While Economics in the Rear-View Mirror is focussed on the content of graduate education in economics (including both the transmission of the tools and norms of economic science and scholarship), from time to time I’ll be adding artifacts related to the certification function of degree-granting institutions that have established rules to regulate the “paper-chase” of their graduate students. Examples: degree rules at Harvard for 1911-12, Chicago for 1903, Columbia University for 1908-10.
Today’s posting is a 1909 memo written by the founding Dean of Columbia’s Faculty of Political Science, John W. Burgess. Instead of having instructors filing grade reports to a central registrar’s office that performed the bookkeeping of course credits, Deans relied on student registration-books in which instructor signatures were collected, analogous to the German system in which students individually collected their Seminar Scheine (certificates) issued professor by professor, course by course as proof of their academic work. In Wolfgang Stolper’s papers at Duke University one sees that he carefully kept his Scheine from his course work at the University of Bonn before he went to Harvard.
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If you find this posting interesting, here is the complete list of “artifacts” from the history of economics I have assembled thus far. You can subscribe to Economics in the Rear-View Mirror below. There is also an opportunity for comment following each posting…
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[Registration books]
Course Records. It should be noted that the student is expected to keep his own record of courses attended. In the registration-book which is furnished him for this purpose, he enters at the beginning of each half-year the courses which he proposes to attend. At the beginning and end of each course the professor in charge certifies the student’s attendance by his signature. Before presenting himself for examination for any degree, the student must submit his registration-book to the Dean of the Faculty in which his major subject lies in order that the Dean may satisfy himself that the required minimum number of courses has been attended. Lost registration-books may be replaced if the professors are able from their own records or recollection to certify attendance; but if they are unable to do this, the candidate may lose credit for attendance.
Source: Course Regulations, 1908-10. Columbia University.
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Columbia University
in the City New York
FACULTIES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY AND PURE SCIENCE
Office of the Dean
September 23, 1909
My dear Professor:
The Dean’s attention has recently been called to the fact that there is some misunderstanding, or at least some difference of understanding, among the officers of instruction of the Graduate Faculties in regard to the signification of their signatures to the courses in the registration-books. Inasmuch as these books are the only evidence which the Dean has of the attendance of students upon the courses of instruction for which they are registered, and of the fulfillment of the requirements in regard to attendance whereby they become qualified to attain a higher degrees, the Dean deems it his duty to make known to the officers of instruction the interpretation placed in his office upon their signatures. The Dean understands that they certify that, to the best knowledge and belief of the officers signing, the student has generally attended the course in person, and that no substitution of work done or said to be done in absentia from the lecture room or conference room of the officer has been allowed for the certified attendance upon the courses of instruction. The Dean’s office will adhere to this interpretation of the requirement of attendance, until otherwise instructed by the Council of the University; or, of course, by the Trustees.
Very truly yours,
John W. Burgess
Dean
Source: Columbia University Archives. Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Central Files, 1890- (UA#001), Box 318, Folder “1.1.14 5/8; Burgess, John William; 1/1909-6/1910”.
Image Source: Universities and their Sons, Vol. 2. Boston: R. Herndon Company, 1899, p. 481.