Great Achievements of Lowell's Term Of Administration Pass By In Review

Since he assumed the presidency of the University on October 5, 1909, President Lowell has instituted six major innovations in American educational policy. Starting from the firm foundation that was built during the preceding administration, he has fulfilled the plans he set forth in his inaugural address.

He immediately modified the elective system so that the plan of concentration and distribution was in effect within the year. Under this plan every undergraduate is required to concentrate at least six of his fifteen elective courses in one recognized field such as History, Fine Arts, or Science. For distribution he must take at least one course in each of the following general groups: Literature, History, Science, and Mathematics or Philosophy. It was hoped that this plan would result in the student seriously contemplating and systematically organizing his course. It is also required that every student, before entering the Junior class, shall have a reading knowledge of one language and an elementary knowledge of some other.

Three years later, starting with the Class of 1917, the plan of general examinations covering the field of concentration, was adopted. These examinations are prerequisite to a degree and cover not only the subject matter of specific courses, but the field of concentration as a whole.

As a corollary to the general examination system the tutorial system was adopted. At present every upperclassman is assigned to a tutor whose duties are to guide the student and instruct him in studies outside his course which will fill in the gaps between subjects and round out the general education of the tutee. The tutors are, for the most part, regular faculty members, devoting a large part of their time to tutorial duties, and are selected because of special abilities and a taste for individual instruction. The reading period was adopted as a means of strengthening the tutorial system. Another change allows Seniors to take but two courses so as to be able to allow more time for tutorial work.

Probably the most revolutionary change during the Lowell administration has been the House Plan, whereby the intimacy between instructor and student that is so highly prized in small colleges has not been lost although the University has rapidly expanded. Under this plan the College has been divided into seven units and members of the Freshman Class have been moved from the old halls along the river to dormitories in the Yard. Each House is a complete social and residential unit, with its own dormitories, dining halls, common rooms, and library.

The House Plan was made possible in 1928 by the gift of over $11,000,000 by Edward S. Harkness. It had previously been recommended by a committee appointed by the Student Council. Work was immediately started and by the autumn of 1931 the plan was in operation.

As the peak of this pyramid of educational reforms President Lowell had long dreamed of a Society of Fellows, founded in the manner of Trinity, Cambridge. The plans for this group were outlined in the President's report for 1929-30 and in the form adopted on January 10, 1933 substantially followed that structure. Under this plan a group not exceeding 24 picked men, recently graduated, should be selected "for their promise of notable contribution to knowledge and thought." This group are known as Junior Prize Fellows and receive a yearly stipend of from $1250 to $1500 and free use of all the facilities of the University. Under special circumstances the Junior Fellows may be appointed to an additional term of three years, but no man may be appointed for more than two terms. No academic work done by the Fellows may be counted towards a degree. A board of Senior Fellows composed of the President and members of the Faculty govern and advise the Junior Fellows. The Society is operated on the interest of a fund of $1,000,000 given specifically for the purpose by "two anonymous donors."