The students live in the dormitories, in club houses on the grounds or in private boarding houses in the village, which is situated a mile distant from the university buildings. The professors live in homes provided on the grounds or in the village. Twenty Greek-letter societies for young men and 10 for young women occupy chapter homes on the campus.
In the government of the students, uthe largest liberty consistent with good work and good order is allowed. They are expected to show both within and without the university such respect for order, morality, personal honor and the rights of others as is demanded of good citizens. Students failing in these respects or unable or unwilling to do serious work toward some definite aim are not welcomed and are quickly dismissed? The university council consists of the presi dent, professors and associate and assistant professors of the university faculty. To it is entrusted the determination of requirements for admission, graduation and other matters relat ing to the educational policies of the institution. It acts as an advisory body on questions sub mitted to it by the president or trustees. The routine work of the faculty is divided among various standing committees with power to act and responsible primarily, some to the council and some to the president. Departmental affairs are in the hands of subordinate councils consisting of the instructing body in the de partment, a member of which is designated by the president as presiding officer.
The general control of the university's affairs was by special provision in its charter reserved to the founders or either of them during their lifetime, they to act in the capacity of a board of trustees, the trustees themselves having only a nominal connection. This pro vision remained in force until July 1903, when under a special act of legislature passed for the purpose, Mrs. Stanford finally turned over to the board of trustees full authority and con trol over the university. The board of trustees numbers 15, members being elected for a term of 10 years. In educational matters the presi dent of the university has the initiative his acts being subject to the confirmation of the trustees. The board through a treasurer and business manager, one of their own number, administers directly the financial affairs of the institution.
The endowment of the university comprises 90,000 acres of land, including the Palo Alto, Vina and Gridley estates, and interest-bearing securities, the whole amounting to about $30, 000,000, two-thirds of which is productive of income.
In its entrance requirements the university recognizes 29 entrance subjects of different values according to the time devoted to them in the secondary schools. The unit of value is a
full year of high school work in the particular subject, and any 15 units, with certain limita tions, chosen from this list constitute prepara tion for full entrance standing. The university has no list of accredited schools, but considers on its merits the work of all reputable schools. The student chooses a major subject, the pro fessor in which becomes his adviser and to which he is required to devote one-fourth of his time. His remaining time is filled up by courses chosen by the student under the advice and direotion of his major professor. Fifteen hours of recitations per week constitute the regular course throughout a period of four years. Stu dents are graduated when they have completed 120 hours of work and the requirements of their major subject. Degrees are conferred in May, September and January.
The university grants the undergraduate .degree of A.B. in all courses; the degrees of A.M. and Ph.D. for one and three years' work, respectively, beyond the undergraduate require ments; the J.D. and LL.B. degrees in law, M.D. in medicine, and that of Engineer for gradu ate work in engineering. The university grants no honorary degrees.
The work of the university is grouped under the following departmental heads: Greek, Latin, Germanic languages, Romanic languages, English, philosophy, psychology, edu cation, history, economics, law, mathematics. physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, zoology, entomology, anatomy, bacteriology, geology and mining, civil engineering, mechanical engineer ing, electrical engineering, medicine.
The university library contains 265,000 vol umes. The attendance for the year 1915-16 was 2,197, of which 500 were women. The faculty numbers 214. Tuition is free, but all undergraduate students pay an incidental fee of $15 per semester, also the customary labora tory and class fees. A tuition of $100 a year in law and $150 in medicine are charged in the professional courses of these departments.
In recent years the most important develop ment in the university has been the establish ment and growth of the medical school in San Francisco, based on the Cooper Medical Col lege foundation, which was taken over in 1908. The laboratories of anatomy, bacteriology, phy siology, chemistry, etc., are located on the campus at Palo Alto. The professional courses are conducted in the city. The buildings of the school consist of a clinical and laboratory building, Lane Hospital, with a capacity of 180 beds, a nurses' home, and the Lane Medical Library building, containing 40,000 volumes. The university is about to erect a new hospital building at a cost of half a million dollars.