ENGINEERS' COURSES CHANGED

Professor A. E. Norton, of the Engineering Department, has written for the CRIMSON the following description of certain modifications in courses offered by his department.

"The division of Engineering Sciences has recently published an announcement of changes in its courses. Whereas this Department has often been regarded as merely a preparatory stage for men intending to continue their professional studies in the School of Engineering after graduation, it has always endeavored to adapt the courses to college students looking forward to executive positions in business and industrial life, and to those who appreciate the educational value of this kind of training.

"The proposed changes are in the direction of making this policy even more clear; at the same time not lessening the value of the courses for prospective engineers. For instance, in the field of power generation--a matter of increasing interest in modern life--two separate courses on mechanical and electrical power, respectively, have been combined into one general course (Engineering Sciences 8). Although this will reduce the offering temporarily, no doubt is felt that the new course will meet the general demand better than the old.

"Another change is the introduction of a new course in advanced mechanics (Engineering Sciences 7). This amplifies the elementary work of Engineering Sciences 5 or Mathematics 4, and includes the subjects of graphic statics, kinetics, mechanism and resistance of materials--all topics of interest to students whose interests are of a scientific or mathematical nature.

Summer Shop-Work Discontinued.

"The summer work in surveying at Squam Lake, N. H., which has always proved an effective course even for men not intending to enter the engineering field later, will not be changed, but the summer shop-work will be discontinued after the coming summer.

"A half-course in elementary bacteriology introductory to sanitary science and public health, was offered for the first time this year. The course in mechanical drawing, and descriptive geometry and in mechanics will remain as at present.

"This department is to be developed quite independent of the professional departments which the University is to conduct in co-operation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the recent agreement. Its courses in Harvard College, as above outlined, are fundamental to all branches of modern engineering science and are to be conducted in close correlation not only to natural science, but to the so-called humanities. By making possible this close association between fundamental science courses and a common liberal education, the University is believed by many to be making a contribution quite as significant as that which it will undertake in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.