University of Virginia Library

VIII. Coordination and Entrance Examinations

In glancing back at the history of the academic department
during the Seventh Period, 1865–95, we perceive
that the most significant fact belonging to it was
the abolition of the old nomenclature of junior, intermediate,
and senior classes, and the adoption instead of
the collegiate or undergraduate course, the university or
graduate course, and the post-graduate course,—a collocation
more consistent with the true nature and purposes
of the institution. In reality, that institution, had, from
the beginning, been doing the work of both a college and
a university; but the division line between the two had
never been clearly drawn until 1892. The University
of Virginia was compelled to go on with its collegiate
tasks by the existence of certain educational conditions
in the communities to which it looked for its annual recruits.
Had it dropped that work and confined its attention
to university and post-graduate work, its material
prosperity,—which, in the absence of a great endowment
fund, it was forced to nurse,—would have suffered, perhaps,
irretrievable damage. Jefferson had always shown
impatience in acknowledging the necessity of giving the
lower grades of instruction in his new seat of learning.
By making the university and the post-graduate course
rest upon a basis of collegiate preparation within the
bounds of the institution, that institution came as near to
the realization of his fundamental design as the status
of general education in the South now permitted. Its
university or graduate work had always been founded
upon its collegiate or undergraduate work,—the work of
its senior classes on the work of its junior and intermediate,—but it was not until the Seventh Period, 1865–
1895, that the university courses were completely and logically

coordinated with the collegiate on the lowest platform,
and with the post-graduate on the highest.

An important measure for raising the scholarship of
those who were enrolled in the academic department was
the adoption of a rule which imposed the test of an examination
for admission. During the winter of 1875–
6, the General Assembly had passed an act that granted
to every student from Virginia above the age of eighteen,
the privilege of entrance without any charge for tuition
fees, provided that they had stood such a test successfully.
In May, 1876, a committee of the Faculty enumerated the
following as the fundamental subjects to be submitted in
this examination: (1) English grammar and composition;
and (2) modern geography and arithmetic. For
admission to the junior class in Latin, Greek, mathematics,
history and literature, rhetoric, and natural philosophy,
a particular course in each school, laid down upon
simple lines, was recommended, while for admission to
the intermediate or senior class in each, the course to be
passed was to be the same, but in a higher grade. No
severer test than the ordinary entrance examination was
to be applied for admission to the Schools of Modern
Languages, Moral Philosophy, General and Industrial
Chemistry, Natural History, and Agriculture. It may
be stated in a general way that the examinations were to
be confined to the subjects which were customarily taught
in the secondary schools, public or private.

In order to adapt the dates of these examinations to
the popular convenience, it was arranged that they should
be held at different places in town and country. The
first to come off took place in the summer of 1878, and
were not largely attended; but they were repeated, in
1879, with more success, under the supervision of persons
appointed by the Faculty. Afterwards, they were not

confined to Virginia; nor were they restricted to young
men,—certificates of excellence were granted to women
who had attained to a high level in their papers. During
the session of 1892–3, the examinations were limited to
two grades,—the junior and senior classes of the academic
schools.

There was, in the course of the Seventh Period, 1865–
1895, no important alteration in the character of the usual
intermediate and final examinations held in the different
schools. The valuation was still graduated under
four divisions: a minimum of three-fourths was still required
for the first, one-half for the second, one-fourth
for the third, and a figure more reduced for the fourth.[8]
It was suggested, in 1889, that the standards in each division
should be lowered. To this, the chairman, Professor
Thornton, very pertinently demurred. "As matters
now stand," he said, "there is a happy equilibrium between
the University, and the other Virginian and Southern
colleges. Any graduate from one of these colleges
coming to the University of Virginia finds a good year of
solid work still to be done. If the standard was lowered
to the colleges, it would hurt the latter, as the University
of Virginia, having no tuition fee for Virginia students,
with more eminent professors, and greater reputation,
would inevitably attract the bulk of the students.
No rivalry now exists. The University powerfully stimulates
the colleges, and they in turn send up well-trained
students to the University."

The formal English examination was abolished in
1869. In its place, the following rule was adopted as
pertinent whenever the applicant's examination papers
should indicate that his knowledge of orthography or syntax
was defective: the professor was to report the case

to the Faculty for final disposition. The temper of that
body usually leaned towards a lenient sentence. In June,
1871, Schele sent in the name of a pupil who had submitted
excellent papers for graduation in the department
of French and German, but had "failed lamentably,"—
to use the professor's painful words,—"in his English
spelling." The Faculty seemed to have inquired into his
special deficiencies in this respect; but ultimately decided
to grant him his diploma on condition that he would
promise to "devote himself diligently to English orthography,
"—an occupation of his time, which, possibly, was
soon brought to a termination.