Page:Engineering as a vocation (IA cu31924004245605).pdf/86

 upon graduation. The schools might also drop the three months' vacation and adopt the plan of the Michigan College of Mines, Houghton, Mich., and the University of Chicago, in which the year is divided into four twelve-week terms. The student may take three terms each year and complete the course in four years, or, by taking four terms each year complete the course in three calendar years. A proper engineering course, however, cannot be completed in four school years, or three calendar years if the greatest good is to result to the student.

As will be referred to further on the managers of large corporations and special interests are also largely responsible for the numerous specialties in engineering schools. The profession is now so well stocked with embryo engineers that the schools can well afford to cease adopting methods for attracting students and devote more time to turning out the very best possible product. The slogan of the advanced woman is "Not more children, but better children," and the schools having more than caught up with the legitimate demand for engineers can afford to say "Not more engineering graduates, but the best possible quality of graduates." How the state universities will be able to do this the writer will not attempt to answer, but the privately endowed institutions can well afford to do it. By a reduction in the size of the classes they will require smaller quarters and less equip-