The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-10-10

III The second point is as to the plan
and constitution of the Seminary itself.
All our Seminaries have hitherto, in
thoughtless imitation of New England
colleges, organized their course of stu
dies into acluTjcul,tm, a measured by a cer-
tain term of years, in which all matricu-
latcs pursue the same studies, for the
same time, and in the same order. On
this plan the professors not only rule, but
also teach, jointly, not as independent
persons, but as a faculty: each one only
occupying in cOnnexion with his col
leagues, his allotted share of the stu
dents allotted time. So the examma-
tiOns are the examinations of the facul-
ty. This plan, although possessing some
advantages to recommend it, in gymnasia
intended for the drilling of youths in
-scieac, aud languages, is everywhere at
tended with many absurdities; and in
the case of a professional school, has
nothing whatever to recommend it. 1t
has been generally discarded by the Con-
tinental Universities of Europe, partly
by the English, and wholly by the best
schools in our country. We should dis
card it here. Our Seminaries should be
organized into three schools; one of The
ology, one of EcclesiOlOgy, and one of
Biblical literature having two professors
Cf you please. Greek and a Hebrew,
dividing between them matters of intro
duetiOn and exegesis.) While the profess
sors should move in concert as to hours
of teaching, discipline, and police, and
in these things, and the general exercises
in public speaking, constitute a faculty,
yet in teaching his course, each one
should be an Independent teacher, re-
sponsible only to his employers. Each
department should be an indepen-
dent school. Each professor should
Judge for himself the extent of his
course. He should examine his own pu-
pills himself; for, notoriously, no one else
can do it thoroughly at once and Justly
to his students. The idea that the ex-
animation is the exercise of the Faculty,
or worse yet, of the Board of Directors,
is impractical and absurd The stand
ard of proficiency which he should ex-
act, should be fixed, and fred high, by
his employers; otherwise the examining
should be as completely his own personal
work, as the teaching. Students should
then be allowed to take such schools as
they find convenient, under iudiciOuS
advice, and consume as much, or as lit
tie time in completing their studies as
they need. The idea of curriculum
measured by years, should be utterly ig-
nored. The course indeed, should be
made so rich that no mortal, whatever
his preparation or talent, could complete
it in less than two years, the constitu-
tional minimum of study. But as for the
rest, let the students own capacity alone
decide for him. whether he shall eXpend
two, or four, or five years in the course.
And here is the first advantage Thich
l mention of this organization; that it
abohsheS the irrational measure of time,
for different mems capacities. 1t no
longer attempts to stretch the quick and
the dull together, on the Procrustean bedOf
three years. Second, it communicates
intense energy to the efforts of the IN
structors, by opening the way for an
honorable emulation among themselves.
The efficient no longer feels that he has
to carry an inefficient colleague along on
his shoulders. The different schools no
longer hare Of necessity the same number
Of students. A young man may take the
school of Church History and Govern
ment in this Seminary, and go to some
other for the school of Theology, where
it is more efficiently taught And this
leads us to remark, that thus, active
young men are enabled to get the very
best education in the least time, by TAX
ing in each Seminary only those schools
which are most approved. Third this
organization viii sOOnAlead to a vastly
improved standard of examinations and
tests. When the instruction is conduct
ed, and literary honors are awarded by
the faculty acting as body, the standard
is practically that of the lowest, least ef-
fcient man in the faculty. No one pro
feSsor feels personally responsible Tor
the misdirection of hOnors and awards,
or the degradation of the standard of ac-
quirement. That standard has to be
Kept down, for all the faculty, to the
Grade of the sloweSt and most perfume
tory man in it. But by separating the
schools, the energetic and spirited men
are untrammeled; they feel a personal
responsibility for the honor of the liter
ary awards in their departments; they
practice a wholesome thorOughneSs in
teaching and testing. Nor is the adyan-
tage of thoroughness in part of the
course, all that is gained. The thorough
men stimulate their more indolent and
relaxed colleagues, and set a fashion of
literary zeal which they dare not wholly
disregard. 1t is indisputable that in the
University of Virginia not only is the
instruction more extensive, but the tests
for literary hOnOrs are more faithfully
applied, than in any school in America.
1t is because the professors are thus in
dependent. Once more, the present inju-
dicious plan of our Seminaries forbids a
iberal-minded professor much to enrich
or enlarge his own course. He has to
teach it in certain fixed fragment of the
three years time. He cannot enlarge it,
except by robbing his colleagues of the
time they are entitled to occupy the COM
mon pupils Let the professor of The
ology, for instance, endeavor to give a