The name of the A.A. degree was an issue facing President Lowell during his administration. Before that time it was called an Associate in Arts. But in 1933, when many junior colleges began issuing degrees of the same name, the president felt that the title of the University's full-credit degree was being cheapened.

He had the name changed to Adjunct. The A.A. is distinguished by being written in English while all bachelors' degrees are in Latin.

$5 Fee

The low cost per course--$5 a year--is made possible by money left by a Harvard graduate, John Lowell, in his will of 1836. In one of its stipulations, the will provided about $2,500,000 "for more erudite and particular" studies, including religious instruction, to be given to scholars at the fixed cost of four bushels of wheat.

The amount was later changed to its equivalent then of $5.

By 1907, money from the will was being used to pay the Harvard faculty to give "Afternoon and Saturday courses for teachers." Three years later, President Lowell, a descendant of the original benefactor, formed the extension committee to run the present program. The committee uses money provided by the Lowell Institute, which handles the funds maintained by the will.