ENGLISH DIVISIONAL EXAMS ALLOW INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS

Aiming at a "solid knowledge of one thing and as general a background as possible" for concentrators, divisional examinations and tutorial work have been completely reorganized by the English department.

Under the supervision of Theodore Spencer, associate professor and recently selected head tutor and his Board of Tutors, three years of study for the purpose of reforming work in English were climaxed by the adoption this fall of a "better organized and more uniform" arrangement.

Until this year concentrators in English took three divisional examinations in their Senior year, of which two covered their chronological field and the third their critical abilities. Now, however, the three exams have been distributed over two years and their contents entirely altered.

Four-Hour Examination

In June of his Junior year, each student for honors must take a general four hour examination consisting of six chronological groups, each of which is divided into five topics. The candidate will be tested on one topic, of his own choosing, from each group. Students who are not studying for honors are given this examination at the close of their Senior year.

Two other two hour tests are given each concentrator in his Senior year. One deals with the specific chronological period of his honor thesis and the other with the liberty field he is studying.

The primary object of this new system is to develop the individual student's work in a pyramid, with a strong foundation of the general field of English literature, and an intricate structure pointing to the particular point in which he is interested. In the past a survey knowledge was sought, with only the honor thesis affording any opportunity for individual expression.

Recommended Reading

In order to unify and co-ordinate tutorial work in English, the Board of Tutors has chosen required and recommended reading to guide the concentrators and their tutors. Previously the selection of material was only limited by the instructor's discretion.

A Committee of Examiners, whose names have not been revealed, has also been organized to prepare and grade the examinations. Replacing the nine or ten who collaborated in past years, this group of three consists of one permanent officer of the University, one faculty instructor, and one annual instructor.