The rules adopted at the last meeting of the Overseers look like very radical changes, but when examined closely prove to be very much simpler. They are substantially only an enactment of what already existed in fact, though not in form. The chief modification is in the old Academic Council, which consisted of the president, professors and assistant professors of the university, and was empowered to recommend to the President and Fellows candidates for the degrees of Master of Arts, Doctor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. This council is now called the University Council and its sole function is to consider questions of university policy. The power of recommending candidates for the degrees of A. M., Ph. D. and S. D. is now vested in the faculty of arts and sciences, which consists of the former college faculty, and any members of the professional school faculties who give regular instruction to the candidates for those degrees. The whole faculty will not be, as heretofore, occupied with the routine administrative details. These will be left to large executive committees, one for the college, one for the graduate school and one for the Lawrence Scientific School, besides one for each of the professional schools. Each faculty will have a dean, and the college, graduate school and Lawrence Scientific School will also each have a dean, an increase of two officers. These are practically the only changes.

The departments affected more than any other by the new rules are the graduate school and the Lawrence Scientific School. The graduate school will be on a more satisfactory basis under the sole control of the faculty of arts and sciences than when the courses were arranged by one body and the degrees recommended by another. The Scientific School is not absorbed, as might seem at first glance, but put on a firmer foundation. All its officers and instructors were members of the college faculty. At present the instructors, though still members of the faculty of arts and sciences, will form a separate administrative board, and will have their interests more closely bound to the Scientific School. The school has shown a constantly increasing vigor in the past few years, and under its new management ought to flourish even more. There seems to be a possibility of greater development in this branch of the university than almost any other, and a system which will favor its growth ought to be heartily welcomed.