New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-10
IN INTERESTING EDUCATIONAL MOVE-
MENT


Elsewhere will be found an interesting &C
count of hopeful educational movement which
has been recently started in the Episcopal
Church. A body known as the Church Uni
yersity Board of Regents was created by the
last General Convention, whose function it is
to promote higher and broader scholarship in
the Episcopal Church. The Board will aim to
accomplish this, first, by holding special ex-
aminations at which the students in the vari-
Gus UNCONVENTIONAL colleges will be entitled
tn compete. TO those who successfully attain
a certain percentage, resident fellowship, or
a travelling scholarship, worth five or six hum
bred dollars year and good for term OF
wears. will be awarded. The holder OF fell
loWship will pursue o postgraduate course at
some American college, while the holder OF a
scholarship will pursue similar course at
foreign university. Possibly also the Board
may decide to grant degrees to graduates OF
colleges who successfully pass prescribed ex-
animation.
The second object of the Board is to act as
the educational working arm and eye OF the
Church in planting new institutions OF learn
ing and sustaining those that already exist
and deserve to succeed. Strange as it may
seem, in spite of the high average intelligence
of its members, the Episcopal Church is weak
in its educational institutions. They cannot
be compared with similar institutions In other
Christian bodies in either financial strength or
high scholarship. This has been largely due
TO the fact that the Church has hitherto pos
sessed no comprehensive scheme OF education.
The building and support of schools and col
leges has rested entirely with diOceses or lndi-
yiduals. This has resulted in the establish
ment of many institutions for which there was
no real need, and for which also there was no
support. In this way large sums of money
have been virtually wasted. The Church has
indeed few excellent UNCONVENTIONAL col
leges, but they have little more than local
representation and Episcopalians generally
take only angud interest in them.
The scheme which this University Board OF
Regents has mapped out appears to be an ex-
cellent one and to deserve the cordial support
of all Episcopalians., Ultimately it contem-
mates the consolidation of all the denomina-
tional colleges into one or more great unlver-
stiles. with the power to grant degrees vested
in the Board of Regents. Local pride and sec
tional jealousy may stand in the way OF this
consolidation for many years; but If the laity
generally will heartily support the new move
ment, there is little doubt that the colleges will
gradually fall in line. While this may mean
the elimination of some institutions and the
absorption of Others, it will vastly increase the
strength and efficiency of those that will fe-
main, and raise the standard of sound scholar
ship throughout the Church. The aims OF the
Board are in line with marked tendency OF
the age, which is to have fewer and better
colleges There is no room for doubt that the
undue multiplication of struggling colleges in
this country has been detrimental to the in
terests of education, not, however because they
are small, but because they have no real reason
for being, and because, Also their standard of
scholarship is necessarily low. Any move
ment, therefore, which looks to a reform in
this matter deserves the sympathy and aid of
all who desire to promote sound learning and
broad scholarship in American institutions of
learning