By: Commentator Staff  | 

Substitute Program Made Public by Hartstein Recently; Idea Modified; Only the Better Student May Graduate In Four Years (Vol. 2, Issue 11)

Students who maintain cum laude averages will be graduated in four years under the revised five year plan, or program for the intensification of studies, as the administration prefers to call it, Registrar Jacob I. Hartstein announced yesterday.

Under the new system all freshmen and sophomores will take twelve credits a term, two less than heretofore. Those students who have maintained an average grade of B in both secular and Jewish subjects during the sophomore year, will be allowed to take sixteen credits in the junior year.

If a student maintains this average in the junior year this privilege will be extended to his senior year, thus allowing him to be graduated with the minimum amount of credits, at the end of four years.

Those who do not maintain the cum laude average during the sophomore year will be allowed only twelve credits a term as upper classmen, though a B average in the junior year will allow a student to take sixteen credits in his next year.

Four years at twelve credits a semester will leave the candidate for graduates short sixteen credits which he will take in his fifth year.

The present program is to be applied to those freshmen already enrolled, as well as to the incoming February class. At present the class of ’40 is taking eleven credits, but the addition of a course in Jewish ethics and institutions next term will bring the total credits to thirteen. Averaged, this will mean twelve per semester. The lower frosh will take thirteen next term and eleven in summer school thus totaling twenty-four.

The second half od the course in Jewish ethics and institutions will be given in the first term of the sophomore year to the class of ’40. Dr. Jung will give the course in ethics, while that covering institutions has not been definitely arranged as yet.

It is understood that a change in the physical education department to effect the elimination of all credit for physical training and the giving of one credit in hygiene will be brought before the faculty. At their last meeting no extra credit was awarded for the addition of the hygiene courses to the curriculum. In the event that this is effected it will result in substituting pass and fail for gym grades.

Also coming up for faculty consideration is a proposal to allow the institution of honor courses which will have no class sessions but which will require a term paper and a final comprehensive examination. Regular credit would be given for such work.

It was also proposed that extra credit towards graduation be allowed for high grades. This system is at present in use in other institutions.