Defense Instruction
WITH AUTHORITY GRANTED tO it by the Board of Trustees, a special Committee on Defense Instruction has gone to work at Dartmouth to relate next fall's curriculum more directly to national defense. President Hopkins is serving as chairman of the administrative-faculty group, and Prof. William Stuart Messer, representing the Division of the Humanities, is vicechairman.
Other committee members named by President Hopkins are Prof. Andrew J. Scarlett 'lO, chairman of the Committee on Educational Policy; Prof. Harold M. Bannerman and Prof. Bancroft H. Brown, representing the Division of the Sciences; Prof. Andrew G. Truxal, representing the Division of the Social Sciences; E. Gordon Bill, Dean of the Faculty; and Sidney C. Hayward '26, Secretary of the College and member of the central committee of the American Defense Dartmouth Group, which made the recommendation to the Trustees that a Committee on Defense Instruction be established.
The special committee has already taken several important steps and has the authority by Trustee vote to "make effective such conclusions as may be reached." Among the moves already made, the committee has changed Social Science 1-2 from a prescribed course for all freshmen to an elective course, in order to give incoming students next fall the same freedom of choice in the field of the social sciences as in the field of the sciences and the foreign languages. It has also announced that students may take a sixth or extra course next fall without charge, provided the course is related to national defense, and that they may change their course electives at any time up to the opening of College in September -without the usual fee, provided again that the change has to do with defense.
The Committee on Defense Instruction has also urged Dartmouth undergraduates to enroll in special defense courses at other colleges during the summer vacation, regardless of whether they get academic credit for such extra work. It has made a special point of emphasizing that, in its estimation, there is little prospect of the draft age being lowered to below ai and that undergraduates, should plan on continuing their studies next year and fitting themselves as adequately as possible for specialized roles in the national defense program.
In creating the Committee on Defense Instruction to act for them, the Dartmouth Trustees explained that they did not contemplate that sweeping revisions or drastic changes would be made in the liberal arts curriculum of the College. "The committee," the Trustees stated, "will determine which of the present courses of instruction will be directly helpful to students entering military service or other defense activity; discuss with chairmen of faculty departments or individual members of the staffs of instruction and administration, or members of the student body, proposals for adaptation of present courses or temporary establishment of new courses directly related to defense, and approve or initiate such changes in the curriculum; determine both in the immediate or the more long range view in what ways, within the curricular structure of the liberal arts college and in keeping with its traditional purposes, Dartmouth can best fit its students for service in this period of national crisis; and inform the present members of the undergraduate body and the entering Class of 1945 of such of its findings and decisions as may affect their academic work for the next college year, in advance of the opening of College in the fall."
In its recommendation to the Trustees, the American Defense Dartmouth Group called attention to the fact that it is not empowered to go beyond an advisory function in the field of educational policy and stated its belief that a committee should be named "to carry forward an intensive survey of the relationship between instruction at Dartmouth and National Defense." The Defense Group will continue to function as before in all fields of College defense activity other than the curriculum.
The Defense Group told the Trustees that it made its recommendation with confidence that authoritative and representative guidance in studying and directing defense instruction at Dartmouth would be welcomed by the faculty, students and their parents, and alumni of the College. It made a special point of the desirability of having the committee consult with undergraduates. "We are impressed by the thoughtful attitudes of undergraduates on the problem," the Defense Group said. "They face a crisis in their lives. They are eager to learn how they can best fit themselves for service while continuing their work in the College."
The Committee on Defense Instruction was appointed shortly after the Board of Trustees held its annual spring meeting on April 20. It met with President Hopkins when he returned to Hanover the following week end and held other sessions with Professor Messer presiding. On May 6 the committee issued its first statement to the College, printed here in full:
"The Committee on Defense Instruction, appointed by the Trustees some ten days ago, to study the problem of the relation of Dartmouth to national defense, has issued several items of interest to the College.
"The Committee sees little prospect of the lowering of the draft age below twenty-one, and points out the increasing tendency to urge deferment in the case of individual students in a large number of lines; not only in the obvious ones, such as medicine and engineering, but in a wide range of civilian activities in services contributing to national defense. So diverse are requirements for essential government services that each student should explore the possibility of combining with his major interest at Dartmouth—which must beprimarily a liberal education—some training in elective hours which would qualify him for maximum usefulness in the present emergency.
"To this end the Committee directs attention to the numerous summer schools throughout the country, and advises students to take advantage of some o£ the many short courses related to national defense, of courses in subjects in demand for various governmental services, or of courses prerequisite to more advanced courses at Dartmouth College. When such courses are taken for academic credit at Dartmouth, the usual College regulations will apply; but the Committee is eager to have students follow this summer work without too much thought to academic credit.
"In view of the rapid transformations in the world picture, the Committee has voted to permit students to change courses at any time up to the opening of the College in September without payment of the customary fee of two dollars, provided the changes are made for purposes demonstrably related to national defense.
"Another helpful vote of the Committee permits Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors to take a sixth course without imposition of the customary fee of forty-five dollars, provided the sixth course is taken for a purpose related to national defense and not to make up deficiencies.
"An item of interest to the incoming class of 1945—Social Science 1-2 has been changed from a prescribed course to an elective. This regulation grants to the incoming freshman the same freedom of choice in satisfying the requirements in the Social Sciences which at present is permitted him in satisfying the requirement in Science and in Foreign Language.
"The Committee wishes to afford an opportunity to any student to confer on his plans. Professor Messer will be in Room 229, Baker Library, for that purpose Monday through Friday, 1:30 to 3:00."
PRESIDENT HOPKINS ADDRESSING SENIOR BANQUET The seniors gathered for their spring banquet May 19 on the Inn Lawn to hear the President and Professor Cox. Seated, left to right, Louis Young Jr., president of the class of '41;Prof. Sidney Cox, Prof. Aton A. Raven, class adviser; and Charles G. Bolte '41, memberof class executive committee.
