An Outline of the Organization of the
Hunan Self-Study University

(August 16, 1921)

Section One: Guiding Principles and Name

Article 1. As there are defects in the current educational system, this university draws upon the strengths of the traditional academies and modern schools
and applies self-motivational methods to the study of the various fields of learning, in the hope of finding truth and training human talents so that culture may be
universally available to ordinary people and learning may be widely disseminated in society. It is founded by the Chuanshan Study Society1 of Hunan and has
been given the name "Hunan Self-Study University."

Section Two: University Board of Trustees

Article 2. This university establishes a University Board of Trustees composed of fifteen trustees to be responsible for the finances of the university and
to execute the charter of this university. They are to be elected by the members
of the society. The number of university trustees may be increased when necessary.

Article 3. The board of trustees may convene board meetings when more than
half of those trustees who are present at the location of the university are in
attendance. Those trustees who are not present at the location of the university
may communicate their views to the board at any time, and may also delegate
other trustees to represent their views.

Article 4. The board of trustees elects one person as the "resident trustee" to
exercise general supervision over the affairs of the university.

This document was first published in the Changsha Dagongbao on August 16, 17, 18, 19,
and 20, 1921. Our source is the version in Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan, Vol. 2, pp. 75-84.
Article 5. The board of trustees of the university appoints an unspecified
number of honorary trustees. The board of trustees may elect persons with the
following qualifications to be honorary trustees:

1. Those who have donated more than 5,000 yuan to the university
2. Those who have made great contributions to supporting the university
3. Presidents of domestic and foreign universities and specialized schools.

Section Three: Dean and Administrators
Article 6. The university has one dean for academic affairs who is appointed
by the board of trustees, and who is responsible for directing the self-studies of
the students and evaluating their progress. However, when necessary, instructors
in special subjects may be appointed to assist the dean in carrying out his responsibilities for instruction and evaluation.
Article 7. The university temporarily appoints the following administrators:

1. One secretary who is entrusted by the trustee-in-residence with the administration of such affairs as relate to letters, documents, communications,
and the facilities of the university
2. One treasurer, who is entrusted by the trustee-in-residence with the administration of matters relating to the disbursement and use of the university's
funds
3. One librarian, who is entrusted by the trustee-in-residence with the administration of the library of the university
4. One laboratory director, who is entrusted by the trustee-in-residence with
the administration of the university's laboratory.

Article 8. In addition to the administrators listed above, the university may
add appropriate administrators when necessary. Their responsibilities and number may be determined at the time.

Section Four: Correspondents
Article 9. The university appoints correspondents to major universities,
specialized schools, and scholarly organizations both at home and abroad.
Their responsibility is to maintain communication between this university
and other schools and bodies, as well as to monitor and report to this university on the conditions and main results of scholarly research by these schools
and bodies.
Article 10. The university appoints correspondents in those areas, both at
home and abroad, where scholarship is thriving (such as Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuchang, Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Moscow, and
Tokyo) to maintain communications between the university and these cultural
regions, as well as to monitor and report to the university all the important
cultural and scholarly developments in these regions.
Article 11. The university appoints correspondents to the major post-secondary schools and scholarly groups in Hunan Province (in the provincial capital
and individual xian) to maintain communication between the university and
other schools and groups, and to promote scholarly exchange.
Article 12. In addition to the above-mentioned responsibilities, correspondents may be given other special tasks on an ad hoc basis.

Section Five: Students
Article 13. All those who have graduated from secondary schools and above,
irrespective of sex or age, provided they have self-study abilities and are willing
to use the method of self-study to pursue advanced scholarship, may register to
enter the university after certification and acceptance by the university. Those
who are not graduates of secondary schools and above, but have comparable
foundations in various subjects, may also enroll after certification and acceptance by the university. Students in the various special classes at the university
need not, however, meet the above qualifications.
Article 14. Students of this university are of the following two types:

1. residents—who live at the school
2. nonresidents—who live outside.

Resident students must pass examinations in order to be admitted into the
university; moreover, they themselves are responsible for room and board, and
for miscellaneous fees. Both resident and nonresident students enjoy the privileges of using the university library, taking correspondence courses, attending
lectures and gatherings, and other opportunities for study offered by the university. All students must pay an appropriate deposit at the beginning of each
semester, which will be returned to them at the end of the semester. Whether
students should pay tuition and how much tuition they should pay will be determined at the time, according to the circumstances of their studies.
Article 15. The number of students will be determined according to the condition of the university's housing, library, and other facilities at the time.
Article 16. A student at this university will be ordered to leave the school at
any time should one of the following conditions apply:

1. Those who do not have the ability to study on their own, or fail to devote
themselves completely to the study of the subjects they have chosen, or
fail to show any results
2. Those who, under the pretext of self-study, divert their attention to improper affairs outside of the school
3. Those who do not have the ability to control themselves or have no aspiration to self-improvement

4. Those who disturb public order and damage the reputation of other students and of the university.

Section Six: Research

Article 17. The university, at present, has established two faculties, humanities and law. The subjects for study are as follows:

Faculty of Humanities:
Chinese literature
Western literature
English
logic
psychology
ethics
education
sociology
history
geography
journalism
philosophy

Faculty of Law:
legal studies
political science
economics

The details of each of the above subjects will be spelled out elsewhere.
Students must select at least one of the above subjects.

Article 18. The methods of study at the university are divided into the following two types:

1. Individual research-Students design their own curricula and study the
selected subjects individually.
2. Group research-All kinds of study groups will be organized. For example, in the natural sciences, a "Mathematics Study Group," a "Psychological Study Group," an "Economics Study Group," and others. In philosophy, a "Group for the Study of the Philosophers of the Zhou and Qin
Dynasties," a "Group for the Study of Indian Philosophy," and a "Group
for the Study of Russell's Philosophy." In literature, a "Chinese Literature
Study Group," an "English Literature Study Group," a "Poetry, Fiction,
and Drama Study Group," and so on. These will be organized individually
by the students of the university on the basis of similar interests, with a
fixed period to complete the research. During the period of study, meet-

ings, debates, and discussions may be called at any time. The organization
of each study group will be defined separately.

Article 19. To facilitate research, this university will institute the following
three supplementary measures:

1. Guidance by correspondence: The university will hire professors from the
national universities and other scholars at home and abroad to provide
scheduled guidance by correspondence. Their guidance shall include the
following items:
a. Providing reading lists
b. Guidance in research methods
c. Answering questions
2. Special courses: For example, in a field like foreign languages, the university should be prepared, depending on circumstances, to offer special
classes in English, French, and Russian. In addition, the university should
also provide various forms of popular education, such as workers' evening
classes, to be organized separately.
3. Special lectures: The university will establish special lectures and will
periodically invite well-known persons to come to the school to lecture.

Article 20. As cultural links, and to introduce new knowledge, the university
will organize various translation groups, such as a "French translation group," an
"English translation group," a "Japanese translation group," and so on.

Section Seven: Labor

Article 21. To put an end to the legacy of intellectual weaklings, the students
of the university will seek parallel development in both physique and intellect,
and will also attempt to bring together the intellectual class and the working
class. We should pay attention to labor. To realize this goal of [participation in]
labor, the university should possess suitable facilities, such as a horticultural
garden, a printing shop, an ironworks, etc.

Section Eight: Library and Laboratory

Article 22. The university will build a library on the school premises to house
important Chinese and foreign books, journals, and newspapers to be used by
students for research and reference.

Article 23. The university will build a physics and chemistry laboratory on the
premises to be used for actual experiments by the students.

Section Nine: The Presentation of Results

Article 24. Students of the university may present their results in the following three ways:

--- Notes

1. On the Chuanshan Study Society, or Society for the Study of Wang Fuzhi, see
above, the note to the business report of the Cultural Book Society of April 1, 1921. He
Shuheng was appointed head of the Chuanshan Academy after his dismissal as head of the
Hunan Education Association in May 1921. The Hunan government gave the society a
stipend of 400 yuan monthly, and with the agreement of the society, Mao used its headquarters and the money to help launch the Self-Study University as a center for Communist Party activities.