Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-05-28
What Is q University.

HUI 10 q
That depends on where you are. In
England the Universities of Oxford and
Cambridge consist each of a collection
of colleges, in which the students board
and are taught by tutors and professors
At stated intervals the University au-
thOrities examine such of these students
on given curriculum as have been
studying the prescribed time in the col.
leges., They are costly and aristocratic
institutions, aiming at high aud lib
eral culture, aud rewarding the success
full students with rich fellowships and
tutorships in which they can pursue
their studies, and wait for promotion
from wealthy and powerful patrons.
Those who do not seek these honOrS
still enjoy cultivated society Of the
highest rank and best tone in England.
A Scotch university is almost the
counterpart Of an American college of
the better and more conservative kind.
In Germany the education is conduct
ed by the State, first through the prima-
~ and secondary schools, and then on to
the gvmnasiums and Real Schools which
correspond pretty much to our colleges
and Polytechnic schools. When young
man wishes to enter the university, he
gets the certificate of his gymnasium
OF real school that he has passed his ex-
animation and with it goes to Universe.
ty. Here he generally finds large
body of students pursuing whatever
studies they wish under whatever pro.
fessors they chose. The professor teach
er what he likes, as he likes, and the
student attends when be pleases, and
studies as he pleases. To take given
degree he has to pass an examination
before the Academic Senate.
This is genuine examination to find
cut whether he can answer certain ques-
tons, but whether he is real scholar.
The thesis in lay, before them is one of
the tests required and very significant
one. If he gets his degree he is in the
line of promotion for the civil service
just as one of our West Point graduates
is for the United States army. This is
the aim of the majority Of students.
The ann of the professors, however, is to
educate and indoctrInate a learned and
PROFESSIONAL class, who can take up and
carry forward their great work of ex-
tending the area of knowledge, Elijah
trains Elisha to catch his mantle. The
torch bearers eagerly urge the young to
receive from their hands tn fiery brand
and pass it on to the coming generations.
The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are culture,
guilds, caste Of neutrality-suspicious.,
with it's priests and neophytes, and with
the auimating principle, "knowledge
for it's own sake"
In America we have no class OF this
sort, though there are many individuals
who are impelled by this motive. Our
American universities have another oh
ject, as deeply fixed and as frankly
avowed. 1t is to graduate "useful and
honorable members of society,"" to pre-
pare our youth to fulfill the duties of cit
izenship with ability and distinction, to
supply leaders to the professions and to
society. Hence it is the function of the
university to train the students to one
of two ends, either, with the Greek phil
osopher, as man "to know thyself,' or
to know nature, as a whole or in some
of it's special aspects. Our aim is teach
the humanitles in the broadcast sense of
term Oh one side, or science-world
knowledge on the other side, or both, so
be it that a man is found so broad, so
intense, so faithful as to grasp itail.
Moreover, we seek not only to call forth
the man who will know, but him also
who will .do'-;;thinkers, but actors as
well. workers.
Such being the aim of American uni