SR_DPI_DNE_Special_Subject_File_B5F1_Durham_NC_College_Negroes

(15)

requirements in English, History, Language, etc., would be those which are now taken by the A. B. and B. S. students, and which, of course, must be offered anyway.

For the sake of those students who, for economic or other reasons, would drop out at the end of one or two years, typewriting, shorthand and bookkeeping should constitute a part of the requirements in the freshman and sophemore years. These students could go directly into offices as stenographers, typists and bookkeepers, as is now true under the present organization of the work. The State Department of Public Instruction would be glad to lend its assistance in the preparation of the curriculum which would lead to the degree.

(3) Elimination of the Pre Medical Course.

There are only 11 students taking that work. The course in Public Speaking, which meets three times per week, is offered only for Pre-Medical students. An extra laboratory period is required in both Chemistry and Zoology for those students who are taking the course. The Pre-Medical students and the regular students meet together on these subjects, except for the extra laboratory period. This gives rise to an instructional problem which would be difficult to handle. Either the instruction must be adapted to the needs of the regular college students, who have had from one third to one half the laboratory work of the Pre-Medical students, or it must be fitted to the needs of the Pre-Medical students. In any case, this heterogeneous grouping would not be conductive to good instruction. Moreover, the characteristic feature of a pre-medical course is the science. At the present time the North Carolina College for Negroes is less equipped for science instruction than for any other work. Finally, good Pre-Medical courses are offered at such private institutions as

Bricks Junior College, St. Augustine, Johnson C. Smith University, and, at the present time, students interested primarily in such work could well afford to attend those schools. It is recommended, then, that until such time as the science which would be offered Pre-medical students can be that which would be taken by the regular college students; that until the other courses required in a pre-medical program are those which would be required of the regular students, which is not true now, as would be evidenced by the course in Public Speaking; and that until the science equipment is suffieient to provide for high grade science insturction; until these conditions obtain, it is recommended that the Pre-Medieal course be discontinued.

II. It is recommended that there be the following Departments of Instruction, with the number of instructors indicated:

[start 2 column list]

Department of Instruction	Number of Instructors
1. Ancient Language	1
2. Biology	1
3. Chemistry and Physics	1
4. Commerce	2 or 3
5. Education and Psychology	1
6. English	1
7. Mathematics	1
8. Music	1
9. Modern Foreign Language	1
10. Physical Education	1
11. Social Science	2

[start single-column sub-list] a. History b. Economics c. Sociology d. Geography [end sub-list]

In addition to these, for 1928-29 there will probably be needed one instructor to assist in English and Modern Foreign Language and one instructor to assist in Mathematics and Science. The instructor in Physical Education

(15)

ought to be able to devote six to nine hours each week instructing in the department or deparments in which he had special training. A teaching faculty of fifteen members should be able to handle the complete offerings leading to the three degrees.

III. Attention has been called to the large number of classes whose enrollment is so small as to make the cost of instruction well night prohibitive. For economical reasons, then, - to say nothing of the instructional and educational advantages that result from pupil enthusiasm and pupil contributions in larger classes - it is strongly believed that no class should be taught that has fewer than five students, and that the better minimum would be seven. As long as there are fewer than 300 students, and perhaps for a larger number than that, the requirement of a minimum of seven students for any class would make it necessary to do one of three things, or perhaps a combination of them:

(1) Reduce the Number of Hours Required for a Major. This would obviate the necessity of a large number of subjects in the junior and senior years that would be offered solely, or primarily, to care for the major interests of the individual student. As now outlined in your catalog a major is defined as, "24 Hrs. Major or 18 Hrs. Major with 6 Hrs. in a field closely allied. The 24 Hr. presupposes 12 Hr. in the same field during Freshman and Sophomore years." (See pages 28 and 29 of your catalog.) Credit for a Major is one of the requirements for a degree. Under your requirements, for a student to major he would need to take two subjects in his major field through his junior and senior years. In our judgment a total of 30 semester hours could represent a major, without doing any violence to educational practice, and without jeopardizing in any way the intellectual interests of the student.

(16)

(2) Restrict the number of fields in which it would be possible for one to Major. Might not those fields be now restricted to English, Social Science, Science, - not a particular science such as Chemistry, but the whole field such as would be represented by the requirements for the Science Certificate - and, perhaps, Education?

(3) Alternate certain subjects from year to year. As a rule the subjects that would be taken by a senior would not require junior subjects as prerequisites. There is no good reason why juniors and seniors might not recite together in many subjects. This would mean, then, that many junior and senior subects could be given on alternate years. You will find this practice quite generally followed.

We believe that action along these lines would not only make classes with very small enrollments unnecessary; but it would also keep to a minimum the number of instructors required to carry on the work. Perhaps there would be little or no need for increasing the number of faculty for next year, - even in adding another year's college work and in allowing for a normal increase in student body - if curriculum organization and administration should embody these suggestions. We recommend them to your careful consideration.

IV. It is recommended that there be further expansion of the Department of Music. This would not mean an expenditure of more money, but only a fuller utilization of that which is already being expended. The present instructor receives a salary of $1,800.00 per year. She has one regular class in Music that meets once each week. The remainder of her time is devoted to choral work and other work of a more or less private nature. In our judgment, definite courses in Harmony, Theory, Music Appreciation and Public School Music should be

(17)

provided, as electives, for those regular college students who prepare for entering the teaching profession. A teacher who can lead singing at chapel exercise, or in his classroom, or who can direct such singing in the community, possesses an equipment that should materially enhance his value. The Music Department, therefore, is falling short of its possibilities and it is recommended that Music constitute a larger part of the training and equipment of the regular college students than is now possible. Music is a Fine Art. There should be no objection to an A. B. or B. S. graduate having credit for as much as six to ten semester hours in Music.

V. It is recommended that greater use be made of the library. During the week days the library hours are 8:15 A. M. to 5:00 P. M. On Saturday the library closes at 12 o'clock. Provision ought to be made for keeping the library open at night, say from 7:00 to 9:00 o'clock. It is not complusory that a regular librarian be on duty at night. Responsible and trained students, preferably seniors, could have charge. A library is an essential part of the equipment of a college; but it would render no service unless used. It would not be used to the fullest if the doors close each day with the conclusion of class work. All standard colleges that we know anything about make provision for library service at night.

VI. This is not a recommendation, necessarily, but simply a question we raise. We wonder if the administrative officer alled Disciplinarian is an asset or liability. The psychology of definitely cataloging such an administrative position is an admission that disciplinary problems are expected as a normal thing. We are wondering if the problems which would now be handled by the Disciplinarian ought not to be taken care of through the Dean's