Baylor Profs Must Have Degrees

Waco Times-Herald
April 5, 1935

BAYLOR RAISES PROF STANDARD

All Teachers in University Will Be Required to Hold College Degrees in the Future

Scholastic standards of Baylor University were raised through three rulings made at a faculty meeting Thursday afternoon [April 4]. All teachers in the university will be required to hold college degrees in order to teach, requirements for the master of arts degree were raised, and the pre-medic course was raised from two to three years.

President Pat M. Neff announced that, beginning next year, no teacher would be employed under any circumstances without their holding college degrees, and as far as possible all those employed with degrees shall have had previous teaching experience.

Higher Pre-Medic Requirements

The other two measures were adopted in keeping with the trend in other reputable institutions. Higher pre-medic requirements were recommended to the curriculum committee by Dr. J.F. Kimball, vice president of Baylor, in charge of the professional school at Dallas, and Dr. W.H. Moursund, dean of the college of medicine at Dallas.

The custom of using several student teachers in some of the freshman courses, which was resorted to at Baylor and other institutions as an emergency measure during the depression, has been gradually eliminated by President Neff, who announced that the institution was sufficiently out of the depression to announce that no more undergraduate teachers would be employed in any courses under any consideration.

Registration Changed

The faculty voted unanimously to abolish freshman orientation as it has been carried on at the school in the last several years. Instead of first-year students being required to report Friday morning before the opening of school the following Wednesday, completing registration by Saturday noon and having nothing else to do until classes begin Wednesday, they will report, register and classify Monday, followed by sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students Tuesday. Under the old program many freshmen became homesick and discouraged before they ever started their work.

The psychological test for freshmen will be given on the first Saturday of the school term, Dean E.N. Jones announced, and remaining special instruction freshmen need will be given in their special chapel period on Wednesdays.

Members of the faculty will be guests of President and Mrs. Neff on their farm near McGregor at a barbeque dinner next Wednesday evening, it was announced.