Catalog, 1931 - Hoover Library

30 SIXTY-FOURTH ANNUAL CATALOGUE [1930The College CurriculumThe reorganization of curriculum which was begun in 1921-1922had for its objectives:1. A freer election of courses by substituting for the threerequired courses-the Classical, the Historical, and theScientific-a system of organization of college work aboutseven or eight major departments;2. The placing of all college work upon a semester basis;3. A closer co-operation with the secondary schools and abetter co-ordination of the first two years of college workwith the work done in the high schools. This has beenfacilitated' by adjusting admission requirements' to thework done in the better high schools, by introductory andorientation courses for the freshman class, by the institutionof Freshman Week, by placement tests, and by introducingthe adviser system;4. The making possible of a progressive revision of the curriculumto meet the changing needs of modern life.This reorganization, partially worked out along the lines indicatedabove, has been justified by the progress made and plainlyindicates the next steps, which are:1. A more unified curriculum;2. The need of a more decided differentiation between thework offered in the first two years of college and thework offered in the last two years of college.THE UNITY OF THE CURRICULUMWith the substitution of the system of majoring in departmentsfor the former three-course plan, a certain loss of unity tothe curriculum resulted' which the college faculty is now seekingto restore. The wider election secured by the system of majorshad great advantages over the three-course plan, and these willbe maintained; but by directing the freedom in elections andkeeping it under legitimate control, other advantages will begained.