SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE

Springfield, Mass.
March 3, 1942

Dr. Forrest E, Allen
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Dr. Allen:

Your letter to Mr. Affleck concerning revisions in our
program of health, physical education and recreation has been
referred to me for reply. Mr. Affleck has retired from active
duty but we have drafted him to do some teaching in our
department so that he is still connected with the College. —
Mr. Affleck reached retirement age two years ago.

We have worked in a committee in our department for two
years on a revision of our physical education skills and —
methods and materials program. last year we worked on the

policies regulating this program concerning time, content,
etc., and this was put into effect at the opening of the

fall term. This year we have been outlining the content of
the various activity courses in the form of a syllabus which
is ready to go to the printers within a few weeks. We felt
that this work has been about 75% increased in time on the
professional program of physical education activities. This
is on the professional program. We have increased the time
for the skills work as well as the methods and materials
related te the teaching of these activities. We are requiring
knowledge of the activities as being just as important as

the perfection of personal skills. We have put this program
into operation this year and are very pleased with the results.
As soon as we have available the syliabus I shall be pleased
_ to send you a copy.

For the non-professional physical education program we
have required a minimum of three hours per week in skills and
methods and materials. Knowledge of the activity is. also
required in the service program. This program, as you of course
know, deals only with a small part of the college enroliment.
The service program at Springfield is not as big a problem as
at the University of Kansas. Our program, however, is required
for four years.

Our professional requirement for the freshman year is two
hours per day, which represents an increase of double that of
last year. The average for the other three years is about eight
hours per week. We have found through the experiences of the

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