent abuses calculated to be of great in- jury to the Institution. Formerly, and until more recent ar- rangements rendered it impossible, the members of the Faculty would attend the examinations, but not with any regularity ; and in order to provide that the several Profes- sors should be cognizant of the character of the performances 32 of the students on such occasions from their own observation, so as to be able intelligently to act in regard to each case to come before them as members of the Board of the College, the Committee would have recommended that all the mem- bers of the Boai*d should be required to be present at all the examinations, were that now practicable. But the pres- ent large number of Professors and multiplicity of depart- ments would, under any such regulation, make the examina- tions consume too much time and encroacii upon the periods allotted to the studies of the classes. Still the same object may, perhaps more effectually, be attained in another way. The Professors of the College may be classified ; and it will be found that the departments of several Professors are so connected that a fair special knowledge in them all, of the subjects under the charge of any Professor in the same class, may be justly presumed. Let all whose departments are so connected be by statute constituted a Board of Examiners in all such departments, under the following regulations : Let such Board, immediately previous to the examination, prepare examination papers, upon which the students shall be ex- amined, and make such order and direction as to the exami- nation as they may deem requisite, not contrary to the statutes. The Professor in the particular department in which the examination is had shall propose all questions ; the other examiners shall, from time to time as they may deon expedient, suggest subjects of examination or questions to be put to the students, and shall generally observe and note the result of the examination as to each student ex- amined. All the examiners shall make and sign a written report to the Board of the College, of the result of the exam- ination, declaring whether the examination was or was not, in their opinion, close and rigid ; " every student being left to stand upon his proper merits ; due tenderness being at the same time shown, that the effects of perturbation might be avoided as much as possible," (to use the language of our present statute,) which reports shall specify the examination marks of each student ; and all such reports shall be entered at lenjith in the minutes of the Board of the College. We 33 would also recommend that a declaration should be inserted in the same statute, that the Board of Trustees will, from time to time, as may be deemed expedient, appoint experts, either from their own body or from outside the Institution, to be members of one or more of such Boards of Examiners. Such a system would be calculated to bring the examina- tions under a supervision and control which is much needed, and which is very imperfectly accomplished by occasional visits of Trustees, or of Committees of the Trustees. What is required is an active participation in the office of exam- iner by persons other than the examining Professor, with the distinct duty of certifying to the performance of the duty. Any thing less must be of little value, because any thing less will not furnish to an observer the means of judging of the merits of students examined, and give assurance to the Trus- tees that the examination has been properly conducted. A con- sideration of the mode in which the examinations are at pres- ent conducted will further show the expediency of putting them under some such regulation as has been before suggested. The examinations in all the departments now proceed at the same time, each Professor examining his class in his own lecture-room ; none of the other Professors are present, and the President can attend but for a short time in any one room. The attention of visitors, either members of the Board of Trustees or strangers, (of whom there are but few,) is divided and distracted ; and it is to be feared that these separate examinations, conducted by the Professors alone, in the place of the daily attendance of the students for recita- tion, ordinarily in the presence of no other observers, may be regarded by the students as of little more serious import- ance than their usual routine exercises. The measure pro- posed by the Committee would remedy this defect. The time required for the whole examination might be longer than that now allotted, but it is believed it would not exceed a fortnight. As to the method of the examinations, the Committee are of opinion that they should be both written and oral in each department ; written, to secure a more perfect test of com- 3 34 parative merit, and oral, to exhibit more completely to the examiners the knowledge of each student, and to accustom him to the exercise of readiness, self-possession and presence of mind. The students should be also examined on subjects of the previous course, so far as these may be essential to in- dicate the complete understanding of the course in which they are then engaged. The necessity of being prepared to this extent would have the tendency to induce them, by constant voluntary reference, to keep alive their knowledge of elementary principles. Absence from any of the public examinations should be regarded as an oflFence, to be accounted for to the Board of the College, and always to be followed by an examination by the same examiners who examined the class to which the absent students belonged, to be conducted and reported in the same manner as the regular examinations. A statute to this effect, and its due enforcement, would soon, in all proba- bility, make the attendance of the students much more uni- form. The subject of a uniform system of marks to designate the merits of the students, has come under the consideration of the Committee. The adoption of such a system is recom- mended. Its use would be found to consist in imparting ac- curacy to the conclusions of examiners ; in enabling the Faculty fairly to estimate the standing of the students in the several departments, in order to ascertain their true general standing ; and in affording ready means of information con- cerning the degree of diligence and attainment of the stu- dents, both to themselves and to their parents. Nor should the use of such a system be confined to examinations. The progress and application of the students are continually tested by their recitations in class. These give to the efficient and faithful Professor more accurate means of judging of the merits of the students than do the public examinations. A closer and a continued observation is attained, and the stu- dents are free from the embarrassments that possibly may disturb them on the latter occasions. The same system is rec[uisite for both classes of exercises. It is, indeed, indis- 35 pensable in either to the administration of a strict disci- pline, which, to be just, must be accurate, and to be ac- curate must be indicated by a uniform rule. The con- clusions, thus shortly noted, are abundantly supported by the testimony. This system being extended to the exhi- bition of both the absolute and relative merit of each student, not only would he and his parents perfectly real- ize his true position in the Institution, but the stimulus of emulation would reach a much greater number than it now does ; for all in a class would have their due places in the College records, according to the order of merit, instead of, as now, a few only being distinguished by superior ex- cellence. Only general rules for the guidance of the Faculty need be settled by statute ; the details may properly be left to the Board of the College. The Committee, therefore, recom- mend the following provisions, to be embodied in a statute, requiring the Board of the College to adopt regulations, by which they shall establish — 1. A uniform system of marks, by which the absolute and relative merits in each department of all the students shall be designated, as shown both by recitations throughout the College terms and by the public examinations ; giving such proportionate weight to the public examination marks, combined with the average marks of the students for recita- tions, as to the Faculty shall seem to be just. 2. A mode of ascertaining the general standing of the students, or their grades in their respective classes, expressing both their absolute and relative merits; giving each depart- ment its due proportionate weight, according to the hours of attendance assigned to each class in that department. 3. A minimum of marks of general standing ; every student falling below which minimum, at a concluding ex- amination, shall, i^sofacto^ be excluded from proceeding to a higher class. 4. A minimum of marks, as showing the standing of the students in each department, evinced by a combination of 86 the recitation and examination marks ; every student falling below which minimum, in any department, at a concluding examination, shall, ipso facto^ be excluded from proceeding to a higher class. Regulations recently adopted by the Faculty, though in some respects not as strict as may in future be advantageous, are substantially in accordance with the above recommenda- tions. The fourth head is, however, not expressly provided for. It is deemed important, because the general standing of a student might be such that he would escape falling below a minimum, yet his average number in more than one de- partment might be far too low for a due proficiency ; and this would be the result of an excessive attention to one or more departments to the neglect of others. The Faculty could establish a low minimum at first, even as low as one, or even the fraction of five-tenths ; but whatever they should find it necessary to agree upon as such minimum, would serve to show the success of the instruction in the Institution, The Committee would also recommend an enactment, that the several Professors report monthly to the Board of the College the average standing of the students in their re- spective departments for the month then last elapsed ; from the combination and collation of which reports the general standing of all the students for that month shall be ascer- tained ; and it should be made the duty of the President to transmit to the parent or guardian of each student who shall thus be found to have fallen below a minimum in general standing, or a minimum in any department, a copy of the merit roll of the class for such month — both as to general standing and standing in each department. A similar merit roll should be made out for each class after every examina- tion, be delivered to every student, and sent to parents and guardians. These regulations, joined with provisions for the keeping of a College Register, in which the merits of each student shall be entered monthly and after each examination ; for the imposing by the Faculty, upon students found deficient at the intermediate examination, the necessity of pursuing 37 their studies under the direction of a tutor, as a condition of their continuance in the Institution, and for communicating to parents and guardians of students a copy of the statutes, and of the regulations adopted by the Faculty, particularly calling their attention by circular notices, to those relating to examination and recitation marks — it is believed would be found gradually to raise the degree of scholarship of the students, and at the same time exhibit to all interested in education the earnestness and efficiency with which the duty of instruction is performed in the College. REWARDS. By the provisions of the present statute, at the close of every examination, a testimonial of merit is to be awarded in each class to the student who shall be considered by the Board of the College as of the best general standing; and it is made the duty of the President and of the Professor of each department to award special testimonials to the two students standing first and second in each particular department of study, exclusive of the student receiving the general testimo- nial. These are all the rewards or honors provided for. So much of the effect, expected to be produced upon the stu- dents by these rewards, depends upon the manner in which they are awarded — upon its being done in such way as to give to the students the assurance that the authorities of the College proceed upon a careful examination of merits, as the ground of their awards — that the Committee looked into the mode of proceeding in such cases. It was found that the Board of the College, in making their awards of general testimo- nials, proceeded upon no precise information of the standing of the students in the several departments of study. Each Professor would vote for that student he thought best in his own department, without any statement of the reasons for his opinion, or reference to any record kept by himself. Again, in respect to the special testimonials, these were awarded by the President and Professor of each department, upon the expressed opinion of the Professor, without reference to any grounds or materials for his judgment. And there is 88 reason to believe that often the awards of both kinds were based upon the general impressions of the Professors, without exclusive reliance upon the more accurate conclusions to be drawn from the marks received by the students for their recitations and examinations. This state of things, it is feared, was calculated to diminish the respect of the students for the testimonials, as real evidences of superior excellence, and, in consequence, to dissatisfy and discourage, with some reason, the unsuccessful competitors for them. The regula- tions already adopted by the Faculty, in reference to recita- tion and examination marks, and to the awarding of testi- monials, will effectually cure this evil, inasmuch as now the awards of the Board will be founded exclusively upon an ex- amination and comparison of such marks ; and the general provisions previously recommended in this report, and a further enactment, confirming the mode of awarding testi- monials adopted by that Board, would secure the permanency of this system. There is, however, good reason to believe that the practice of awarding special testimonials for proficiency in particular departments of study, is faulty. Both Professors Drisler and McCulloh stated that it would often happen that several students had attained the same average in marks, indicating that they would each be entitled to the fii'st or second special testimonial, between whom no distinction could justly be made, and yet the duty would be imposed upon the Profes- sor of making a distinction where none really existed. Again, the tendency of this practice is to encourage excessive attention to one branch of study to the neglect of others ; such, indeed, seems to have been its operation, students negligent in every department but one receiving a testimo- nial in that branch, and others, attentive equally in all, with moderate ability, yet successfully, being excluded from every honor. The importance of encouraging a due proficiency in all departments, and of discouraging the pursuit of special studies to the neglect of others, has already been commented upon in this report. If the position assumed be sound, rewards ought to be so bestowed as to excite to this general 39 excellence, and never to promote partial application. It would, therefore, be the wiser course entirely to dispense with special testimonials, and to leave all honors of the kind {i. e., testimonials) to depend upon the general grade of the stu- dents, and to make it a prerequisite to their attainment that the students aspiring to them should have reached a certain degree of absolute scholarship. This is substantially the view adopted by Professors Drisler and McCulloh in their testimony, and by the present Faculty in their late regula- tions. For example, all students reaching between 97 and 100 in a centigrade scale, after a concluding examination, as the average of the previous years of the College course, might receive testimonials as being in the first grade ; those reaching between 95 and 97, testimonials as being in the second grade, and those reaching between 90 and 95, testi- monials as being in the third grade. These numbers are designated as indicating a degree of scholarship above me- diocrity. They should express the average grade for the whole previous course, until the end of the Junior year. At the end of the Senior year they should express the average grade for that year alone, in order to admit at that time to the contest for honors students who might otherwise be ex- cluded. Upon this basis, when the means of the Institution will allow it, prizes might be awarded. The numbers thus attained would indicate the result of the ordinary tests of scholarship, by recitations and examinations. But notwithstanding the general accuracy of these indica- tions, accident or fortuitous circumstances might have their influence in enabling one student to stand superior to another in a high grade ; and as these prizes ought to be looked upon as objects of great importance, a more severe contest ought to be had for these than for the grades. Looking, then, upon a high degree of general scholarship as a preliminary quali- fication to the student's entering upon this contest, let all the students standing in either the first, second or third grades, and these only, be admitted as competitors. The questions then arise, at what point of time in the course should prizes be awarded, and what should be their character? if mouied. 40 what their amount iu value, and what the period of their en- joyment? and lastly, in what mode ought the relative merits of the competing students to be tested ? Long experience sanctions the use of prizes to excite the emulation of students, as an appeal to a universal motive of action which, though not the highest, is among the most efficacious to induce persevering application. The object, then, to be sought through such prizes in Columbia College would be, in the first place, to encourage the diligence of students in the un- der-graduate course ; secondly, to induce such students to con- tinue their studies in the Institution until the conclusion of the post-graduate course, with Buch proficiency as to enable the College to derive advantage from their attainments. To attain the first object, the prizes ought to be awarded first at that period of time when the uniform course pursued by all the students terminates ; this is at the end of the Junior year. By thus awarding prizes, the right to contend for which would depend upon the conduct and proficiency of the stu- dents, as exhibited by their general standing on the College records during the whole previous course, the influence of the expectation and competition for such honors may be made to extend to all the first three years. Then, again, at the end of the Senior year, other prizes to be contended for only by stu- dents of high general standing for the last year, would have their infiuence upon the performance of duty in that year, and might have their efl'ect upon the post-graduate course by means of the provisions presently to be recommended. It would seem to be expedient to give a money value to the prizes, in order to impart to them greater importance, and thus to act upon the presumption that students would aspire to their attainment, solely as a means of promoting their future mental advancement. It would serve the contemplated pur- pose of the prizes awarded at the end of the Junior year, that they should each consist of a specific sum, payable in two equal payments, one payable immediately, and the other at the expiration of six months, if the student to whom it was awarded should then be in the College. But to produce, through the prizes bestowed at the end of the Senior year 41 the effect of inducing the pursuit by the graduating students of the studies of the post-graduate course, it would seem to be requisite to make these stipends annual, to be enjoyed until the end of the student's attendance in thepost-graduate course, upon §uch conditions as may be necessary to insure the con- tinued diligence of the recipients. As to the amount ot each of such prizes, $200, $180, $160, $140, for the Junior, and annual stipends of $300 and $200 for the Senior, are suggested as being such values as are calculated to afford real assistance to the successful students, and yet not excessive. To this might be added the title of Fellow to the recipients of the honors awarded at the end of the sub-graduate course, with a preference of employment as tutors, when the Board of the College should have opportunity to recommend or remand students to the instruction of such officers. The point re- maining to be disposed of is, the mode of testing the relative merits of the students contending for the prizes, and, con- nected with this, is the question concerning the number of the prizes. It has already been assumed that there should be established a more accurate test of the relative merits of the students competing for prizes than is applied in order to ascertain their respective grades. The usual, and seemingly only practicable means of applying such test, is by special examinations. Such students may justly be expected to ex- hibit a higher degree of attainment than the residue of their classmates, and for that reason, and as a means of subjecting them to an equal trial, it is recommended that the special examinations be upon matters specially designated in the statute on the course as being the course for honors, in addi- tion to the regular course. Still preserving the principle that special tiaiuing ought to be avoided, there would be an addi- tional course prescribed for each department of College study, the competing students to be examined in all of such courses, so far as pursued by their respective classes at the time of the special examination. Adopting these principles, four prizes— the first of $200, the second of $180, the third of $160, and the fourth of $140— would be awarded at the end of the Junior year, upon a special examination upon the 42 course for honors designated for that year; and six prizes at the end of the Senior year, two in each of the departments of Letters, Jurisprudence and Science ; the first a stipend of $300, and the second a stipend of $200, upon the courses for honors, to be designated for the several departments. To mark the degree of scholarship appropriate for each prize — to be abso- lute scholarship, not relative — it will be expedient to desig- nate the appropriate number for each. Thus, upon such special examination, the number on a centigrade scale, requisite at the end of the Junior year for the first prize, may be 99 : the second, 98 ; the third, 97, and the fourth, 95 : at the end of the Senior year, for the first prize, 99 ; the second, 97 : and a student failing of the first prize, not by reason of his failing of the required grade, but owing to the superior excellence of another, obtaining even a higher number than that desig- nated as requisite for that honor, would take the next lowest prize ; and so on for each successive prize. The examina- tion being of all the competing students upon the same course, there would be no difliculty in making this adjustment. The annual cost of these prizes, if all won, which would probably be the case, would be — Four prizes to the Juniors, of $200, $180, $160 and $140 $680 Six prizes to the Seniors, 3 of $300 and 3 of $200, being annual stipends for two years, 3,000 Total annual cost, $3,680 In sketching this scheme for prizes, the Committee would not be understood as recommending its immediate operation, but only that the system should be adopted by statute, to go into eflTect when the means of the College will allow. It would lead to the necessity of framing the statute on the course in reference to it ; and this farther duty, the Committee would recommend, should be imposed upon the Board of the College. The scheme, the features of which are above de- tailed, the Committee believe is well adapted to accomplish the object in view, at the least cost consistent with its success. 43 OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS. The Committee propose to notice the state of the Institution under this head, in some particulars apparently requiring at- tention. The order preserved in the lecture rooms has been good, except in one or two cases. From the facts elicited in one of these cases, the Committee are induced to recommend that a clause be added to the statute of the behavior of the students, requiring them, when in class, to attend strictly to the exercises of the lecture room, and not to be engaged dur- ing such exercises in any study. Ttie duty would then de- volve upon the Professors to enforce this regulation ; and it is hoped that by this means a license found to prevail in a single instance will be repressed. But the state of things found to exist relative to the attend- ance of the students requires special notice. The cases of absence are of two kinds : first, where students have been ab- sent from all the lectures ; and second, where they have been on the same day present in the room of one Professor and absent from that of another. Although there is reason to believe that the general attendance of the students has been more irregular than it should have been, yet there is no de- finite information disclosed on this point, nor could a safe conclusion be drawn without a comparison of the actual aver- age attendance in this College with that in other similar in- stitutions. Upon such an inquiry it was not deemed impor- tant to enter. But the cases of absence of the second class have been numerous, and have, as it is believed, arisen from the desire of students to escape duty in particular depart- ments. Such instances were frequently noticed in the Board of the College, but no measures appear to have been taken for the repression of the evil. There were very few students called before the Board to answer for the ofience. The stat- utes give the President power to grant leave of absence from the College for a reasonable cause, and for such length of time as he shall judge the occasion shall require. This is presumed to mean leave before the fact. But under their general power to make regulations not in contravention of the statutes or charter, the Board of the College required absent students to present to the President written excuses, signed by their parents or guardians, specifying the causes or reasons of their non-attendance ; and in practice, the Pre- sident has been the sole judge of the sufficiency of such ex- cuses, cases of such kind being never considered, in the way of discipline, except on his suggestion. He stated that the excuses allowed as sufficient were, that the parent had kept the absent student at home, or that he had been absent with his parent's consent. It is apparent, that however unreason- able or frivolous the alleged cause of absence may be, it is deemed sufficient if it have the parent's assent. The state of things thus exhibited leads to the conclusion that in so im- portant a matter as attendance, the students were, during the period covered by the inquiry, allowed too much latitude. In the judgment of the Coumiittee, it should be made part of the statutes that no student shall be absent from College, or from any of the lectures or recitations, except in case of absolute necessity, of which the President shall be the judge. And as it was disclosed in the testimony that no permanent record is kept of the absences of the students, but that the number of absences of a student in any session can only be ascertained by a reference to, and examination of the weekly reports of the Professors, filed with the President, it is further recommended, that in their monthly reports of the standing of students, the Professors specify the number of absences of each student in a column appropriated for that purpose, and that in appropriate columns in the College re- cords these be noted opposite to the name of each student, as well as the excuses, if any, allowed for such absences. In this way the regularity of the attendance of each student may at once be known, and the Trustees will have a ready means of information as to the average attendance. It has also been found that students absent for a period comprehending a public examination, whether with or with- out leave, have generally been allowed to resume their at- tendance without examination ; and in one instance, a stu- dent absent during the whole of the Sophomore year, was 45 admitted to the Junior, without examination and without having pursued the studies of the Sophomore Class. How- ever justifiable or allowable his absence, no student ought thus to be suffered to escape the ordinary and salutary trials of proficiency to which his fellows are subjected, or to pro- ceed without its being known that he is duly qualified to do so. The provision already recommended relative to ab- sence from examinations, would probably furnish the requi- site remedy. On the subject of the statute entitled of Crimes and Pun- ishments : The Committee would recommend the substitu- tion of the term " offences " for " crimes"' in the title of the statute. Among the punishments there mentioned as appro- priate to certain misconduct, is that of degradation. It is susceptible of two applications ; one as involving the degra- dation from honors, and the other as displacing a student from his class and. remanding him to a lower one. The statute, however, uses the term degradation simply, without specify- ing whether both or one only of these senses is intended ; and it is made applicable both to off'ences against good order and neglect of studies. Upon the question of the propriety of the use of this punishment for neglect of studies, it may be remarked that ordinarily the provisions heretofore recom- mended in this report would, of themselves, operate as an effective punishment for this ofience, and at every examina- tion would, in reality, degrade the student, by lowering his standing. Thus his deficiency would be apparent at the end of the first month after it commenced, and would then be communicated to his parent. At either examination it would also appear and would lower his standing, and likewise be communicated to his parent, and the further penalties would follow at the intermediate examination of his being put under the charge of a tutor, and at the concluding examina- tion of his being excluded from proceeding to a higher class. At any time intermediate between the examinations a forfeit- ure of grade alone would have no real operation, for the fact would still remain that the degraded student had once earned it, and the credit would attach to him notwithstand- 46 ing his punishment. But a student coming under censure in any of these modes, might justly lose any semi-annual prize payment, payable after such censure incurred ; as he ought also to do if susi:)ended, dismissed or expelled. This would properly be provided for in the statute on prizes. Independ- ently of this, the provisions above alluded to would necessa- rily and sufficiently work the actual degradation of a student neglecting his studies, or guilty of other misconduct, under such a system of demerit marks as the Faculty might think proper to adopt. But for specific acts of disorder, which may be prompted by a momentary indiscretion, the Com- mittee think that it is better not to affect directly the literary standing of the students in any way, through a punishment administered for that offence. For these reasons they recom- mend that degradation be expunged from the statute. The same reasoning would apply to the punishments of admonition, suspension, dismission and expulsion, prescribed, in the same connection, in the first section of the statute on Crimes and Punishments, as appropriate for a student neg- lecting his studies. The ultimate result of such neglect upon his standing, and the other penalties, recommended as proper to be attached to it, would perfectly answer the ends of discipline ; and faithfully carried out, would make the ne- cessity of continued diligence ever present to the mind of the students, and at the same time, relieve the Faculty from the necessity of dealing with such deficiency in any other mode. Leaving out degradation, the punishments provided by statute are admonition, suspension, dismission and expulsion. There is question neither of the propriety nor necessity for the regulation of the first or the last of these. Concerning, however, the appropriateness of suspension and dismission, as College punishments, and the regulations under which they ought to be placed, there is a difierence of opinion. The intention of the statute evidently is, that the first should be less severe than the last — the temporary suspension of the relations of the student with the College, a more lenient penalty than their complete disruption, though with the pos- 47 sibility of their restoration — thus forming part of a gradation of punishments, the infliction of any one of which, in a particu- lar case, it is intended should depend upon the aggravation of the offence. This gradation it is important to preserve. But, on the one hand, there are no authorized College tutors to whose instruction and supervision students can be assigned during suspension; without which, as part of the punish- ment itself, there is danger both that the student may lose his ground, so as to be unable to continue with his class, and that the severity of the punishment may be too much mitigated from its being regarded by students as affording an opportunity to escape from restraint. On the other hand, dismission remitted, as has usually been the case, at the expiration of a week or a fortnight after it has been inflicted, upon an expression of repentance and promise of amendment, without examination of the student on his re-admission, or account of the manner in which he has spent his time in the interval, is, in reality, a lighter penalty, in its immediate consequences, than sus- pension. Both these punishments ought to be severe. Under the expressions of opinion that have been made concerning them, the Committee cannot recommend the discontinuance of either. The object of each is to visit an offending student with a just penalty for an offence, both for his own reforma- tion and to deter others from the like. Thus, although a suspended student is deprived of advantages for the prose- cution of his studies, and is, at the same time, required to keep up to an ascertained grade, or at the concluding exami- nation not to be allowed to proceed with his class, yet it is as a punishment that he is required to do this. It is brought upon him by his own fault. To make, then, both these pun- ishments efi'ective, and, at the same time, to preserve their relative severity, it is recommended that it be made the duty of the Faculty, by general regulations, to prescribe to sus- pended students certain daily attendance upon College tutors, who shall be compensated by such students according to rates to be established by the Trustees ; and that it be provided by statute, that if any suspended student shall not produce to the 48 Faculty, at the expiration of the term of his suspension, the certificate of the tutor, of his compliance with such regula- tion, he shall be dismissed ; and that in all cases of dismission, the dismissed student shall not be re-admitted until he shall have undergone an examination for entrance, to be conducted by the same officei*s, in the same mode and with the like for- malities and severity as if the dismissed student had never been in the Institution. This may appear rigorous ; but there seems no other method of making dismission any thing more than a trifling penalty. As administered heretofore, there is a certainty of restoration on very easy terms ; and the ulti- mate possible consequence of this sentence, consisting in the fact that if the same punishment should be a second time adjudged upon a student, upon the commission of a new offence, it will then be equivalent to expulsion, is so remote as not to be very likely to be present to the mind of the stu- dent as a part of the penalty he may incur by aggravated misconduct. Nor does it seem that the College can assume any control or direction of a student whilst his connection with it is completely severed, as may be done when his en- joyment of the ordinary privileges of the student is only sus- pended. In the one case the College can preserve a direction and control of him, while in the other it cannot. As to pronouncing punishments : the statute does not seem to require that they shall be publicly pronounced in the presence of the students, but only that public admonition shall be so pronounced. It prescribes that when public they shall be according to a written form, prepared by the Presi- dent, as the occasion may require, and read in the Chapel by him or his substitute. Except in the case of admonition, this regulation, as to the form of pronouncing jjublic punish- ments, has not been observed. But the question has arisen whether this publicity ought to be given to any punishments. It is apt to be made the occasion for disorder amongst the students, and at the same time it subjects the disciplined students to what seems an unnecessary degradation. Its im- mediate result upon the other students is to excite them to tumultuous expressions of dissatisfaction ; and the moral effect 49 upon them of the knowledge, that a student has had inflicted upon him a certain punishment for a particular ofience, will be sufliciently accomplished by leaving it to them to ascertain the fact in their own way. It will certainly be known. It is therefore recommended that all punishments, except private admonition, should be pronounced by the President to the students affected, immediately after they shall be adjudged, in the presence of the Faculty alone. Private admonition should be administered by the President in the presence only of the student. In order to secure certainty as to the terms of the sentence of the Board upon an oflfendiug student, it is further recom- mended that all such sentences be reduced to writing, passed upon by the Board in that form, before thej^are pronounced, and be read to the students whom they affect, when an- nounced to them. In speaking of punishments, the Committee have enume- rated those that are provided by statute, and have recom- mended certain regulations to be made concerning them. But the labors of the Committee and the action of the Trus- tees on such subjects will be barren of any useful result if the statutes deliberately enacted are not observed and com- plied with by the authorities of the College in administering discipline. The punishments, which it is declared the Board of the Col- lege may inflict are these : admonition, degradation, sus- pension, dismission and expulsion, and, in addition, prohibiting a student from proceeding with his class, after a concluding examination, for lack of proficiency. The particular enume- ration of these excludes all others ; yet a new designation of punishment was adopted in many cases, and repeatedly students were sentenced " to be dropped from the rolls of the College." When asked what was intended by this, Was it used as equivalent to expulsion, or as equivalent to dismis- sion ? the President and Professors examined on this subject stated that it was in effect expulsion, without the stigma of the name. It is not perceived that if the statute gave the punishment one name, there was in the Faculty any power 4 50 to give it another. But it would appear that with its change of name there was wrought a change of the substance of the thing, for in more than one instance students dropped from the rolls were re-admitted. This is proof of the evil of per- mitting any departure from the regulations prescribed by the Trustees. But the Board of the College have thought it expedient to adopt this designation for a final separation from the College with a view to avoid inflicting the disgrace implied by ex- pulsion. If the separation thus adjudged had in all cases been final, there would be less cause for remark. Yet, at all events, it is well to look into the nature of the offences for which this new and mitigated penalty was thought to be ap- propriate. It will, on examination of the minutes of the Board of the College, be found to have been inflicted in every case under circumstances showing a want of due pro- ficiency in the student under discipline, and never to have been used for other oflences. The proposition, then, upon which the authorities have proceeded is probably this : that where a student has, from any cause, failed to acquire such a knowledge of the subjects of study as to be unfit to remain in his class, and has been guilty of no indecorous, rebellious or immoral conduct, his separation from the Institution ought to be of such a character as to involve no stigma beyond the mere conclusion that he was not able to proceed. But upon this principle, the course of discipline proposed by this re- port for such cases, will be found to be based. A deficiency of this kind would always be made manifest by the first monthly report presented after its occurrence. The student would then be subjected to censure, and so he would be upon every successive report made during the continuance of the defect ; and if the same state of things should exist at the intermediate examination, he would then be put under a discipline which would be a new warning to him, and at the same time afford Ijim opportunity and assistance to recover lost ground. If, at the concluding examination, all this should prove to have been unavailing, he would neither be expelled nor dropped from the rolls of the College, but be 51 prohibited from proceeding with his class. He might then either join the next lower class or quit the College, as his desire to complete his education or his pride miglit dictate. This, it is submitted, is the best and kindest course of disci- pline for such cases, as, by repeated warnings and opportuni- ties for amendment, affording the best chance for ultimate reformation, and eventually inflicting the most appropriate penalty. For these reasons, the adoption of the punishment, " dropped from the rolls of the College," is not recom- mended. Again, in five cases, expulsion, expressly inflicted by that name, has been rescinded, and the expelled students after- wards allowed to resume their attendance. One student was twice expelled and twice re-admitted. This action of the Board seems to have been founded upon the idea that the sen- tence might be rescinded, provided it had not been publicly announced. In two of the cases alluded to it was announced to the class to which the expelled students belonged, but without mentioning their names. But there is no obligation resting upon the President publicly to pronounce the sen- tence, unless so directed by the sentence itself; and as the statute declares, not that no stu.dent puhUclr/ expelled, but no student expelled, shall be re -admitted, the Board of the Col- lege have no power, under any circumstances, to rescind a sentence of this kind, and thus to re-admit an expelled stu- dent without the previous sanction of tlie Trustees ; otherwise, by merely withholding the public announcement of the sen- tence, although the disciplined student and the whole College may and do know it, this salutary provision of the statute may be dispensed with. There have been cases of punishment of classes where the attempt was made to repress disorder by compelling the sub- mission and apology of classes, some only of whose members were guilty, and not to punish those alone who were really guilty. It seems to the Committee that the exact reverse was the only course authorized by statute. And the policy pur- sued by the Board of the College led, in every instance, to an unfortunate issue with the students, and to the ultimate 53 yielding of the Board to a greater or less extent. The true plan would have been to punisli those who could be de- tected ; or, if there were many detected, to select from among them such students for punishment as the Board might have thought proper. No other mode of proceeding was in the power of the Board. But in more than one in- stance, those found to have committed the offence, after re- ceiving appropriate sentences, were pardoned, upon the apol- ogy of their class being made. The Committee suppose it is proper for them to remark, that the want of a careful adherence to the provisions of the statutes, in the cases mentioned on this and the preceding pages, is much to be regretted. PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. There are two such provided for by the present statutes : 1. An exhibition, at which testimonials awarded after the intermediate examination are to be announced, when not less than two students in each class are to declaim, and prizes are to be awarded to the best speakers. If the recommenda- tions of this report were carried out, no testimonials would be awarded except after the concluding examination, and it would seem hardly expedient to have this exhibition for speeches alone, or to award prizes for so subordinate a branch of instruction. It would be better to trust to the spirit and zeal of the students, as members of the College societies, to encourage and incite them to excellence in oratory. The celebration of the anniversaries of these societies would afford more effective displays of this sort than College exhibitions held for the purpose. It is therefore recommended, that the statute relative to these exhibitions should be repealed. 2. Commencements. Order should be preserved on these occa- sions. Moderate and decorous applause is consistent with pro- priet}' , but nothing beyond this ought to be permitted. A more indulgent license, which has too often been allowed, what- ever may be the precedents for it, seems to the Committee entirely inadmissible. What is correct and right for ordi- nary decent assemblies, must be required of us by intelligent, right-thinking persons. We must observe the common rules 53 of order and decorum, or suflfer in public estimation. The places in which the Commencements and other public exhi- bitions of the College are held, are not favorable either to the dignity which should belong to them, or to the preserva- tion of order. Yet a great improvement was observable in the Commencement of 1858, and reliance may justly be placed upon the President to take such measures as may be effectual for the suppression of the evil on all future occa- sions, and upon the Faculty to support him by the exercise of a proper discipline in the cases of our own students found guilty of breaches of propriety. The object of the Commencement is to attract public atten- tion to the Institution, and by the honors then conferred to make known to the friends of the recipients of such honors and to the public the merits of the most deserving students, and generally to display the proficiency of the students. Exercises are then performed, which are in themselves honors, and in which none should participate who have not deserved this distinction ; and it may safely be taken for granted that those students who are in the higher grades are the most able to do credit to the College on this occasion Moreover, as one object is to produce a favorable impression upon the community, tediousness should be avoided, and the exercises not prolonged beyond two or three hours. It is therefore recommended that the speakers should be appointed in the order of their merit, as exhibited by their having won prizes, or by their general standing, and that the number of speakers should be limited to seven ; the scheme would be thus : 1. Greek Salutatory, First prize in School of Letters. 2. Latin " " " Jurisprudence. 3. English Salutatory, " " Science. 4. English Oration, Second prize in School of Letters. 5. " " " Jurisprudence. 6. " " " Science. 7. Yaledictory — ^To be selected by the students of the gradu- ating class standing in first, second and third grades. 54 Until the prizes should be established, those positions which would be assigned, by the above plan, to the holders of the first and second prize in the respective schools, would be given to the first and second in general standing. It is be- lieved that this plan would work well, give greater dignity and importance to the exercises, both in the estimation of the students and of their parents and friends, and induce confi- dence in the fairness and justice of the awards of such honors. The Committee have thus made such remarks and recom- mendations as they deem appropriate on the subject of regu- lations afifecting the course of instruction, and operating upon the students to secure their attention, proficiency and good behavior ; they have endeavored to show the present provi- sions of the statutes, their past administration, and the neces- sity of amendments or further enactments, as either seemed advisable. Before proceeding to the further heads of this report it may be proper to make some suggestions concerning courses in Modern Languages. The Trustees have wisely resolved that such studies shall be entirely voluntary, and shall be pursued during hours not assigned to the regular College course. But yet some regulations in regard to the courses and the attendance and discipline of the students, and perhaps in reference to preliminary preparation, are necessary. The following are suggested : 1. That a student, in any stage of the College course, be allowed, at the commencement of any Collegiate year, to enter any Modern Language class for which he is fitted. 2. That no student be allowed to enter the lowest class in any Modern Language unless acquainted with the elementary grammar of the language, and able, correctly, to read and translate into English certain easy works in the same lan- guage, or certain parts of them, to be prescribed by statute; and that no student be allowed to enter a higher class, unless with the same preliminary preparation and an acquaintance with the previous part of the course. This would prevent the necessity of the Professor's teaching the merest elements, which the time that can be afibrded to him will not allow, 55 and which is incompatible with any considerable progress in instruction ; and it would also prevent that embarrassment which is found to be the consequence of teaching, in the same class, students of different degrees of advancement. This recommendation is in accordance with the opinion of Professor Schmidt, on page 4 of his testimony. 3. To carry the last recommendation into effect, a course for preliminary preparation, and also College courses in each of the Modern Languages, to be suggested by the respective Professors of such languages, should be incorporated in the statutes ; examinations for entrance into such classes, and semi-annual and concluding examinations, as in the depart- ments in the regular course, should be conducted by the re- spective Professors of Modern Languages, and the results reported to the President. 4. That it be optional with the students to enter, at the commencement of the Collegiate year, any class in Modern Language for which they may be fitted, but when so entered that they be required to attend with regularity until the end of the year, and be subject, in cases of absence, to the same discipline as if absent from the room of any other Professor. 5. That all the provisions of the statutes, as to proficiency, examination and recitation marks, grading of students and discipline for lack of due proficiency, shall apply to the stu- dents of any Modern Language, in reference to their dili- gence and acquirement therein, but in their consequences shall extend no further than to effect their continuance or standing in that course. And that all the provisions of the statutes relative to offences against good order shall apply to the con- duct of students while attending the Professor of any Modern Language, and shall subject the offenders, according to the nature and aggravation of the offence, to the same pun- ishment as if it had been committed in the room of any other Professor. 6. That each^rProfessor of a Modern Language shall be a member of the Board of the College, upon all occasions when the conduct or proficiency of a student in his depart- ment shall be in question, in order that he may be heard and 56 vote thereon ; but upon no other occasion and for no other purpose. The Committee have now arrived at another general head of statute regulations, viz., such as prescribe the powers and duties of the President and Professors. The papers submitted suggest the expediency of adding certain provisions calculated more completely to carry out the system. The existing plan for the government of the College is as follows : The Presi- dent is charged with the care of the property of the College used for the education of the students, and with the super- vision and direction of the Institution, subject to the regula- tions of the charter, the statutes and the decisions of the Board of the College ; he is required to see that the statutes are faithfully executed, and to rectify all deviations from the same ; and to report to the Trustees, .from time to time, upon the state of the Institution, recommending such measures as he shall deem necessary for its future prosperity ; and it is his duty to preside at all meetings of the Faculty and on all public occasions. On the other hand, the Professors engaged in the sub- graduate course of instruction, together with the President, constitute the Board of the College, and this Board has power to try offences committed by the students ; to determine their relative standing; to adjudge rewards and punishments, and to make all such regulations for the better execution of the College system as shall not contravene the charter, nor the statutes, nor any order of the Trustees. The concurrence of the President is made necessary to every act of the Board. It is further declared, that this Board shall keep minutes of their proceedings, which shall be laid before the Board of Trustees at their stated meetings. Complaints against stu- dents must be made in the first instance to the President, who may privately admonish the offender, and, in his discre- tion, bring the subject before the Board ; or a Professor, for misconduct in his presence, may cite the offender to appear before the Board. The leading features of this system are, that all important acts of discipline of students by awarding standing, and re- 57 wards and punishments, and all regulations to carry out the statutes, must originate with and be passed by the Board of the College. The President may express his dissent, and thus render invalid the acts of the Board. But in such cases he possesses merely a negative, and no power to originate any measure except as a member of the Board. This power of judging and legislating, in the first instance, it seems highly expedient to repose in the Professors, a congregation of learned men associated for the purpose of educating youth. For the sake of the dignity of their positions, and to secure the greatest advantage from their learning, tact and expe- rience, it is of the greatest importance that they should be actively concerned in all measures aflfecting the condition in, or separation from, the Institution of the students, or pre- scribing rules for their government, in subordination to the system prescribed by the Trustees. On the other hand, the President, by his supervision ; by the use of his discretion to deal, in the first instance, by gentle means, with offending students, except in case of ofl'ences committed in the presence of a Professor ; by his negative upon proposed measures of the Faculty ; and by his reports and recommendations to the Trustees, possesses power to give character and efficiency to the Institution over which he presides ; and inasmuch, if he actively performs his duty, nothing can be done without his knowledge, and no act of discipline or regulation be passed without his concurrence, he is subject to a corresponding responsibility. This, it appears to the Committee, is a wise arrangement of relative powers and duties, based on the prin- ciple that so much power shall be given to the President for the management and government of the College as is con- sistent with the advantage to be derived from the co-opera- tion of the Professors. They, as experienced teachers, con- stantly engaged in instructing the students to be affected by any proposed measure, are necessary elements of a Board of Control. In framing the statutes in this respect, no doubt it was deemed essential, for the complete accomplishment of the ends of the College, that the Professors should possess inde- 58 pendent authority for the government and regulation of the Institution, so far as this was expedient for more perfect pre- servation of discipline and more discreet regulation. There- fore, it was required that in the important matters committed to the power of the Board of the College they, as constituent members of the Board, must act in the first instance, or no measure could be passed — although when passed, the Presi- dent could express his dissent, and thus defeat their act. Thus was secured respect in the students for the authority of the Professors and for the determinations of the College au- thorities. In this way a practical construction has been given to the charter. The second section of the charter of 1810 (which is that now in force) gives the Trustees power to appoint " a President of the said College, who shall hold his office dur- ing good behavior, and such Professor or Professors, tutor or ^ tutors, to assist the President in the government and educa- tion of the students belonging to the said College, and such other officer or officers as to the Trustees shall seem meet, all of whom shall hold their offices during the pleasure of the Trustees." The Trustees appear to have judged, and, as this Committee believe, rightly, that it was the intention of the charter that the Professors should, with the President, gov- ern and educate the students ; and that under Section YIII. of the charter, whereby it is declared that " the Trustees and their successors shall have full power and authority to make all ordinances and by-laws which shall seem to them expedient, for the carrying |into effect the designs of their Institution," the Trustees might clothe the Professors with such authority, (through which they might more effectually assist, stand by or help the President in that government and education,) as the Trustees might deem expedient for the ac- complishment of the designs of the Institution. It is an in- stitution for the education of youth in their passage from boyhood to manhood, to be accomplished through the instru- mentality of a President and Professors ; and whatever reg- ulations seem to be best calculated to attain the object, and to make the instrumentality more effectual, are perfectly 59 within the power of the Trustees. The authority, given either to the President or to the Professors, was not given because the charter required it, but because it seemed neces- sary for the more perfect working of the College. And it is certainly true, that whenever a wise distribution of powers shall be made between the President and Professors, he and they being respectively clothed with such authority as, in an institution like this, may best secure the due education and orderly government of the students, then the Professors will assist the President in the government and education of the student ; and the Trustees will have assigned to them the duty which the charter contemplates they should perform. Certain questions are presented concerning the powers and duties of the President. One of these relates to the granting vacations or intermissions of public lectures ; another to in- struction by the President. The statute on vacations, as it now stands, prescribes that there shall be a vacation in the summer of specified duration, and also that there shall be an intermission of public lectures on certain days, and during the Christmas holidays ; but there is no discretion vested anywhere to intermit instruction on any other days. Occasions for the exercise of such a discretion may occur. The Committee are of opinion that such a power may very properly and advan- tageously be vested in the President, and they recommend an additional section to that efiect, limiting his power to ex- traordinary cases, and requiring that he report to the Trus- tees, at their next stated meeting, the object and reasons for granting such intermission. The advantages to be derived from the President's participating in the instruction given in the Institution are, that he would thus be brought into a more intimate knowledge of the capabilities and qualities of the students, and maintain a moral control over them, always the consequence of the teachings of an able and dignified instructor, which can hardly be accomplished in any other mode ; and also that there would thus arise a greater sympa- thy between him and the other members of the Faculty- But while recognising the benefits to be derived from such an arrangement, the Committee are of opinion that the super- 60 intendence and direction of the College must occupy a large! part of the time of the President; and that it should be left to his own decision whether or not it is expedient that he should undertake any department of instruction, and as to the choice of that department. Dr. King, as the Trustees are aware, has had a department of instruction assigned to him, at his own request. The Committee proceed to notice some proposed alterations in the statute in regard to the Board of the College. As a ne- cessary consequence of the independent position occupied by the Board, it is advised that there should be inserted, amongst the powers conferred, that of regulating its own proceedings. The statutes are, perhaps, subject to the criticism of being ambiguous on this point. A further provision is desirable concerning the minutes of the Board. The statute requires it to keep minutes of its proceedings. The obvious intention is, that such book should be kept by a clerk, to be appointed by the Board itself, so that it may have the most perfect control of its own records. Until the time of President Moore, the practice was for the Board to appoint one of its own. members its clerk, who recorded its proceedings. President Moore, however, upon entering on the duties of his office, assumed the task of keeping the minutes — a practice which President King continued. This course the Committee con- sider objectionable, devolving upon the President much un- necessary and merely clerical labor, leading oftentimes to the record taking the form of a journal, and necessarily rendering it, from motives of delicacy, difficult for the Board to control the contents of the record of its own proceedings. The min- utes of the Board of the Colleore are intended to inform the Trustees of their proceedings, and they are submitted monthly to the Trustees for that purpose. The Board ought to be re- sponsible for their accuracy and neatness, and for that reason they ought to be kept by their clerk. A provision to this effect is recommended. The exercise of the President's negative upon the action of the Faculty appears to require some regulation, not to limit it in any way, but to prescribe the manner of its inter- 61 position. The exercise of this important right should appear upon the minutes. Such information would afford an useful insight into the state of the Institution, and it would well comport with the relative powers of the President and the Board of the College, if in such case the act of each were separately recorded. A provision is therefore recommended, that upon any regulation, judgment or resolution being pro- posed fur the action of the Board, a vote thereon shall be taken, and the decision, if the question be decided in the affirmative, recorded ; and if the President shall then declare his dissent or approval, it shall be stated in the minutes. But in all cases, if he desire to do so, the President may state in writing, either at the same or next subsequent meeting, his reasons for withholding his concurrence, which shall be en- tered in full upon the minutes. By the existing statute, when a charge of misconduct shall be preferred against a student, the Board have power to re- quire the attendance of any other student as a witness. The expediency of retaining this provision, so far as it enables the Board to enforce the testimony of a student against an accused fellow-student, has been considered by the Commit- tee. To use this power the Board would be obliged to do violence to the sense of honor of the students, amongst whom to be an informer is always considered a disgrace ; and whether such testimony were voluntarily given or were en- forced, the antagonism between the authorities of the Col- lege and this sentiment would be the same. This principle of action, so universal among students, is founded in correct feeling, and it seems to the Committee unwise and unneces- sary to combat it. It could not, it is true, be admitted in the state where no motive and no interest, except such as are allowed to protect the confidence of the married state, or of professional communications, or from self-accusation, are suifered to interfere with the performance of the duty to disclose the whole truth in legal investiijations. But here our investigations are of less importance ; we are dealing with youtli, merely for their instruction and for offences trivial in their moral character; and the success 62 of no College inquiry is so important as to counterbalance the evil which would result from compelling or inducing the students to do what they believe to be wrong. This principle of conduct is universal amongst under-graduates. It would doubtless be sanctioned by their parents. To enforce or en- courage its violation, if a student complies, voluntarily or in- voluntarily, is to make him lose his own self-respect and forfeit the esteem of his fellows. This effect cannot be disregarded, and especially ought it not to be disregarded if discipline can be maintained without resort to the testimony of students. In a College, where students reside within its precincts, and are at all times under the charge of the College authorities, it may be difficult to devise any efficient substitute for this means for the detection of offenders. Even then it is seldom and unwillingly resorted to. But with us, the supervision and observation of the President and Professors, when the students are in attendance in chapel or lecture rooms, and of the Janitor and of his assistants, when they are in other parts of the College buildings, or in the College grounds, ought to give sufficient opportunity for the discovery of the perpetrators of acts of disorder. For these reasons, or be- cause it has been deemed unwise to invite the resistance of the students, which would have been the probable result of an attempt to compel their testimony, the provision of the statutes now in question has not been enforced. If it ought not to be or cannot be enforced, it had better be expunged than left to remain a dead letter. The Committee do not recommend any substitute for it. They think that the prac- tice of compelling each student to answer as to his own guilt or innocence is liable to nearly equal objections. As to the power of a Professor in the preservation of order in his lecture-room, it seems to the Committee that he should have the fullest discretion in this matter. The success of his instruction, his fitness for his position, depend upon his abil- ity to preserve order. He should, therefore, have every power that may be necessary for this purpose — to admonish, to cite to appear before the Board, or to dismiss from his room for the residue of the lecture or recitation, or until the 63 next meeting of the Board. Sometimes the lightest of these may be sutiicient, sometimes the severest necessary. E'or can such authority be exercised by any other than the Pro- fessor, without injury to the respect for himself, which the class ought to feel. He must himself maintain order in his room, or it cannot be maintained ; a resort to the President weakens the authority of the Professor. Still there ought to be some check upon the exercise of the discretion of Pro- fessors in relation to the discipline of students. They have now, nnder Section 2 of Chapter YIII. of the statutes, for misconduct in their presence, power to cite the offender to appear before the Board of the College. The excusing, by Professors, of students so cited, has been an evil. The amend- ment now suggested is, to give a Professor power, for miscon- duct in his presence, to cite the offender to appear before the Board, or to dismiss him from the room of the Professor for the residue of the lecture or recitation, or until the next meet- ing of the Board ; such dismissal always to be attended with a citation to appear before the Board, and with a written re- port of the circumstances of the case to be made to the Pres- ident and to the Board, of the College; and also to pro- vide that all citations of students, by Professors, to appear before the Board, shall be immediately reported to the Pres- ident, and that no student so cited be excused from answer- ing to the Board for his offence. These provisions would secure the entry upon the minutes of the Board of the College of all such cases, would bring to the notice of the Trustees the state of discipline in the rooms of the several Professors, and consequently tend to afford one of the best means of judging of their several qualities as instructors. The superintendence of the College is fully provided for by the statutes, in giving ample powers for this purpose to the President, and by making it his duty to report to the Trus- tees, as occasion shall require, concerning the state of the College, and the measures which may be necessary for its future prosperity. It may be doubted whether any provi- sions could be added to effect a more perfect supervision. This constitutes the most important duty of the President, G4 upon the adequate, intelligent, firm and fearless perform- ance of which the character of the College must, in ordinary times, depend. The attention of the Trustees may be extra- oi'dinarily awakened to the state of the College upon occa- sions when abuses have become so notorious as to be mani- fest without inquiry, or when the altered state of the funds of the Institution seem to demand corresponding improve- ments ; but, usually, the Trustees must be dependent upon the President for reliable information as to the state of the College, and equally for suggestions of measures calculated to promote its greater usefulness. Occasional visits of the Trustees may be of great use, by showing their lively inter- est in the College, and by enabling them to judge, in some degree, of the manner in which it is conducted. But they can, in this way, judge only from external appearances, and cannot see the internal workings of the system, nor acquire any accurate knowledge of the manner of the performance of the duty of officers or students. It may, therefore, be doubted whether the measure lately adopted by the Trustees, and now for some time carried into practice, by which the Trustees are divided into Committees, to serve in turn for the term of one month, and charged w^ith the duty of a special supervision, can result in the Trustees being thus put into possession of any accurate view of the state of the Institu- tion. The superintendence of the President, the informa- tion and suggestions he is bound to impart as occasion may require, and the reading of the minutes of the Board of the College, are features systematically contrived as being adapt- ed to the end which such Committees are intended to sub- serve. These Committees constitute a new and concurrent official organization for attaining the same purpose. And it may be feared that the division of responsibility, w4iich must be the consequence of this arrangement, may lead to its obli- gation being less felt in the quarter wdiere it was originally placed. Indeed, as the precise duties, with which the visit- ing Committees are charged, are assigned by the statutes to the President, the conclusion might perhaps be drawn that the agency of that officer is not relied on, and, if so, his 65 vigilance would naturally be consequently relaxed. These objections apply only to the appointment of officers selected from the Trustees to supervise the Institution as a matter of routine duty. The same duty may be performed by each or an}^ of the Trustees, as opportunity may serve and need may appear to require, without such objections being appli- cable, and such visitations would be of great benefit. Although it seems proper to submit these remarks upon the subject of Visiting Committees, yet their abolition is not recommended. Some of the Trustees took great interest in the measure, and were confident that it would prove of great advantage. Under such circumstances this Committee would do nothing to interfere with the trial of the experiment. THE LIBKAEY. The Committee invite the attention of the Trustees to the Librarian's statement. They would recommend the appro- priation of one thousand dollars annually for the increase of the Library, which may, perhaps, be diminisJied after the lapse of two or three years to the sum of five hundred dol- lars. This matter will, however, be more intelligently dis- posed of through the recommendations of the Library Com- mittee. Under the standing order of the Trustees, passed on the 4th March, 1844, the Library is now under the charge of the Library Committee, which consists of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the President of the College, the Clerk, the Treasurer and the Librarian. It is suggested that this arrangement should be altered ; that the President and the Librarian should be the only ex-officio members of the Committee, and that three other members of the Committee should be elected by the Trustees from their number, by ballot. The Treasurer and Clerk have onerous duties to per- form properly pertaining to their offices, and must always find it difficult — oftentimes impossible — to attend meetings of the Library Committee, especially if held, as is desirable, in the Library itself. On the other hand, great advantage, it is believed, would be derived if this duty were devolved upon members of the Board of Trustees, selected with single 5 06 regard to their litness for it3 performance. At the first meeting of the Trustees after the commencement of the academic year, the term of office of the eldest member of the Committee, in the order of appointment, should expire, and the Trustees then fill the vacancy by ballot. Thus, after this practice shall have been in operation for two years, the term of service of each member of the Committee will be three years, the ordinary contrivance to secure in a Board a continued familiarity with its duties, and yet allow changes of its members when deemed expedient. The regulations for the use of the Library, made by this Committee, ought to be printed w-ith the statutes. A resolution of the Trustees now requires that the Library be opened five days in each week. If it were opened from one to three o'clock, P. M., on each of those days, it would afford to those students who re- side out of the city a convenient and proper place for study in the interval between the conclusion of College lectures and the time of their departure for home. The Committee, while suiTfirestinff the several alterations above mentioned in reference to the Library, propose for the action of the Trus- tees only such parts of them as relate to the constitution of the Library Committee, judging it best that all other recom- mendations should emanate from them after their new or- ganization. In reference to the Grammar School, the Committee sub- mit the statement of the Rector of the school, made in an- swer to questions of the Committee. It is believed that the importance of an efficient Grammar School, to be under proper supervision and regulation by officers of the College, under such a system for its government and support as shall always secure the most thorough training of its pupils, can- not be over-estimated. To attain such training for his son, in other schools, a parent must incur a large annual expense, beyond the means of many who would desire the advantage of a Collegiate education for their sons. The Grammar School is of very great value to meet this want, and as fur- nishing the most manifest source of supply to the College of students adequately prepared at entrance. The Hector of 67 the school recommends no measure for its improvement or support, and under these circumstances tlie Committee are of opinion that it is inexpedient for them to do more than to submit his communication to tlie consideration of the Trustees. The onlj remaining head of the inquiries of the Committee relates to the organization of a University. This will more properly be considered bj another Committee of the Board, to whom the subject has been referred. The Committee trust that a sufficient excuse for the length of this report will be found in the numerous and important questions involved in their inquiry, as well as in the volumi- nous and able statements which the Committee have found it necessary to analyze and compare and present for the action of the Trustees. Whenever they shall be instructed to do so, the Committee will present, for the consideration of the Trustees, a revised edition of the statutes, amended in conformity to the recom- mendations of this report. All of which is respectfully submitted. Gouv. M. Ogden, Henky Jas. Andekson, William Betts, A. W. Beadfokd. Benj. I. Haight. Dated Kew-York, 2Tth November, 185S. Note. — Mr. George F. 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