Summer Term for Freshman

Special 8-Weeks Session for Entering Men Starts July 8; Regular Summer Semester for Others Begins May 25

DARTMOUTH'S WARTIME PROGRAM of accelerated studies has been extended to entering students in the Class of 1946 by means of a special freshman summer term starting early in July in advance of the normal entrance of the class. Announcement of this further step in the optional speed-up schedule offered by the College was made by President Hopkins on February 2 at a special meeting of the faculty called to give final approval to the revised college calendars for 1942 and 1943.

The summer term for incoming freshmen will start on July 8, six weeks after the regular summer semester begins, and will run for eight weeks, ending with the same final-examination period that upperclassmen have. The July starting date will avoid both curtailment of secondary-school work and conflict with school graduations in June. Freshmen choosing to begin their Dartmouth course in July rather than September, when it is assumed the major enrollment of freshmen will take place, will be permitted to carry only three subjects. Further special requirements are described below in the statement released by the Freshman Office.

The longer summer term for upperclassmen will start May 25 and end September 2. In order to end the ensuing fall term before Christmas, the faculty voted a recess of only twelve days before the regular academic year 1942-43 opens on September 14. Thereafter, a major recess of nearly a month will occur at Christmas time and vacations of approximately 18 days will come between the other semesters in the College's continuous, three-term year.

A survey of undergraduate plans regarding the added summer term was made by the College shortly after the Christmas recess ended in January. It was then learned that approximately 77 per cent of the 1,553 juniors, sophomores and freshmen returning questionnaires either definitely plan to attend the summer semester or hope to attend. About two-fifths of the 1,800 men in the interested group list themselves as certain, while the others have financial and other questions to settle first.

No estimate of the number of incoming freshmen likely to enroll this summer has been made, but the group is expected to be sizable. Dean Robert C. Strong '24 disclosed last month that the Dartmouth application list is maintaining itself at the normal level of about three times as many men as can be admitted to the next freshman class. All applicants on the active list for the Class of 1946 and many secondary schools were sent a special announcement of the accelerated summer program for entering students. The statement by the Freshman Office is herewith presented in full:

"For the duration of the war Dartmouth College will offer, in addition to its regular, four-year course, an accelerated schedule of instruction which will enable the student electing it to complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in two and two-thirds calendar years instead of the normal, four academic years. This acceleration has been accomplished by some telescoping of the regular college year and the addition of a third, summer term of full-semester length. The opportunity of speeding one's college course by means of the extra, summer term has been extended to incoming freshmen as well as to men now enrolled in the College, but members of the entering Class of 1946 will attend a special, shorter summer-term having separate requirements.

PROGRAM FOR UPPERCLASSMEN

"The regular summer semester for members of the present freshman, sophomore and junior classes will open on May 25, 1942, and will close with the final-examination period from August 26 to September 2. This period of thirteen weeks of classes and one additional week for examinations will cover the academic work of a regular semester, and in the case of some courses will cover the work of two full semesters. Men choosing to continue their college studies during the regular summer term must carry a full schedule of fifteen semester-hours, which is the equivalent of five semester courses.

PROGRAM FOR ENTERING CLASS

"For entering freshmen whose needs or desires require that they complete the college course as early as possible, a special summer term of eight weeks will open on July 8, 1942. This term will end simultaneously with the regular summer session on September 2 and will have the same finalexamination period. Enrollment will be limited to students who have qualified in the usual way for admission in the Class of 1946 and will be optional with the individual student. Prospective members of the Class of 1946 will not be admitted to the summer term which will start in May, several weeks before the close of the normal secondary school year.

"Freshmen electing to start their college studies before the normal entrance of the class in September will be permitted to carry only three subjects. By attending classes six days a week during the summer and carrying six subjects during any two subsequent semesters, a freshman will be able to gain a full semester and will be in step with others who are following the accelerated schedule.

"Those entering with the Class of 1946 in July and proceeding on a continuous, three-term basis will be able to complete the eight semesters required for graduation by January 1, 1945. Those entering in September and proceeding on an accelerated basis will be able to graduate in May, 1945.

MEDICAL AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS "It would seem from the present trends in medical school calendars, as they appear to be developing among the membership of the Association of American Medical Colleges, that any student who expects later to take up the study of medicine and who, because of his age or the length of the program or for any other reason, wishes to complete the requirements for matriculation in medicine as soon as possible after the end of his junior year, should begin his freshman year with the summer term in order to be in line with the probable opening dates of the majority of medical schools.

"The Thayer School of Engineering has adopted a policy of limited acceleration for engineering students. According to this plan, students will be admitted in the month of May following completion of their sixth semester at Dartmouth. No 'speed-up' will be accomplished by summer-session attendance of students anticipating this curriculum. Acceleration is accomplished by continuous instruction after admission to Thayer School, the full two-year course being completed in sixteen months. This policy conforms with that of several leading engineering institutions where it is felt that the present emergency requires a strengthening rather than a weakening of engineering educational programs. A similar policy regarding the combined business-engineering curriculum is anticipated.

"The College is now preparing a special bulletin giving complete information on the revised calendar, emergency courses, financial aid as it will apply in the summer term, and schedules of charges that will be made for room, board, and tuition in the accelerated plan. This bulletin should be ready for distribution within the next few weeks, and copies will be mailed to secondary schools and candidates for admission."