THE EMERGENCY PROGRAM

Some Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

The outbreak of war on December 7 meant an end to “‘college as
usual.”” Changes in plans, reviews of policies, shifts in emphasis,
enforced changes in procedures, and governmental regulations have
occurred,

In the paragraphs which follow the Department of Admissions
answers in as concrete terms as possible the most frequently asked
questions which prospective students, alumni, and scholastic advisers
have made through the mail and in person.

Obviously there will be further questions and some which are
more personal to the inquirer. The Director of Admissions will
answer such inquiries as promptly and effectively as possible.

a

1. Does Springfield College plan an “accelerated program”?

Yes. Springfield College, upon the recommendation of the federal
government and the various associations of colleges with which the
College is affiliated, has decided to operate on a year-round basis
during the emergency. Classes will be held on Saturdays. Minor
holidays will be eliminated. Christmas vacations will be shortened.
Ten-week summer terms will be added.

2. Just what does “acceleration” mean?

Your total time of study in college will not be shortened. You
will still attend the equivalent of four college years of nine months
each. You will attend more weeks of each year. You can graduate
in two years and ten months.

Academic and professional standards will be maintained. The
purpose of the acceleration program is primarily to provide promptly
a large supply of well-educated young men for civilian and military
service.

Entering as a freshman in the fall of 1942 you can continue through
three years of four terms each and graduate in mid-summer, 1945,
in place of the normal time of graduation in June, 1946. By entering
in the summer of 1942, as described in a later paragraph, you can
finish in May or June of 1945.

The accelerated program is designed so that more of you can com-
plete your education before you are called into military or other gov-
ernmental services and that when you do enter these services, you
will have a richer and more complete general and technical back-
ground with which to approach your assignments.

3.. Must I attend on the accelerated plan?

The plan is optional. You can elect four regular school years
if you like. It is expected that most students will choose the acceler-
ated program.

4. What are the dates for the College year, beginning in the
Fall, 1942?
Fall Term: October 1-December 19, 1942
Winter Term: January 4-March 13, 1943
Spring Term: March 15-May 23, 1943
Summer Term, 1943: Dates not yet determined; to be announced
after experiences of 1942 and further governmental suggestions
are available. A ten-week summer term is essential each year
under the accelerated plan.

5. Can freshmen enter in the Summer of 1942?

It is considered more desirable for you to enter in the fall of 1942,
that is, on October 1, 1942. The large majority of the freshman
class will begin their work then and regular programs will be oriented
to this date.

Because you will not yet be through high school, you cannot enter
the “June session” (May 25-June 27) of the present summer term.

Therefore, the College has planned the following pattern for those
of you who wish to begin earlier than October 1.

The Summer Term for Freshmen

1. First session: June 29-August 1 (coincident with the regular
Summer School which has been held here for years).

2. Vacation: August 2-August 30.

3. Second session: August 31-October 3 (the “September ses-
sion,” during which the majority of undergraduates will be in resi-
dence).

If you elect to enter in the summer term you must necessarily
attend both of these sessions.

On an intensive basis you will complete two full year freshman
courses; History of Civilization, Mathematics, and General Chemistry
are the tentatively chosen courses.

6. Will Springfield admit students who have not officially finished
high school?

Some of you who are exceptionally competent high school students
can demonstrate that you are as well prepared for college at the
end of your junior year as many other students are at the end of
their senior year. Such demonstration would include at least these
factors: you must rank in the upper 10 per cent of your class, have
a high score on a scholastic aptitude test, receive an unqualified
recommendation from your principal, have shown evidence of maturity
of judgment and social adjustment, and be physically mature.

If you have completed your junior year or half of your senior
year and wish to make application for admission, you should com-
municate immediately with the Director of Admissions because such
applications will require a longer period of investigation.

7. What will be the cost of the Summer Term?

The Summer Term is the equivalent of one-third of a regular
school year: Freshmen will pay $130 tuition for two academic courses
and one physical activity course, including use of athletic equipment,
clothing for physical activity courses, locker, etc.; $25-$35 for room
rent; and a $6 Student Association fee. Board in the cafeteria will
cost from $6 to $8 a week, depending upon needs and choices. Books
and supplies will not amount to more than $10. Estimated total:
$220-$250. Tuition for each five weeks’ session will be $65 and the
other costs will be approximately half of the cost for the ten weeks’
term. :

The estimates of costs for the regular school year from October
through May are the same as announced in the College catalog, except
that food costs are slightly increased. An $825 budget is reasonable.

8. Scholarships in the summer term?

Scholarships will not be available for freshmen in the summer
term of 1942. Freshman scholarships will become effective on
October 1.

9. Government aid for tuition?

No definite policy of the Federal Government has yet been an-
nounced nor have appropriations been made, but there is a general
belief that college students on the accelerated plan will be eligible
for some form of financial assistance to offset the loss of earnings from
summer employment. It is generally assumed now that such aid
will not be in excess of the tuition for the summer term. It may be
less. It is also not yet known whether this will be an outright grant
or on an employment basis.

Students, however, should remember that the total cost of their
undergraduate education will certainly not be increased because the
three summer terms for entering freshmen will be the equivalent of one
full year of ordinary college expenses. The only difference is that

ee