an opportunity to pursue courses _in
absentia_ and so meet some of the requirements for an academic degree or
a teacher's diploma. All students of good ability are enabled to
complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree together with any
one of the professional degrees by six years of study at the university.
Several courses of lectures designed especially for the public--notably
the Hewitt Lectures, in co-operation with Cooper Union--are delivered at
different places in the city and at the university.

In 1908 there were in Columbia University in all departments 609
instructors and 4096 students; of these 420 were in Barnard College, 850
were in the Teachers' College, and 229 were in the College of Pharmacy.
The numerous University publications include works embodying the
results of original research published by the University Press;
"Studies" published in the form of a series by each of several
departments, various periodicals edited by some members of the faculty,
such as the _Columbia University Quarterly_, the _Political Science
Quarterly_, and the _School of Mines Quarterly_; and several papers or
periodicals published by the students, among which are the _Columbia
Spectator_, a daily paper, the _Columbia Law Review_, the _Columbia
Monthly_ and the _Columbia Jester_.

With two or three unimportant exceptions the buildings of the university
on Morningside Heights have been erected since 1896. They include,
besides the several department buildings, a library building, a
university hall (with gymnasium), Earl Hall (for social purposes), St
Paul's chapel (dedicated in 1907), two residence halls for men, and one
for women. The library contains about 450,000 volumes exclusive of
duplicates and unbound pamphlets. The highest authority in the
government of the institution is vested in a board of twenty-four
trustees, vacancies in which are filled by co-optation; but the
immediate educational interests are directed largely by the members of
the university council, which is composed of the president of the
university, the dean and one other representative from the faculty of
each school. The institution is maintained by the proceeds from an
endowment fund exceeding $15,000,000, by tuition fees ranging, according
to the school, from $150 to $250 for each student, and by occasional
gifts for particular objects.

The charter (1754) providing for the establishment of King's College was
so free from narrow sectarianis