THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE BUREAU OF PERSONNEL RESEARCH

Report to the President, Board of Trustees, and Members of the Faculty.

General

At the close of the World War most of the organized contact machinery of the college had broken down. The classes of 1918 and 1919 were composed of various college students returned from the War; the faculty absentees were returning, and the new college was just getting under way. Class officers were not available for student contact; no organized method was possible, and the student body milled about the campus, went A. W. O. L. and were generally disorganized.

The President early recognized this situation and appointed a temporary committee of eleven to act unofficially as contact points between the students and the faculty. As the "war credit" student gradually disappeared from the campus, reorganized contact points were again established through class officers and through the new Personnel Office. The class of 1923 was personally advised by the Committee of eleven, the class officers, and the Personnel Bureau in a successful attempt to return the college to its normal campus conditions.

But the close of the War found newly created wealth that could and did send men to college. Moreover, the general point of view regarding college education had changed and the new men that were coming to college, accepted college as a part of the social structure rather than as an opportunity for higher education. Undoubtedly, there were many men who had previously come to college without reverential regard for its educational opportunities. Nevertheless, there was a large percentage of these men who came to college because of sacrifice either on the part of their parents or because of a real desire in the men themselves to secure an education even though it had to be gained by loans and by personal efforts. The newer clientele of the American college is more largely composed of men coming to college without the benefit of the college-home as a background.

Whether or not the college-home background is considered or proved desirable, the fact remains that the entire college body to-day is more social in its aspirations than anything else. Undoubtedly, there are a good many serious students on the campus; and there are probably many men intelligently and perhaps intellectually inquisitive, but in no large sense does this group dominate.

This situation means that the American college, institutionally, must establish more contact points with the students, if the social phase is to be diluted and the college is to be permitted to furnish the education and training for which it was founded and endowed. Before the impact of numbers became a fact and while the college was largely composed of men reasonably interested in securing an education rather than a social label, the Dean's Office had ample time to make all necessary contacts, to direct and advise the student in his choice of studies and in his college life, and to act as a liaison officer between the senior and the world. To-day with the greatly increased numbers, the work of the Dean's Office must concern itself largely with carrying out the policies of the Faculty and in doing its part of the general administrative work of the college. This new situation, therefore, means that the average Dean's Office does not now have the time available to take on this additional, necessary work, much as the Dean's Office may wish to do this.

Dartmouth College, through its President and its Board of Trustees, was the first to recognize these changed conditions and to appreciate the need of more contact points with the students. Recognizing the need, they provided for the establishment of the Bureau of Personnel Research. Undoubtedly, their decision was strengthened and their policies were clarified by the success of the Personnel Division in the World War. Experiments had demonstrated that practical psychology could be applied in selecting men to fill specific positions. The Alpha test as used in the Army, indicated the beginning of the practical application of psychology, not only to the problems of the Army, but also to' the problems of the college and of business.

In the Fall of 1923, Professor R. W. Husband was appointed Director of Personnell Research. The Bureau was established primarily to act in much the same capacity as had the old Dean's Office in certain of its relationships. In effect, it supplemented the Dean's Office in handling the personal problems of the students and their general college relationships. It did not attempt to be specific in its recommendations regarding electives, nor to exercise disciplinary powers, nor was it particularly concerned in the placement of the graduating class.

The preliminary work of Professor Husband, in which he used and correlated all existing method then recently used by the Personnel Division of the Army, still serves as a standard method of procedure. Various experimental work inaugurated by Professor Husband has been continued and some experimental work has necessarily been discontinued. Nevertheless, the fundamentals established under his direction are, in general, the bases of all college personnel work being done in this country.

The personnel work done in the various colleges differs in each institution. In some of the universities, the entire emphasis is placed on vocational guidance. In others a large part of the work is concerned with advice regarding electives and self-help activities. In still others, there is a definite attempt made to develop more complete personal contacts as between students and faculty and, in addition, group contacts with leaders of the various professions and of business. Each institution necessarily approaches the problem largely in terms of its individual backgrounds and aims. The most significant fact is, that whatever may be the special work performed, nearly every American college has introduced, or is at present introducing, some form of personnel work.

Organization of Personnel Work at Dartmouth College

The Committee in charge of Personnel Work at Dartmouth College comprises ten members, all actively concerned in some branch of personnel activity, either directly or in an administrative capacity. The needs of the students, in so far as they concern the Committee on Personnel, resolve themselves into four main divisions: physical and mental health, educational and vocational advice and assistance.

To safeguard the health and physique of the students, a thorough physical examination is given each freshman shortly after the opening of college. A complete family history is also secured at this time. Regular periods of recreational activity in various lines of sport are required of all freshmen and sophomores, under the direction of the Recreational Department. For those men who are seriously underweight or overweight, special mal-nutrition classes are formed under the direction of Dr. W. R. P. Emerson.

The psychological test given to the freshman class early in the college year serves as a basis for records and research in intelligence, as well as providing a basis for sectioning in a few large courses. Consultations with the psychiatrist in charge of mental hygiene are available to the students at any time.

One man is occupied in interviewing freshmen for the purpose of orientation in order to obtain a preliminary estimate of the individuals.

Discussion of electives and the furnishing of curricular advice is a matter almost wholly concerned with the sophomore year. To these educational activities are added the conducting of research and the compilation of statistics concerning scholastic operations of the college, and dealing with both faculty and students. The results of this educational research, like that of each of the other divisions of personnel work are made effective in securing changes and improvements through the officers of administration.

Vocational advice and assistance in securing job opportunities are provided only for members of the senior class. However, members of the junior class are interviewed for the purpose of rendering general advice and assistance in personal matters, and aid is given in securing summer work.

No mention is made in this report of the activities of the Freshman Council or of the Class Officers. Their work is not directly a part of the personnel activities and is of a somewhat different nature. Contacts and co-operation with these groups, as with all the faculty members, are secured through the officers of administration.

Work By Classes

In order to familiarize the reader with the exact methods in use, a summary is given of the activities of the Bureau of Personnel Research as they are conducted with the various classes:

Freshman Year-. As early as possible in the college year, each freshman is interviewed, mostly for the purpose of orientation. An attempt is made to have the freshman feel at ease, and in the discussion with the interviewer, the following questions are answered: present interest, if any, in his ultimate life work, campus activities, general major, favorite study, intention to continue study in a professional school or to do graduate work, and earnings either in college or. during the summer. The answers are noted on a record card and are followed by a brief statement by the interviewer giving his impression of the student. The facts developed from this interview may or may not be of material value later on.

It has been found, however, that freshmen return for further interviews without being summoned and that the interviewing is generally very effective in clarifying the freshman's ideas regarding the college. The interviewer sees the freshman at the beginning of the second semester and assists him in making out his sophomore schedule. It is the intent of the interviewer to help the student arrange his schedule so that the student may have the opportunity of two or three elective majors rather than to make unwise general electives which would materially limit the choice of a major at the end of sophomore year. These interviews are in charge of Mr. Neef. The average time of each interview is fifteen minutes. There are six hundred and fifty-nine freshmen.

Sophomore Year-. Beginning with the opening of college, sophomores are summoned in alphabetical order for a conference. At this conference about the same questions are asked as were asked freshman year. The chief effort of the sophomore interviewer is to reduce "sophomorishness" as much as possible, to urge the full completion of all requirements, and to act in any way helpful to the individual. These interviews have been unusually successful in awakening sophomores to the necessities of completing required work in stride rather than putting off distasteful subjects with the idea that they may later on be taken in summer school. It is interesting to note that in a class which is supposed to be notable for its blaseness, the men return frequently for a second and third interview, and in general, show an intense cooperative interest with the personnel officer. Mr. Smith has been in charge of these interviews. The average time of each interview is twenty minutes. There are six hundred and thirty-five sophomores.

At the beginning of the second semester, it is highly desirable that someone be appointed and made available who shall continue the elective advice initiated freshman year and who shall act as an executive officer representing the various major departments in college. Such an appointment is contemplated at an early date by the administration.

Junior Year ' Owing to the fact that the Personnel Bureau has extremely limited funds, it has not been found possible to appoint an officer to serve as junior interviewer. Under the present circumstances, only about one hundred juniors are interviewed. These men come to the office of their own volition, more in search of personal advice than for advice regarding their electives or their life's work. It is highly desirable that this work be better organized as there is much that can be done with the junior class. It is the hope of your Committee that it will be organized in time to carry on the work begun with the first class that entered under the new system of majors.

Juniors who are in need of summer positions in order to return to college, or juniors who desire summer positions for. the purpose of trying out certain types of work, are given advice and assistance in securing positions of this type. There is no attempt made to influence a junior in his choice of employment or occupation. There are four hundred and fifty-seven juniors.

Senior Year: In the senior year, men are interviewed from the opening of college until Commencement. The Personnel Office sends out cards in the Fall asking for the following information:

I. Name and address of firm with which a man intends to go upon graduation, if his future is aleady provided for.

II. Line of work in which a man is interested (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Teaching, Teaching and Coaching, Business and Public Utilities—Pr o duction, Selling, Advertising, or Accounting) and whether he would like to be kept informed of interesting developments and opportunities in the field in which he expresses an interest.

III. Whether a man plans to attend a professional or graduate school and whether he expects to go abroad.

Appointments are made with these men and information is furnished them regarding the different businesses in which they are interested. Contacts are also provided for men in professional work, and group meetings are held from time to time for men interested in law, medicine, religion, and teaching. Generally speaking, out of a class of five hundred, the Personnel Office will be concerned with placing not over one hundred men. Many men are already provided for; others go to professional schools and into graduate work. The figures for the college year 1926-27 are incomplete, but are significant:

Men who are going to do graduate work in: Medicine 22 Law 31

Engineering 5 Miscellaneous 43 101 Men who are going into: Teaching 33 Men now placed in business. ... 41 Miscellaneous 2 76 Seniors requiring services of Bureau: Interested in business 155 Men who have not reported 80 Total 412 The average time for each interview is thirty minutes.

Records

The greatest danger in all personnel work is the giving of dangerous advice based upon good intentions. It is an unfortunate fact that every person over thirty believes that he or she is especially ordained to give advice to any younger person. Unfortunately, this belief has not been substantiated by facts. Intelligent personnel work cannot be done by sheer personality, good will, or by wishing to be of service to the student or the community. The primary necessity for good personnel work is authentic records in terms of the student's entire accomplishments, whether they be in the classroom, on the campus, in the lunch room, or in the field during vacations. Such records become indeed records of performance.

The personnel officer has a complete record of every student. This record contains the complete activities of the student while in college. In addition to this record, the personnel officer also has access to the pre-freshman information in the Freshman Dean's office. The Personnel Bureau also has available the records from the office of the Medical Director. Every personnel officer is required to use these complete records and to offer advice based only on these records. These records are kept current.

Psychological Tests

The Department of Psychology works with the Bureau of Personnel Research. Group tests are given the freshmen when they enter college. Other tests are given from time to time as the Department may direct. The various psychological tests have value. They also have a very great danger in that it becomes easy for men engaged in personnel work to rely on these tests implicitly and to offer advice largely in terms of what the tests have shown. This is an unwise and dangerous use of the tests. The psychologists themselves do not claim any such value for their tests. Generally speaking, these tests have shown that those men in the lowest fifth of any intelligence group tests usually have a difficult time in completing their college work. Moreover, the tests indicate fairly clearly whether a man's mechanical abilities are greater than his abilities derived from the possession of general information and a general inquisitiveness. Beyond this point the tests are not yet proven. There are interesting experiments being made which, when a sufficient record of performance has been made, may prove to be of great value. At the moment, however, the Personnel Bureau considers these tests only as one of several methods which are of assistance in enabling the interviewer to give sound advice. The test work is in charge of Mr. Stone.

Department of Physical Fitness

As was noted earlier in the report, men who are underweight are referred directly to Dr. William R. P. Emerson's clinic. The following report will indicate the progress of the work for the year and the number of freshmen who are finding this work beneficial:

Freshmen reporting to date 101 Number signed up in classes 60 Number signed up as specials reporting weekly 30 Number 4-5-6% under weight not in class 7 Number up to average weight or above 4 Upper classmen signed up 79 Upper classmen reporting for check-up found O.K 5 Students reporting for advice. ... 20 Total 306

Department of Mental Hygiene

Dr. Harrington sees men who are sent to him by various Department Heads, by the Officers of Administration, and others. During the past year the work has been steadily increasing.

General Summary

In general, the work of the Bureau of Personnel Research in Dartmouth College concerns itself almost entirely with being of assistance to students in their college relationships. Your Committee does not believe in offering vocational advice before senior year. Your Committee believes that the best equipment for life is a broad cultural education. Therefore, the Bureau itself refuses to give elective advice along vocational lines, nor has it other than an incidental interest in what a man intends to do when he completes his college course.

But the new college brings new responsibilities. When the old college graduated men almost entirely for the professions, the old college accepted the responsibility of acquainting a man with these professions during his senior year and in being as helpful to the individual as was possible. In the new college with over sixty percent going into business, the college has the same responsibility for providing graduates with a similar amount of information regarding business. This it does.

During the past year, the Bureau has published Mr. Dana P. Bent's thesis, "The Department Store as a Vocation for College Trained Men." This is the first of a series of publications which will be attempted by the American Council on Education through its contributing college memberships, to combine and place in usable form information regarding business. The professions have already compiled such informative booklets which are available to the senior. With the co-operation of Mr. Paul Redington, it is the purpose of the Bureau to publish "Forestry as a Profession for the College Trained Man," in the near future. The Bureau is completing a personnel manual which shows the organization of the work of the Bureau more in detail. This will be issued shortly after the opening of the second semester.

It would probably be of interest to know that in no year has the. Personnel Bureau been able to supply all of the men to business that were desired. In this particular year, there are more positions than there are men available. This situation is, of course, highly complimentary and it is the hope of the Bureau that it may continue to warrant the confidence that business now has in it.

In addition to the specific work done in the college, the Chairman of the Bureau is a member of an Executive Committee appointed by the American Council on Education, to standardize and improve the work of all college personnel bureaus. Owing to its having been a pioneer in developing its work and owing to the sound fundamental work done by Dean Husband, and to the fact that the Bureau has had the generous support of Faculty, Administration, and Trustees, the Bureau of Personnel Research at Dartmouth College stands among the leaders in this work. Thus, it has become an increasing burden on the Bureau to supply information and speakers for meetings and conferences all over the country.

It is the strong hope of your Committee that each member of the Faculty will familiarize himself with the work of the Bureau, and if he finds any available time, co-operate with the Bureau in its work with the students. The Bureau has done much, but there is still much to be done. The splendid co-operation given the Bureau by the Faculty is greatly appreciated, and it is hoped that during the coming year, even more members of the Faculty will find time to devote to the work to be carried on under the direction of your Committee.

Committee on Personnel, President, E. M. Hopkins, Dean C. ,Lay cock. Dean E. G. Bill, Dr. W. R. P. Emerson, Dr. M. A. Harrington, Prof. F. J. Neef, Prof. C. L. Stone, Mr. R. C. Strong, Mr. R. C. Smith, Mr. H. R. Wellman, Chairman