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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXII. No. 571. 



considerable increase in the number of stu- 

 dents, both men and women, and there have 

 been gains also in law, medicine, divinity, 

 pedagogy and in the graduate schools. 

 The 168. students mentioned under ' other 

 courses' are enrolled in the course in rail- 

 way instruction, which was begun during 

 the winter cf 1904-05. Through an over- 

 sight, the number of officers of the univer- 

 sity was incorrectly stated last year. The 

 total number given this year includes the 

 actual administrative officers and instruc- 

 tors, but no officers engaged merely in ex- 

 tension work or in affiliated institutions. 

 Of the 4,557 students, 2,332 are men and 

 2,225 are women. 



Columbia University shows a slight de- 

 crease in enrolment over the previous year, 

 due largely to increased requirements in 

 the professional schools of law, medicine 

 and pharmacy. The academic department 

 shows a considerable gain over the pre- 

 ceding year and reports the largest en- 

 tering class (157) in its history. This in- 

 crease may be attributed to several causes, 

 the chief of which is the adoption of a new 

 program of studies, which provides for the 

 degree of B.S. as well as for the degree of 

 A.B. Among the important innovations 

 in the new program the following may be 

 mentioned: Beginning with September, 

 1905, one half year instead of the whole 

 year is made the unit of credit, the term 

 'point' signifying the satisfactory comple- 

 tion of work requiring attendance one hour 

 a week for one half year, and the require- 

 ment for graduation being 124 points ; at 

 least 9 points, exclusive of prescribed work, 

 must be made before graduation under 

 some one department ; in any half-year not 

 more than one course in which the student 

 is marked D (poor) may be counted to- 

 wards a degree ; a failure in any prescribed 

 course calls for a repetition of the course; 

 the mark A (excellent) in any two courses 



entitles the student to one point of extra 

 credit, provided he has not fallen below the 

 mark B (good) in any of the courses pur- 

 sued by him during the half-year ; a candi- 

 date for the degree of A.B. or B.S. must 

 fulfil all requirements for the degree within 

 six years from the time of his first matricu- 

 lation as a freshman, whether, at Columbia 

 or elsewhere; every recipient of the degree 

 of A.B. or B.S. must have made at least 

 84 points in actual college residence, of 

 which no less than 24 points must have 

 been made in Columbia College ; when 72 

 points (including all prescribed work) 

 have been made, a student may — under 

 certain conditions — take the studies of the 

 first year of the schools of applied science, 

 of the college of physicians and surgeons, 

 of the professional course of Teachers Col- 

 lege or in the school of fine arts, and receive 

 the degree of A.B. or B.S. upon the satis- 

 factory completion of two years' work in 

 the professional course ; when 94 points, 

 including all prescribed work, have been 

 made, and of these not less than 72 in 

 Columbia College, the student may take the 

 studies of the first year of the school of 

 law, and receive the degree of A.B. or B.S. 

 upon the completion of one year's work in 

 this school. A detailed statement of the 

 new program'of studies can be found in 

 the article contributed by Professor Calvin 

 Thomas to the Educational Review, April, 

 1905, and to the Columbia University Quar- 

 terly, June, 1905. It will be seen from the 

 brief summary given above that students 

 graduated from the public high schools of 

 the city in February are now enabled to 

 enter Columbia College at once, instead of 

 waiting until the following September. 

 The new regulations will also permit a stu- 

 dent to graduate in three or three and one 

 half years, instead of in four years, which 

 has been the normal time heretofore. The 

 summer session is becoming more and more 



