Edgar Wallace Knight

Written in 1934, this is an unpublished study of curriculum change in American universities up to that time. The report documents the gradual shift of American higher education away from the classical European model to a more pragmatic curriculum. The author then discusses recent educational innovations such as the Columbia Plan and the Chicago Plan, as well as plans developed at Sarah Lawrence College, Bennington College, and the General College of the University of Minnesota. The report closes with a detailed analysis of the University of North Carolina, including discussion and statistics on student/teacher ratio, teaching loads, faculty composition, number of courses offered in each department, student performance, preparation of students for college, requirements for admission as they changed over time, and a final section of suggestions for improving UNC.