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present courses, but rejected the idea because it would not accomplish
the desired eeciees and would also drive students out of the other
courses in Division III during the freshman and sophomore years. They
considered organizing a special eight- or ten-hour course, running through
a year, but rejected the plan because it would impose a very large addi-
tional burden of teaching which might be difficult to manage. Then they
considered whether it was unreasonable to expect students to do more
thinking for themselves, or if they had to be everlastingly spoon-fed via
courses and day-by-day instruction.

The final plan came out of the Special Committee's faith in the
ability of the vast majority of our students to help themselves and to
participate more actively in their own education. With this faith your
Committee agrees, feeling that perhaps the greatest sin we commit against
young people is in underrating them, in wnderestimating both their abili-
ties and their willingness to work.

Your Committee feels that it is time for a real experiment of our
own. If it works, we shall have a real achievement to our credit. If it
does not work, it can be changed or dropped.

We recommend, therefore, that the Special Committee's proposal be
that the amount of credit be six hours, and that the passing of the ex-
amination be a requirement for all students entering the College in the
fall of 1945 and thereafter. It is expected that students would take

this examination in the sophomore year. The committee recommends, how-

 

ever, that students who pass the examination in the junior and senior
years may elect to receive either six hours of freshman-sophomore credit
or four hours of junior-senior credit, provided that to receive junior-

senior credit a grade of C or higher is required.