University of Virginia Library

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Charlottesville, the seat of the University of Virginia, is in a
picturesque and healthful situation among the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. It is at the junction of two great lines of railway, the Chesapeake
& Ohio and the Southern, and is thus of easy access from every part
of the country.

The Sanitary Arrangements of the University are excellent. The
climate is invigorating, healthful, and free from malarial conditions; the
water supply is pure, being drawn by gravity from a mountain reservoir
six miles away; the system of drains and sewers is complete; there are
two athletic fields; the Fayerweather Gymnasium affords ample facilities
for bathing and exercise; and in all ordinary cases of illness students
receive treatment from the University Physician, with skilful nursing,
when necessary, in a well equipped hospital.

Equipment.—The equipment possessed by the University for the
work of instruction, alike in the Academic and in the Professional departments,
has been much augmented in recent years, and is now excellent in
quality, as well as extensive. In scientific studies large facilities are
offered by the Leander McCormick Observatory, the Rouss Physical
Laboratory, the Chemical Laboratory and the Museum of Industrial
Chemistry, the Lewis Brooks Museum, the Biological Laboratory, the
Anatomical Laboratory, the Pathological Laboratory, Physiological
Laboratory, and the Hospital and Dispensary. The Engineering Department
possesses a well equipped Mechanical Laboratory and Machine
Shop.

In addition to the Law and other Departmental Libraries the general
University Library is common to all Departments. Originally selected
and arranged by Mr. Jefferson, it has since been much enlarged by purchases
and donations, and contains at present upwards of sixty thousand
volumes. These have been arranged and classified by the Dewey system,
and are catalogued. Students are allowed the use of the books under the
usual restrictions, and the Librarian is present in the Library for eight
hours daily to attend to their wants.

The Courses of Instruction are comprised in six Departments, two
of which are Academic, and four professional. The former include the
College and the Department of Graduate Studies: the latter the Departments
of Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Agriculture. In the various
departments there are altogether twenty-five distinct Schools, each affording

an independent course, under the direction of professors who are
responsible for the systems and methods pursued.

The Summer School of the University of Virginia, under the management
of the President and Faculty of the University, continues for six
weeks each summer. Courses are offered in the following subjects:
Agriculture; Anatomy; Art; Botany; Chemistry (Three Courses); Drawing
(Three Courses); Education (Four Courses); English (Five
Courses); French (Two Courses); German (Two Courses); Geography
(Four Courses); History (Five Courses); Latin (Six Courses); Logic;
Manual Training (Four Courses); Mathematics (Six Courses); Music
(Two Courses); Nature Study; History of Modern Philosophy; Physical
Training (Five Courses); Physics (Two Courses); Psychology; Zoology.

For catalogue and further information address the Director of Summer
School, University of Virginia.

Elective System.—The system of independent Schools assumes
that opportunities for study and instruction are privileges to be sought
voluntarily and eagerly. Students are therefore allowed to elect for themselves
the courses of study to which they are led by their individual tastes
and proposed pursuits in life, as far as the time appointed for lectures and
examinations permits. Nor is it alone to those who wish to make special
attainments in single departments of knowledge that this freedom of election
commends itself. It has decided advantages also for most of those
students who seek the common goal of liberal education by ways which
varying aptitude, varying preparation, or varying opportunities render of
necessity different. The wisdom of the founder in establishing such a
system has been amply vindicated in the history of this University; and in
recent years many schools of higher education throughout the country have
adopted methods involving this principle.

The Session begins on the Thursday preceding the seventeenth of
September, and continues, with a recess of ten days at Christmas, until
the Wednesday before the nineteenth of June. The first three days of the
session are given to registration, and all students, both old and new, are
required during that time to place their names upon the books of the
University and the rolls of their respective classes. Lecture courses begin
upon the following Monday, and absences will be recorded against any
student not present, from the opening lecture of each course. Students
entering after the first three days will be charged a fee for registration.

Admission.—The age of the candidate for admission must be at
least sixteen years. A certificate of honorable discharge from the school
last attended by him, or other evidence of general good conduct, must be
presented by each applicant. Those who satisfy these requirements will
be admitted to the University of Virginia by the diploma of a recognized
institution of learning, the certificate of an accredited school, or by written

examination. Further information concerning Entrance Examinations and
admission to advanced standing will be found upon pp. 70-85. Students
who are more than twenty years of age are admitted without examination
to pursue approved special courses of study under conditions stated on
page 84.

Conduct.—The laws of the University require from every student
decorous, sober, and upright conduct as long as he remains a member of
the University, whether he be within the precincts or not. They require
from the student regular and diligent application to his studies, and if, in
the opinion of the Faculty, any student be not fulfilling the purposes for
which he ought to have come to the University, and be not likely to fulfill
them, either from habitual delinquency in any of his classes, or from
habitual idleness, or from any other bad habit, the President, upon recommendation
of the Faculty, may require him to withdraw from the University,
after informing him of the objections to his conduct and affording
him an opportunity of explanation and defense. The regulations of the
University concerning attendance upon lectures and examinations, absences,
withdrawal, etc., will be found upon pages 87-90.

Religious Worship.—Morality and religion are recognized as the
foundation and indispensable concomitants of education. The discipline of
the University is sedulously administered with a view to confirm integrity,
and to maintain a sacred regard for truth. Great efforts are made to
surround the students with religious influences; but experience having
proved that it is best to forbear the employment of coercion, the attendance
on religious exercises is entirely voluntary. Divine service is conducted
twice on Sunday in the University Chapel by clergymen invited from the
principal religious denominations; and other religious exercises are directed
by the Young Men's Christian Association.

The Examinations in each class at this institution have, from the
beginning (A. D. 1825), been held in writing. Oral examinations are held
in some departments, but they are auxiliary to the written examinations,
which, in conjunction with the class standing as determined by the daily
work of the student, are the main tests of the student's proficiency. A
special examination may be granted upon physician's certificate of sickness
on the day of examination, or other cause which the Faculty of the
Department in question may accept as adequate ground. See also pp. 87-80.

The written examinations are, in every case, of a public character,
and are conducted by a committee of three professors, one of whom is the
professor whose class is examined. This committee is expected to remain
in the room during examination, supervise the proceedings, determine
doubts, grant special examinations in cases covered by law, and make
report to the Faculty of the results of the examination. The committee,
not the professor solely, is responsible throughout.

Reports.—Reports are sent, at stated intervals, to the parent or
guardian of each student. These reports give the number of times the
student has been absent from lectures; and indicate, as nearly as is practicable,
the nature of the progress made by him in his work at the
University.

Honor System.—For eighteen years after the opening of the institution,
honesty at the written examinations was sought to be secured by
the strict surveillance of the committee alone. This was often found to be
ineffectual. In June, 1842, Judge Henry St. George Tucker, Professor of
Law, offered the following resolution, which the Faculty at once adopted:

This was the beginning of the honor system at this institution. In
subsequent years the pledge was extended so as to preclude the giving as
well as the receiving of assistance. The system has been in operation since
1842 without interruption. Its wisdom and its beneficial results have been
abundantly demonstrated. Its administration imposes no burden upon the
Faculty. Experience shows that the students themselves are its sternest
guardians and executors. Violation of examination pledges has been of
rare occurrence. In every case the culprit has been quietly but promptly
eliminated without need of Faculty action.

The spirit of truth and honor, thus fostered in the examination-room,
has gradually pervaded the entire life of the institution, and all the relations
between the student and professor.

It is not believed to be essential to the honor system, nor indeed to be
right, to expose the examinee to unnecessary temptation to violate his
pledge. The student is regarded as one to be shielded from such influences
and to have his honorable tendencies carefully reinforced and not
wrecked. Hence the examination is held in one place where all candidates
are assembled, and in the presence of a committee of the Faculty.
Conversation among the candidates and absence from the room are discouraged.
They are cautioned to avoid even the appearance of evil.
These safeguards have been found to be in entire harmony with the
absence of espionage. The fact that the candidate is not suspected,
has been found to lead always to the avoidance of conduct which
would give rise to suspicion.

Degrees are conferred only upon examination after residence.
Certificates are conferred on the satisfactory completion of B. A. courses in

the Academic Schools, and the student who completes both the B. A. and
M. A. courses in any School is entitled to a diploma of graduation in the
M. A. course in that School. In each School, major and minor courses are
offered candidates for the Ph. D. degree. Each major course requires at
least two years of work after the completion of the corresponding M. A.
course. Any student completing successfully a major course in a school
(with or without thesis) is entitled to a diploma of graduation in the
School. The title degrees conferred are Bachelor of Arts, p. 145;
Master of Arts, p. 155; Doctor of Philosophy, p. 156; Civil Engineer,
Mining Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, pp. 197-210;
Bachelor of Science, p. 222; Doctor of Medicine, p. 183; and Bachelor of
Laws, p. 175. The requirements for these degrees are given under the
several departments.

Licentiates.—Any person of unexceptionable character and habits,
upon producing to the Faculty satisfactory evidence of suitable capacity
and attainments, may be licensed by the Faculty to form classes for private
instruction in any School of the University, in aid of and in conformity
to the public teachings of the professor upon any subject taught therein.
The employment and compensation of any such Licentiate are matters of
private agreement between him and the student. Students whose preparation
is defective for the work of the University classes may often economize
time and energy by securing the services of a Licentiate at the same time
that they are attending the regular course of lectures.

Directions for New Students.—New students will find it greatly
to their advantage if, as soon as possible after reporting to the Dean of
the University, they will go to Madison Hall, where a committee of students
will be found who will gladly be of any service in assisting them to
get settled as quickly as possible. A general information bureau, a complete
list of boarding houses with prices of board, a directory of the students
with their addresses, a list of all forms of employment open to students,
copies of the University Handbook, and other things of interest to the new
men will there be accessible to all. The General Secretary of the Association
will be pleased to correspond with prospective students during the summer
with regard to all such matters, and it is suggested that every man who
expects to enter the University inform him of that fact. See p. 235.