The continuous session plan or the four tenn year is the logical development of the summer school movement. Its sponsor, Chi cago University, has used it continuously from 1892 to 1918. A quarter of a century has tested the plan thoroughly and has justified it. That few other colleges and universities have adopted it is no argument against it. It seems prob able that acquaintance with its features and its satisfactory results will g.radually lead to a wide if not universal use of it.
History of Summer The Con cord School of Philosophy was proposed by Ralph Waldo Emerson as early as 1840 and came to full fruition between 1879-85. The Haryard Sununer School has lived from 1869 to the present. The Chautauqua Summer School began in 1874. A summer school of law was opened in 1870 by the University of Vir ginia. From these beginnings have grown in numerable schools. Not only do most of the colleges and universities conduct such schools but Chautauqua schools, Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. schools, music schools, tutoring schools, normal schools, library schools, etc.,
are meeting the growing demand for summer school facilities. According to the latest re port (1916) of the United States Bureau of Education 674 schools were in session during the summer of 1915, 47 universities, 40 col leges, 90 normal schools, 39 other institutions, 458 independent schools.
All colleges and universities listed offer academic credit for work completed in the summer session. Of 90 normal schools listed, only 48 offer credit. The basis for such credit is 30 hours of "recitations, implying 60 hours of preparation for each credit-hour. A student may usually earn four credit-hours in one summer session. Since a college year is given 15 credit-hours, it will require four summer sessions to earn a full credit-year.
The process is, therefore, slow, but thou sands of students persist until they earn the coveted credit-year. Especially is this true of students. whose college course was inter rupted and who in this way complete work for the bachelor's degree; and many college graduates take this means of earning a master's degree.