Following is the introduction and excerpts form part of the text for the report on the Freshman Year which the Freshman Confidential Guide committee submitted Wednesday to Dean Hanford and Dean Chauncey. It was drawn up under the chairmanship of Jack D. Andrews by Messrs. A. E. Brown; R. P. Brown, Cline, Coqullette, Davies, English, Harvin, Hedblom, Sullivan, and Tobin.

INTRODUCTION

The policy of the second Freshman Guide Committee was largely foreshadowed by the work of its predecessor. Last year's report contained a thorough analysis of freshman conditions and made clear the large issues, so that we were able to follow the program there outlined. Thus, our task here is one of emphasis and interpretation rather than originality. We have also tried to advance additional technical considerations that we hope will give practicability to many of the worthwhile ideas only mentioned last year.

In making our study of freshmen problems we could not help but see the made since last term. We felt that in general both the caliber of the section men and the methods of teaching had risen above previous levels. We offer this second report in a spirit of constructive criticism, in the hope that it may accomplish as satisfying results as the first survey. Because of the nature of the Guide, it is impossible to recite commendations of the courses; we are concerned with bettering the curriculum set-up. But this does not mean that we found only undesirable conditions in our survey of the Freshman year.

Again, while, as we have said, many recommendations made last year have born fruit, we have also found conditions existing which last year's proposals might have remedied. In the cases where we have agreed with the 1938 group concerning the need for reform we have emphasized these agreements. We feel that when conditions lead to the same reaction and disfavor one year after another, the proposals for change in these quarters should be considered most carefully.

It is of course true that we can judge only form a Freshman point of view. Yet this factor should make our report valuable as a record of first-year experience. We will achieve our greatest object if our work is accepted as an expression of Freshman opinions combined with various suggestions for improvement.

We have organized our discussion into three main divisions, but have numbered consecutively the resolutions pertaining to all subjects regardless of the division under which they fall. We trust that this will facilitate easy reference. Each resolution contains a paragraph or two of explanation, and subsequently a short paragraph stating out recommendation for improvement.

1. THE CURRICULUM

A. The Arts

1. In the discussion of English A it was found that the differences between the various sections caused most of the defects which are numerous in this obligatory course. Such outstanding faults as wide discrepancy in marking, difference in amount of literary material included with composition drill, and great variance in the length and frequency of required themes, were obvious. In every case the solution to the difficulty depends on the improvement of section organization and section men.

All the men who are enrolled in English A should have some knowledge of Widener Library. Under the present arrangement, any, such knowledge is obtained only if the student uses the facilities of his own accord. If tow of the themes assigned in the first half year of English A were required to be research papers, that is, themes which result from reading and comparison of reference books, the familiarity of all the students with the reference and catalogue divisions of the library would be increased.

Also, while many of the complaints of boredom in English A will be eliminated by the weeding out of t hose men entering under the "Highest Seventh" plan through a September examination, the committee felt that the stress on composition ability alone in the September examination would probably enable some of those men receiving a grade of less than 75 on the college board examination because of deficiency in literary knowledge to successfully avoid English A.

We therefore recommend that the sections in English a be co-ordinated in respect to material to be included in all sections, that a standard of length and frequency for all themes be established, and that the section men in the course confer together on themes as is the case with hour examinations in History I in order that marking may be of a standard, consistent nature.

Because of the size of the group, it is not feasible to suggest that all the incoming men who receive lower than 75 on the college board English examination to be allowed to take the examination to be given in September. Therefore, we recommend that all those men who received between 75 and 60 on the college board examination be allowed to take the September examination in English.

We also recommend that tow of the themes assigned in English A in the first half-year be papers requiring work in Widener with reference books in order that the student will become acquainted with the library facilities.