Summer Term
ON the first day of the new semester the student body was informed by Presi- dent Dickey that Dartmouth will offer a summer term in order to enable students to complete as much college education as possible before going into military service. The added term of eleven weeks, beginning July 2, will be entirely voluntary and will be open to both entering freshmen and upperclassmen.
The decision to offer a summer term was made by the Committee on Emergency Adjustments after careful consideration of the national mobilization situation, the plans of other institutions, and the needs of Dartmouth students. President Dickey, who serves as chairman of the Committee, emphasized that the adoption of a 1951 summer term does not mean that Dartmouth has committed itself to a fully accelerated program, such as was in operation during the last war. Students wishing to continue their studies on the normal two-semester basis will be encouraged to do so, he said.
Freshmen and transfer students accepted for admission to Dartmouth for the academic year 1951-58 will have the option of entering in either July or September. By carrying four courses of regular length, students attending the summer term will be able to qualify for their degrees a full semester earlier than would otherwise be possible, fust which courses will be offered this summer has not yet been worked out, nor has announcement been made regarding tuition and room charges. No decision has been made yet concerning summer sessions for the associated schools.
The schedule for the current semester, culminating in Commencement on June 17, will not be altered by the summer term, nor is any change expected in the September 26 opening date for the fall semester. Only one week will elapse between alumni reunions, June 22-24, and the start of the summer term on July 2; and twelve days after the close of the summer term, on September 14, the fall semester will begin. The summer ahead will be the fullest Hanover has experienced since 1947, when the last summer session at Dartmouth was held.
In a special statement mailed to the Faculty, the Committee on Emergency Adjustments said: "Though the pressure of subsequent events may change our position, our present conviction is that the normal pace of undergraduate education should be maintained by students who are not subject to military service. This view is consistent with the present policies of the Department of Defense as we understand them. Nevertheless, we believe that Dartmouth should make it possible for students whose college programs will be interrupted by military service to complete their undergraduate education in less than four years.
"The summer term will give to freshmen the opportunity to enter college in July rather than September, and will enable other students to expedite their progress toward a degree. It does not commit the College to a full-fledged accelerated program which might be expected to continue for the indefinite future."
