Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-06
THE WORK OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS

II we may Judge from the criticisms
which have lately appeared in the columns
of some of our esteemed contemporaries,
there is an impression abroad that the use.
fulness of college professors ought to be
gagged by the number of hours they are
actually engaged in teaching. It would
seem to be supposed that these professors
ought to put in eight or ten hours
day, like manual laborers, and that unless
they can be shown to do this they are
somehow holding sinecure positions. Even
with some of the members of the Board of
Regents these primitive ideas have appa-
rently found Judgment, and therefore it is
in order to inquire what kind of work col
lege professors are supposed to be en-
ployed upon. The fact, if it be fact,
that professor does not spend more than
two hours day in actually instructing his
class, is one which has no bearing whatever
upon his efficiency. The presumption is
that each professor imparts sufficient
amount of instruction every day in his
speciality. The University is school in
which many branches OF knowledge are
taught, and there must be many teachers
No one professor can take more than
certain small part of the daily time at dis
posal, nor would it be desirable that he
should attempt to take more. Experience
has shown that it is worse than useless to
try to hasten educational processes, and if
the professors could find time for more
instruction than they give, the students
would be unable to avail themselves of
this extra instruction.
The truth is that great deal of non.
sense is being written just now about the
work Of the professors. They are not to
be judged from the standpoint OF eight
hours day" The only question which
has any pertinence is whether they
are competent teachers, and if they are it
is of no consequence to the public how
many hours day or a week they are en-
gagged in the classroom. Nor must it be
concluded that their classroom work is all
they do. A professor who has his heart in
his employment is very likely to spend
more hours at work than hod-carrier
would. He will do more outside his class.
room than in it. He has not only to keep
his own information constantly up to the
mark, and to inform himself of every new
discovery in the department. over which he
presides, but he must LOOK after his pupils
constantly, see that they are not Sinking
their studies, help and encourage them
when they get into difficult places, and ex-
ercise general supervision over their
work. 1t must be remembered also that
the professor has spent years of hard work
in fitting himself for his position. He is
in many respects like the physician, who.
though he may spend only few minutes
in the examination of case, brings to |
bear upon it the accumulated knowledge |
and experience OF years. Skilled labor of |
this character is never to be measured by |
the standard of unskilled labor, and moth
ing can be more unjust and absurd than |
the attempt SO to measure it.
1t is by the results of his teaching that
the usefulness of the college professor is
to be judged. In the Universities of Ger.
many many of the most celebrated and
learned professors never lecture more than
twenty minutes or half an hour at time.
and this not more than two or three times
D week. But the value of their instruc.
ton is fully understood and appreciated,
and they succeed in imparting information
which can nowhere else be found in so
satisfactory way. 1t may be doubted
very much whether two-hour lectures are
not considerably too long, in fact. 1t is
not from large doses of learning that the
ordinary student carries away the fullest
mind. 1t is rather from moderate lessons
thoroughly understood. Such criticism
IS has recently been made upon
.he time spent in instruction is both
stupid and mischievous. 1t is eyi.
iently written without the least
thought as to its significance, and
probably with no better or more en-
ightened motive than narrow carping
disposition. To say OF professor that be