The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-23
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE.

lib AMhhlUAN CULLhUhb
1t is not long since the American college
course consisted of Greek, Latin and mathe-
mates, with a dash of metaphysics in the
senior year. In so much time just so much
work had to be done. The professor had to
do the pushing, and by hook or crook the stu
dent squeezed through. Those whose tastes
fitted them for these studies grew strong
under this system; lazy and indifferent ones
worried along somehow, while many earnest
ones, those who, like Thackeray, had "no
brains above the eyes," had sorry time Of it.
The chief end of the old course was said to be
mental discipline and it was thought that
the maximum of this valuable training was to
be had in hard and disagreeable subjects.
In the course of time the necessities of
modern life demanded the recognition Of mod
ern studies-such as the sciences, modern
languages, modern history, etc.-in the college
curriculum. But the introduction of these
studies was not without its drawbacks.
The old course had been rigid and
tedious perhaps, but it was followed with
some degree of thoroughness Now, there
was only time for hasty glance at the mere
alphabet of subject, which was followed by
fourteen weeks" in something else. 1t was
no uncommon thing for college students to
recite in four or five different subjects on one
day, and on the next in as many more. This
was supposed to be 'broad culture" the foun
dalton for future scholarship The result
was that on so rambling and uncertain
foundation no scholarship was built up The
college that requires of every student the
elements Of every useful or desirable study
(unless the college course be heightened be-
yond the conventional four years. makes it
impossible for him to do thorough work, or
even to take deep interest in any one study.
1t gives him, as Agassiz said of Harvard in
his day, 'only the dregs of education" with
none of that inspiration which comes from
high attachments in any particular branch.
The elective system now being so generally
adopted by our American colleges is designed
to remedy this evil By it students are ex
pected to pursue some one study with some
degree of thoroughness and enthusiasm, with
out which high scholarship is not possible.
Thus our American college enters upon the
third stage of its development-that of spe-
cial and elective work. Such work requires
more money, better equipment, more teachers,
and, above all. better teachers than the old
system. Who the teachers are has come to be
more important question than. what tho
course of study is. For the future the strength
of the American college must lie in the men
who teach, and that institution will be strong
est which most nearly realizes this ideal:
college in which every study is taught by
master, leader, a worker. It is in this di-
rection that the best universities are now tend
ing, and, when they have in their faculties
will be the worthy heads Of one great school
system, and the pride of every citizen.
But it is not to be expected that the growth
Of higher education will stop even with the
realization of this high ideal. The day will
come when many of the conventionalities that
are now regarded as necessary parts of an ad-
vanced education will be done away with.
The university of the future will be not only,
in the words Of Ezra Cornell, ''an institution
where any man can find the best instruction
in any study" but where the scholar will con-
tinue his work for no fixed term Of years, and
with no other reward than the pleasure and
power which knowledge for its own sake gives.