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 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 
 
 Problems of the Graduate School 
 
 AN INFORMAL REPORT BY THE DEAN, 
 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY 
 
 1916 
 
PRESS OF 
 
 The new Era printing Company 
 Lancaster, pa. 
 
I beg to present to the members of the Faculty the following 
 discussion of certain questions relating to the Graduate School : 
 
 Graduate and Undergraduate Instruction 
 The Faculty of the Graduate School is made up of teachers who 
 are also members of other Faculties. The greater number of them 
 devote a large proportion of their time to the instruction of under- 
 graduate students, and to the administration of departments which 
 are organized primarily for undergraduate work. As this side of 
 the university work makes the greatest demands upon the time of 
 teachers, and as it concerns a larger number of students and bulks 
 most prominently in the public eye, it is likely to become almost the 
 exclusive interest, and to encroach upon the interests represented 
 by the Graduate School. The efficiency of graduate work is in 
 danger when the majority of the teachers who carry it on conceive 
 of their first duty to the university in terms of undergraduate 
 instruction. Under such circumstances, scholarship and investi- 
 gation tend to be neglected, and the instruction of graduates is 
 likely to be assimilated to that of undergraduates. One must of 
 course recognize that the condition of affairs which I have described, 
 in so far as it exists, is in large measure the result of the situation 
 in which the teachers of this University, in common with their col- 
 leagues in many other universities, find themselves, through the 
 burdens imposed by the demands of the rapidly increasing body of 
 students. But it is essential not only for the interests of the Grad- 
 uate School, but also for the life of the University as a whole, that 
 there shall be a considerable number of teachers who can refuse to be 
 swamped by elementary instruction, and to whom the work of pro- 
 moting scholarship and carrying on research shall be primary and 
 not secondary and incidental. It is necessary to take every oppor- 
 tunity of bringing to the attention of the President and Trustees 
 the claims of graduate work; but it is also incumbent upon us, as 
 members of the Graduate School, to urge these claims upon our- 
 selves, and to insist on giving to this work the place that rightly 
 belongs to it in the University. 
 
 In establishing the Graduate School, the Faculty adopted certain 
 principles which serve to differentiate the spirit and procedure of 
 graduate work from those of the undergraduate colleges. The 
 
 3 
 
fundamental idea is the freedom and the responsibility of the 
 student. Graduate work, it is stated, is not a matter of courses 
 or of the performance of routine tasks, but involves the develop- 
 ment on the part of the student, working with the advice and the 
 assistance of members of the faculty, of independent scholarship 
 and power of research. This clear formulation of principles has 
 continued to influence the theory and practice of graduate work in 
 this university; and even when its terms were not completely 
 realized in practise it has furnished most valuable guidance as indi- 
 cating the ideal to be attained. We may well congratulate our- 
 selves upon the wisdom of the men who laid down this most liberal 
 and fruitful doctrine as the fundamental article of our creed. 
 
 My reasons for referring to this subject are two. In the first 
 place, a considerable number of those who are now members of the 
 Faculty were not in the University at the time of the organization 
 of the Graduate School. It seems desirable, therefore, to call 
 their attention to the principles which are presupposed in its con- 
 stitution. In the second place, the fact that we are so beset and 
 burdened with elementary instruction may lead to one of two 
 opposite tendencies with regard to graduate work. That is, it 
 may lead us to the habit of letting graduate work largely take care 
 of itself, of failing to find time to give the desirable amount of 
 guidance and supervision to those whose work we have undertaken 
 to supervise. Or, on the other hand, in our anxiety to do our 
 duty by our graduate students, we may sometimes be tempted to 
 carry over and apply to them the rules and regulations of under- 
 graduate administration. Of these two extremes, I am inclined to 
 think that the latter procedure is the worst, in the sense that it is 
 likely to lead in the long run to the most unfortunate consequences. 
 With regard to the first tendency, that of failing to give the proper 
 advice and direction, it does not seem that the plea of the lack of 
 time is a valid excuse. As I understand the matter, participation 
 on graduate work is voluntary: no one is compelled to become a 
 member of any students special committee. But when one has 
 once consented to serve, one thereby assumes certain responsibilities 
 both to the student and to the University. 
 
 The Dean recognizes that it is impossible to give any specific 
 directions as to how to avoid the Scylla and Charybdis of graduate 
 work to which he has referred. Our method of procedure throws 
 the responsibility of working out his own method upon the indi- 
 
vidual teacher. But he feels justified in calling attention to these 
 dangers in our practice, and in suggesting that the principles adopted 
 at the time of the organization of the Graduate School should be 
 recognized by each individual as the compass and rule in dealing 
 with his own problems. Negatively, it is obvious that the things 
 to be avoided, and the things to which the very virtues on which 
 we especially pride ourselves as instructors of undergraduates may 
 render us especially subject, are, on the one hand, the neglect of 
 graduate students, and, on the other, the schoolmastering of them. 
 On the one hand, graduate students should not be accepted 
 in any field where organized instruction of a graduate character 
 is not provided. To accept membership on the special committee 
 of a candidate for an advanced degree is to guarantee to the student 
 that adequate provision for instruction either already exists or will 
 be at once provided in this field. Where such provision does not 
 exist, attention should be called to the fact that it is lacking. But 
 it is a mistake to go on, and profess to do graduate work without 
 making any provision for instruction in the way of advanced courses, 
 seminaries, or regularly organized conferences. A properly organ- 
 ized graduate school should be able to do something more for a 
 student than to assign to him a 'problem' for investigation. It 
 should be remembered that the purpose of graduate work in a uni- 
 versity is not to train special investigators in a narrow sense, but 
 to furnish education for scholars and scientists. There is a constant 
 tendency, especially among students and teachers in the newer ex- 
 perimental sciences, to regard the major and minor subjects for the 
 doctorate as identical with certain 'problems' or special investi- 
 gations. These 'investigations' are definite pieces of work that 
 seem to have a fixed terminus; for students often report to the Dean 
 that they 'have finished their major,' or 'got off their minor sub- 
 ject,' sometimes adding criticism of the 'red-tape,' which compels 
 them to remain longer to fulfil their residence requirement after 
 'all their work is completed.' It is evident that this indicates a 
 fundamentally different conception of graduate work on the part 
 of the students, and also, I think, on the part of the members of 
 the Special Committee who have been in charge of their work, from 
 that which I had supposed to be generally accepted among us. I 
 have always assumed that each of the subjects specified as a ' major ' 
 or ' minor ' for an advanced degree was intended to be represented 
 by some broad field of knowledge which has been somewhat defin- 
 
itely organized as a science, in the inclusive sense of that term, 
 with well-established facts and principles of method capable of 
 furnishing to the student training in thinking and guidance in 
 investigation. Moreover, I have assumed that the candidate for 
 the doctorate was to carry on his studies in these fields in a broad 
 and liberal spirit, trying not merely to work out some isolated 
 problem, but through his studies and investigations to educate 
 himself and gain orientation in his science — to come to understand 
 something of its underlying principles, of its history, and of its 
 relation to other sciences, and to human society. If any such 
 view as this is to be accepted, the idea that the major and minor 
 subjects are certain definite tasks or 'problems' must be at once 
 discarded. It is necessary that the student should get a different 
 point of view, that he should come to envisage his undertaking and 
 his own responsibilities in a new way. But breadth of view and 
 comprehensiveness in scholarship are not likely to be attained if 
 the student is left without opportunity for systematic instruction, 
 to pick up his training as best he may. The kind of instruction 
 needed is of course not identical with that generally furnished to 
 undergraduates : it should never be something prescribed or imposed 
 in dogmatic form. It should be recognized, however,. that in order 
 to attain the best results graduate students need instruction to 
 impress upon them the necessity of exactness and accuracy of 
 scholarship, to stimulate them to a consideration of the principles 
 and hypotheses upon which the sciences in which they are engaged 
 rest, to suggest to them certain broader relationships, — historical, 
 logical, social, — between various fields of study, to eliminate the 
 natural dogmatism that so easily brings investigation to a close; 
 and, in general, to furnish direction and stimulus for the develop- 
 ment of the spirit of intelligence and inquiry. If instruction of this 
 character cannot for any reason be provided in any particular 
 subject, then it would seem advisable that at least work for the 
 doctor's degree should not be undertaken in this field. 
 
 In connection with what has been said in the foregoing para- 
 graph, it may be added that the point of view, the way of thinking 
 and talking of such subjects by students and members of the 
 Faculty, makes all the difference in the world in aim and purpose 
 and general educational attitude. Legislation is of itself not suffi- 
 cient to ensure uniformity of standards and of practice: it is neces- 
 sary also to try to secure some agreement in regard to the under- 
 
lying educational aims. Last year one of our colleagues pointed 
 out in a meeting of the Faculty the need of attempting to reach 
 common ways of thinking in regard to graduate work, by the dis- 
 cussion of general principles from time to time in meetings of the 
 Faculty and of the Groups. I believe that this is a matter of the 
 utmost importance. Without some common point of view there is 
 no basis for cooperation, or any hope of approximating to a uniform 
 standard in our graduate work. There is a tendency to think of 
 discussion as vain and fruitless if it does not lead up to legislation, 
 and of meetings of the Faculty as a waste of time which do not 
 show on their minutes a record of motions passed as evidence that 
 * something practical has been done/ On the contrary, I am in- 
 clined to believe that we have too much legislation and too little 
 real discussion — that is, too little cooperative thinking and com- 
 parison of views on fundamental questions. 
 
 Instructors and Assistants as Graduate Students 
 Of the 482 graduate students registered during the academic 
 year 1915-1916, 232, or about forty-eight per cent., also held 
 appointments as members of the Instructing Staff. It is obvious 
 that this arrangement, by which the same individual may be at 
 once officially both a teacher and a student, gives rise to a good 
 many educational problems. To some of these I have referred in 
 my Report to the President of this year. From the point of view 
 of the Graduate School, the main question would seem to be this: 
 What is the effect upon the student of being obliged to devote 
 a considerable proportion of his time to elementary teaching, or 
 to reading examination papers? Does it not tend to occupy his 
 time and distract his mind so that he is less likely to become genu- 
 inely absorbed in his own studies and researches? There are a 
 good many sides to the question, and of course there is in favor of 
 our present practice the argument of necessity — a double necessity, 
 it may be: necessity that the University shall be able to fill these 
 positions at the salaries it can afford to pay, and the necessity on 
 the part of the men that they shall be able to support themselves 
 while carrying on their graduate studies. But it is a mistake to 
 accept the argument from necessity as sufficient and final. One may 
 be willing to recognize that in many cases some such necessity exists, 
 and yet see the disadvantages and dangers of the system. Of course 
 it is always true that much depends upon the individual ; and much 
 depends too upon the atmosphere of the department or division of 
 
8 
 
 the university in which the graduate student received his appoint- 
 ment. But, as a general principle, it would appear that it is better 
 for the student not to have his time consumed and his interest 
 diverted by the duties that belong to a position as Instructor or 
 Assistant. The same danger exists for the student that has already 
 been mentioned with reference to members of the Faculty, the 
 danger that the work connected with undergraduate instruction 
 will occupy the chief place, and that the development of scholar- 
 ship and research will become secondary and incidental. And of 
 course the loss under these circumstances is doubled and accent- 
 uated, if it happens, as it may happen, that for neither the candi- 
 date for an advanced degree nor for the teacher who is directing his 
 work is it possible to make graduate study the main, or even an 
 important, interest. Under these circumstances it is obvious that 
 candidacy for an advanced degree should not be undertaken. 
 
 It seems to me, accordingly, that as a general rule it is a mistake 
 for a graduate student to accept an appointment to a position on 
 the Instructing Staff, unless such an appointment is absolutely 
 necessary to enable him to continue his studies. And even then 
 he should be certain that the duties of his position will really afford 
 him the opportunity which he desires. Where the appointment is 
 regarded as strictly necessary, the student should be made to 
 understand that only by a special effort and special zeal on his 
 part will he be able profitably to continue his graduate studies. 
 The additional time demanded of candidates for advanced degrees 
 who hold such appointments is not in itself sufficient to offset the 
 disadvantages under which they must carry on their work. Not 
 only additional time, but also greater ability and effort are neces- 
 sary to enable a student who is at the same time occupied with 
 the work of instruction, to devote himself with the enthusiasm that 
 belongs to an undivided mind to the work of investigation and to 
 the discipline of independent scholarship. 
 
 Advanced Professional Degrees 
 The problems of what degrees should be given by a Graduate 
 School may appear to be a formal matter of secondary importance. 
 The question seems to me, however, to have certain bearings that 
 make it worth considering. At the present time seven different 
 masters' degrees are given by Cornell University: Master of Arts, 
 Master of Science in Agriculture, Master of Mechanical Engineering, 
 
Master of Civil Engineering, Master of Architecture, Master in 
 Forestry, and Master in Landscape Design. As is evident, all of 
 these except the degree of Master of Arts are professional degrees. 
 And if other colleges or schools are created in the future, such as 
 the proposed College of Commerce, the number of these pro- 
 fessional degrees is likely to be increased. It seems worth raising 
 the question whether these professional degrees should continue 
 to be given by the Graduate School, and whether the work leading 
 up to them can best be carried on under the supervision of its 
 Faculty. This is of course a large question, and it is not recom- 
 mended that any change should be made without the most careful 
 consideration of all relevant arguments. But logically it would 
 seem that in the Graduate School the distinctions between the 
 various colleges and divisions of the University which have been 
 organized for the promotion of professional studies, should cease 
 to exist. These distinctions have significance only, as it were, 
 on a lower plane. It would seem that the Graduate School should 
 not be concerned with professional training or professional degrees, 
 but that its function should be to occupy itself with science and the 
 promotion of scholarship, making no distinction between one 
 field of study and another so long as the same standards are 
 maintained. 
 
 While there has never been, so far as I am aware, any serious 
 administrative difficulty in regard to these professional degrees, 
 it should be recognized that under our present system, the Faculty 
 of the Graduate School has not an undivided control of the con- 
 ditions under which they are conferred. In all cases, candidacy for 
 these degrees is conditioned, not upon general training, or upon 
 the preparation of the candidate which is necessary for him to 
 carry on graduate work successfully in the particular studies which 
 he wishes to undertake, but upon the possession of a professional 
 degree which is recognized as the equivalent of that given by one 
 of our professional colleges. And in the case of the Master of 
 Forestry, and that of Master in Landscape Design, there is a some- 
 what definite requirement in terms of a more or less definitely fixed 
 curriculum. The same, I assume, will be the case if the proposal 
 to confer the degree of Master of Commerce shall in the future go 
 into effect. 
 
 I have at present no recommendation to make in regard to 
 this general question, except to recommend it for consideration. 
 
IO 
 
 It is clear that it would greatly simplify matters for the Graduate 
 School to cease giving these professional Masters* degrees, and to 
 offer in their place the degree of Master of Science. Irrespective 
 of the decision which may be reached on this point, however, I 
 believe that it is desirable at an early date to ask the Trustees to 
 establish the degree of Master of Science. If this were done, we 
 should then have two non-professional masters* degrees, Master 
 of Arts and Master of Science. In many cases the latter degree 
 is much more appropriate than the former, and is frequently pre- 
 ferred by students. Moreover, it appears likely that, even if the 
 Faculty of the Graduate School did not cease to confer professional 
 degrees, the degree of Master of Science would oftentimes be pre- 
 ferred by the class of students who are now candidates for these 
 degrees. At any rate, a number of men actually make application 
 for graduate work each year, who have the general training and the 
 special equipment for the work which they wish to pursue (which is 
 generally investigation in some field connected with one of the 
 professional colleges) , and yet they are excluded from the professional 
 Master's degree by the fact that they are unable to show in detail 
 that their first degree is the equivalent of the corresponding first 
 degree at Cornell University. In such cases these students either 
 do not enter the Graduate School at all, or are given a standing by 
 being admitted as candidates for the degree of Master of Arts, 
 which at the present time is the only Masters' degree which is not 
 hedged about with restrictions from external sources. The degree 
 of Master of Science would, however, be more appropriate in the 
 majority of these cases, and would usually be preferred by the 
 candidates. 
 
 Opportunities for Becoming Acquainted with the Work of 
 the Graduate School as a Whole 
 We have a rule which requires that the thesis of a candidate 
 for an advanced degree shall be deposited in the office of the Gradu- 
 ate School at least five days before the date set for examination. 
 One purpose of this rule is to ensure the completion of the thesis 
 and its presentation in satisfactory form before the holding of the 
 examination. But the rule is also meant to provide an opportunity 
 for members of the Faculty to inspect theses from other depart- 
 ments, and thus to obtain some idea of the work that is being done 
 and the standards that prevail in the various parts of the Uni- 
 
II 
 
 versity. I am glad to report that a good many members of the 
 Faculty have this year availed themselves of this opportunity. 
 There are several advantages in this practice, which it is to be 
 hoped will be adopted still more generally. In the first place, if 
 it is understood that the theses are to be inspected by members of 
 the Faculty when they are filed in the office of the Graduate School, 
 this fact is likely both to stimulate the student to greater effort 
 and care in his investigation and form of presentation, and also to 
 exert an influence upon the standards and demands of the Special 
 Committees who pass upon the work of candidates for advanced 
 degrees. And, secondly, inspection of the theses on file in the 
 Dean's office is not only an excellent means of acquainting oneself 
 with the work going on in different divisions of the University, but 
 also of gaining some idea of the general standards maintained in 
 the theses of candidates for advanced degrees. 
 
 It is of course impossible to obtain any rigidly uniform standard 
 by which to measure the quality of scholarly work, especially in a 
 University where so many and so various subjects are represented. 
 But some degree of uniformity is something towards which we 
 should endeavor to approximate: it is not desirable that each 
 department or division of the University should set its own stand- 
 ards quite irrespective of the others. The organization of the 
 Graduate School provides various means of comparing ideas and 
 standards. In addition to the opportunity offered to each member 
 of the Faculty of examining the theses presented for advanced 
 degrees, all examinations for these degrees are public, and the 
 Faculty has recommended that its members should endeavor when- 
 ever possible to attend examinations held in the Group to which 
 they belong. If these provisions (as well as Faculty meetings, 
 Group meetings, etc.), are left to rust unused, we shall fail to gain 
 the breadth of view that comes from comparison of different stand- 
 points, and shall tend to dissolve into a number of individual or 
 departmental centers, each going its own way as if the others did 
 not exist. We shall lose also the stimulus and encouragement that 
 results from esprit de corps, the feeling of working with others in a 
 common cause, with appreciation, and at least some degree of under- 
 standing, of what they are doing. 
 
 It seems desirable that members of the Faculty should know 
 when a thesis of especial merit has been produced in any division 
 of the Graduate School. The news of pieces of work which are 
 
12 
 
 in a special sense contributions to knowledge, and which bring 
 honor and recognition to the department and the University, as 
 well as to the graduate student, should be known to all, as it 
 would be a source of pride and encouragement to all. At pres- 
 ent one hears of such work only by accident, if one hears at all. 
 It is unfortunate not to know that from time to time work of great 
 distinction is being done by our graduate students. The " Alumni 
 News" for July, 1916, stated that Raymond H. Kennedy was 
 awarded the Fellowship of the American Academy at Rome, of 
 the value of $1000 for three years. It was not stated, however, 
 that the work which gained for him this appointment was that 
 presented as a thesis for the degree of Master of Architecture. 
 In the same number of the " Alumni News" one reads that H. S. 
 Kirchberger and G. L. Kaufman were awarded the prizes of the 
 Paris Society of Beaux- Arts; but there is no mention of the fact 
 that the work which was so distinguished was also done as theses 
 for the same degree. Twice in recent years the prize of the Ameri- 
 can Historical Association has been awarded to monographs pre- 
 sented to this Faculty as theses for the degree of Doctor of Phi- 
 losophy. The Dean has heard reports of other theses that have 
 gained especial recognition ; and doubtless there are many specially 
 valuable pieces of work of which he has no knowledge. Is there not 
 some way of reporting and making known such important news, 
 both that we may not fail to know and recognize a good man when 
 we see him, and also that we may not lose the stimulus and en- 
 couragement of knowing that work of great value and importance 
 is being done amongst us? 
 
 A Qualifying Examination for the Doctorate 
 
 At the meeting of the Faculty on Feb. 18th, a motion to require 
 a series of qualifying of examinations of candidates for the doctorate 
 approximately a year before the time at which the final examina- 
 tion is to be held, was after some discussion laid upon the table. 
 As this proposal was endorsed in principle by the General Com- 
 mittee, and by Group B, and as it was not very fully discussed in 
 the meeting of the Faculty, it seems desirable that during the 
 coming year it should be taken from the table and further con- 
 sidered. It is worthy of note that a similar requirement to that 
 proposed is in force at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Illinois. 
 
13 
 
 Legislation of the Faculty 
 The faculty held six meetings during the academic year 1915- 
 1916, including the brief meeting held on June 19th for the recom- 
 mendation of candidates for advanced degrees. The following 
 resolutions sum up the main legislation of the year: 
 
 October 22d, 191 5. 
 
 That the Dean be instructed to present to the Treasurer a 
 list of those who have met the academic qualifications for advanced 
 degrees, with the request that the names of all whose dues have 
 not been paid be reported to the Dean, and that the Dean be further 
 instructed to omit the names of all such persons from the printed 
 list of candidates submitted to the Faculty. 
 
 That Professor Lane Cooper be appointed chairman of the 
 Editorial Committee for a term of three years. 
 
 November 26th, 191 5. 
 
 That it is desirable to make greater provision for graduate 
 work in the Summer Session than has been done in the past. 
 
 That hereafter no thesis shall be accepted from a candidate 
 for an advanced degree until it shall have been approved in writing 
 by a majority of the members of his special committee. (At the 
 meeting of February 18th, 1916, the Faculty voted to reconsider 
 this decision, but after discussion the former action was reaffirmed.) 
 
 February 18th, 1916. 
 
 That residence during two sessions of the Third Term shall be 
 accepted as fulfilling the residence requirements for the Master's 
 degree. 
 
 That the wording of the rule relating to the printing of theses 
 for the doctorate be changed so as to provide that the printed 
 thesis should have both a cover and a title page, and that the 
 title page should contain a printed statement that the thesis is 
 presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School for the degree of 
 Doctor of Philosophy. 
 
 March 29th, 1916. 
 
 That in case a special committee is equally divided upon the 
 question of accepting a thesis, this fact should be reported to the 
 Dean, and by the Dean to the General Committee for such action 
 as it may seem desirable to take under the circumstances. 
 
14 
 
 That it is undesirable to change our present policy of refusing 
 to give credit toward the degree of Doctor of Philosophy for work 
 done in the Summer Session. 
 
 That the selection of major and minor subjects from more 
 diverse fields that is now usual is desirable and to be encouraged. 
 
 May 25, iqi6. 
 
 That the Faculty except for a period of four years from this date 
 the Graduate Scholarship in Veterinary Medicine from the opera- 
 tion of the rule requiring that all holders of graduate scholarships 
 shall be elegible to candidacy for an advanced degree. 
 
 That when the major subject for the doctorate is selected from 
 the applied sciences it is desirable as a general principle that the 
 pure sciences most directly involved should be chosen as minor 
 subjects. 
 
 That when a member of the Faculty of the Graduate School is 
 to be absent from the University on leave for a year or term, he is 
 requested to inform the Dean of his intended absence, and to 
 nominate to him some colleague or colleagues to act on the special 
 committee or committees of which he may be a member. In 
 cases where no such nominations are made, the Dean is authorized 
 to fill vacancies on special committees by appropriate appoint- 
 ments. The member added to the special committee to take the 
 place of another member on leave may remain a permanent member 
 of the committee. But nothing in the foregoing provision shall be 
 construed to limit the right of a candidate for an advanced degree 
 to change the membership of his committee. 
 
 That the question of electing a Committee of Conference to 
 consult from time to time with the standing committees of the 
 Board of Trustees be made a special order for a meeting to be 
 held early in the next academic year. 
 
 The General Committee 
 The General Committee of the Graduate School was during 
 the year constituted as follows: — Professors Ernest Blaker, A. T. 
 Kerr, W. A. Riley, D. Reddick, W. F. Willcox (elected by the 
 Faculty); and Professors W. D. Bancroft (Group C), C. E. Bennett 
 (Group A), B. F. Kingsbury (Group D), H. A. Sill (Group B), 
 W. M. Sawdon (Group E), from the Groups, with the Dean as 
 chairman. In May Professors Kerr and Willcox retired and the 
 
i5 
 
 Faculty elected as their successors Professors Ernest Merritt and 
 Nathaniel Schmidt, and Professor W. H. Chandler was elected by 
 Group D to succeed Professor Kingsbury. 
 
 The Committee held fifteen meetings between Commencement 
 1 91 5 and Commencement of this year. Among the more important 
 questions which came before the Committee during the present year 
 was that of the best mode of procedure in dealing with subjects 
 proposed for the first time as proper major or minor subjects for 
 an advanced degree. The Committee assumed that it is not the 
 desire of the Faculty that any and every subject proposed should 
 be accepted without consideration and due authorization. The 
 method adopted was to invite representatives of the subjects under 
 discussion to meet with the Committee in conference. The results 
 of such conferences were, I feel confident, helpful to the members 
 of the Committee, since it enabled them better to understand the 
 work of departments which have hitherto been unrepresented in 
 the Graduate School, and also of advantage to the representatives 
 of these departments in affording them an opportunity of discussing 
 with the members of the Committee the standards and requirements 
 of graduate work. The same method of conference was adopted in 
 cases where it seemed desirable to consider the distribution of major 
 and minor subjects proposed by candidates for advanced degrees, 
 and these conferences, I believe, were also mutually instructive and 
 conducive to the attainment of satisfactory working principles. 
 
 A good deal of the time of the Committee was also spent in the 
 consideration of special cases, and especially in the consideration 
 of requests for the waiving of the rule requiring candidates for the 
 doctorate to furnish a certificate from the members of their special 
 committee not later than the beginning of their second year of 
 graduate work that they have a reading knowledge of French and 
 German. This is the most difficult of all the requirements to. 
 enforce, particularly as members of a student's special committee 
 are frequently willing to endorse the request for an extension of 
 time, and sometimes to certify that these languages are not essential 
 to the successful continuance of the student's graduate work. The 
 practice which the Committee has this year come to adopt is to 
 grant requests for an extension of time where such requests seemed 
 to be supported by reasons, but at the same time to inform the 
 candidate that until the requirement is met his residence credit 
 towards the degree will be reduced to one half the amount to which 
 
3 0112 105622804 
 
 i6 
 
 he would otherwise be entitled in cases where the requirement 
 had been met in regard to neither language, and to three quarters 
 of the same amount where the deficiency was only in one language. 
 
 Statistics 
 
 The statistics for the year are given in the Report of the Graduate 
 School submitted to the President, published as an appendix to the 
 President's annual Report to the Trustees. In the same place will 
 be found a discussion of several matters which are not touched 
 upon here, particularly of the needs of the Graduate School and its 
 claims to support from the Trustees of the University. The total 
 number of students was 482 for the academic year 1915-16, and 147 
 during the summer of 1915, making a total of 629. This is a total 
 increase of 107, being an increase of 92 for the academic year, and 
 of 15 for the summer. 99 advanced degrees were granted during 
 the year, 34 Doctors of Philosophy, 26 Masters of Arts, 15 Masters 
 of Science in Agriculture, 6 Masters of Mechanical Engineering, 4 
 Masters of Civil Engineering, 4 Masters of Architecture, 7 Masters 
 in Forestry, and 3 Masters in Landscape Design. 
 
 During the summer of 1916, 213 students have enrolled in the 
 Graduate School. This registration was distributed as follows: 
 Third Term, 128 ; Summer Session, 55 ; Under Personal Direction, 30. 
 
 J. E. Creighton. 
 
 Cornell University, 
 September, 1916.