day of junior college graduation. This was not all. Imperative demands for definite purposes and uniform standards which are responsible for a great increase in the efficiency of public education, had not freed them from the demands of mere expediency. Presidents of some who had worthy and definite educational ideals chafed under a condition which put tuition above scholarship and made the size of the enrolment the chief criterion of success. They were handicapped in competition with other institutions the authorities of which, not having worthy and definite educational ideals, had yielded to this condition. As a consequence there was a strong influence towards low and indefinite entrance requirements, low and indefinite standards for graduation, and the sacrifice of teaching efficiency and school equipment for the sake of temptingly illustrated advertisements and persuasive solicitors of students.

PLAN

It was evident that in formulating a plan for affiliation the university must take the initiative. From the beginning, however, it was made clear to the colleges that the university had no desire to dominate them and that the conditions for accrediting were to be determined by the logic of the situation. With this understanding, college authorities were invited to exercise the greatest freedom in making suggestions and criticisms. As a consequence there has been close and friendly cooperation and no friction whatever.

From the standpoint of both colleges and university it appeared that the colleges should offer two years of work in advance of that given by standard secondary schools. Most of the colleges concerned were giving about this limit of work, some a little less and some a little more. On the other hand, the recent movement to require a two years' course in advance of the secondary school as a preparation. for the work of the professional schools, which in turn made a division in the four years' course of the College of Arts and Science in the university, also pointed definitely to the

same conclusion. Since the university, which is a member of the Association of American Universities, represents standards that are the result of a nation-wide experience, this led naturally to the acceptance of the standards of the first two years of the College of Arts and Science as necessary for affiliation.

A booklet was prepared setting forth certain minimum requirements necessary to meet the standards decided upon. It contained regulations with regard to entrance requirements, length of term, amount of work to be carried by individual students, courses to be offered, quality of work, requirements for graduation, preparation of teachers, and equipment of libraries and laboratories. These regulations furnished a working basis upon which accrediting could begin. Of course, they are subject to modification whenever the desirability for modification is made logically conclusive, whether the initiative is taken by the university or by the colleges concerned.

ADMINISTRATION

The first step towards affiliation was left, of course, to the individual colleges themselves. When the authorities of a college applied for affiliation, they were given a blank form which made it easy for them to furnish the essential data with regard to the institution.

Since requirements for accrediting could not be stated with sufficient definiteness to be interpreted alike by various individuals, if the data received on the blank seemed to indicate that the college complied with the conditions for accrediting, a committee composed of members of the university faculty visited the institution and made a thoro examination. As far as practicable the same examiners visited all colleges that applied for affiliation. In this way each institution was tested as nearly as possible by the same standards. The examining committee submitted a detailed report to the University Committee on Accrediting Junior Colleges which had been appointed by the faculty. This committee took final action. If the college met all of the conditions for accrediting it was approved;

if it did not meet all of the conditions the deficiency was made known to the authorities so that they had something definite to guide them in making the improvement necessary for affiliation. In every case as the result of examination suggestions were made for the further improvement of the college. Recommendations with regard to desirable improvements in buildings, administration, supervision, teaching and equipment were made very definite. In some cases even lists of books that should be added to the libraries and lists of apparatus needed by the laboratories were submitted. These suggestions were given in a spirit of helpfulness and were cordially received in the spirit in which they were given. It is the present policy of the university to have a committee visit each college once a year, and accordingly the colleges continue to have the advantage of friendly suggestions.

RESULTS

The purpose and limits of this article require only a qualitative statement of some of the more conspicuous results of the movement. These results are obviously the outcome of the colleges becoming a part of a system which marks clearly their field of work and sets before them definite ideals.

The first conspicuous result was the improvement in the colleges themselves. Advice given by the university was followed willingly and promptly. Faculties were recruited with better prepared teachers and some of the teachers previously employed made further preparation for their work. Library and laboratory equipment was made more adequate, entrance requirements were raised and made definite, and the requirements for graduation were raised in some instances and made uniform in all.

As soon as the recognized efficiency of the accredited colleges became known to the public, together with the fact that graduates could enter the university without examination and continue their work on the same basis with students who came up thru the freshman and sophomore classes of the College of Arts and Science, an improvement

in the student body of the colleges was noticeable. One reason for this is that in the junior colleges thus far accredited, which are all for young women, the students are more continuously and closely supervised than is practicable in a university. Parents who hesitate to place upon their daughters at an early age the responsibility for selfdirection which goes with the greater freedom of university life find in the junior colleges opportunity for their daughters to begin a higher education with less responsibility for selfdirection. Again, the State Superintendent of Public Schools, assured of the efficiency of the colleges, has made it possible for them to give teacher-training courses that lead to temporary certification for teaching. In several of the colleges a number of young women have enrolled for the teacher-training work.

Another result is the guidance which standardization affords philanthropic persons who are interested in promoting education. An instance of this appeared recently when one of the accredited junior colleges, needing $75,000 to complete payment for a building, appealed for this amount to members of the religious denomination which it represents. A business man of St. Louis headed the subscription list with $10,000, and in doing so remarked: "I never contributed to this college before because I was not certain that its work was effective and that the money would be well invested. But now, since the university has vouched for the efficiency of the institution, I am glad to contribute to its needs." The $75,000 was raised with gratifying rapidity. In the case of another college, a prominent business man who had previously contributed to its support said to the president of the board of directors: "See that all books and other equipment needed according to the advice of the university are obtained. We must have the best. There must not be a weak place in the college." This remark was made in view of the special recommendations submitted to the college after inspection and carried with it the understanding that the speaker would meet the expense incurred.

The most encouraging result, however, is the organization of the accredited junior colleges themselves in the interest of their own development. Affiliation with the university gave to them a common interest which led to the formation of the Missouri Junior College Union. The several institutions forming this union are: Christian College, Columbia; Cottey College, Nevada; Hardin College, Mexico; Howard-Payne College, Fayette; Lindenwood Junior College, St. Charles; Stephens College, Columbia; and William Woods College, Fulton.

The Missouri Junior College Union has begun to solve many of the problems common to the institutions concerned. The president of a Kansas college and the president of an Arkansas college attended a recent meeting of the Union. Both became much interested at once in the discussions, were present at all sessions, and said that they were well repaid for their time and expense. The question of degree has been settled by a decision to grant only the degree of Associate in Arts. Problems of administration are the most pressing. Plans are being made to save administrative expenses, especially those incurred in securing students. Here competition will undoubtedly be modified by cooperation. Exchange of ideas will in all probability improve various details in the administration within the individual colleges themselves.

One important question which has been considered by the Union and decided affirmatively is whether the junior college course should be made four years in length, extending from the second year of the high school to the junior year of the College of Arts and Science, with the maintenance temporarily of a two years' preparatory course corresponding to that of the first two years of the standard high school. In time this preparatory course when found unnecessary can be abolished, as has been done in the case of preparatory courses formerly maintained by state universities. Such a four-year course will give greater unity to the college. It will meet the needs of most patrons who can find at least two years of effective high school work in their home com