The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1892-06-09
Universities and Colleges.

tional thought Of this country has not
yet evolved a thoroughly satisfactory
system Of education either in the COM
mon school or in secondary or higher
education. There is state of un-
stable equilibrium in college and uni
versity education particularly, Il
which threatens to tumble at any
moment into chaotic movement from
which a new cosmos shall arise. In
deed, chaos may almost be said to
have come, at least in the United
States; forlif one undertakes to com
pare the educational standards and the
cries of the three hundred-odd col
leges y and universities (so-called)
which offer higher" education to
the youth Of the land, we shall find
thatFscarcely two Of them agree, ex-
cepti in the most general way, in or
ganization, method or aim Many
are aspiring to be universities, none
will consent to be ranked as other
than 'sfirst-class'' colleges, while
here and there is one which is making
some really effective effort in the
work of real university.
The American college is mainly pat
! termed after its English prototypes at
Oxford and Cambridge It has been
a place exclusively for undergradu-
ate instruction. I'm a few institu-
lions, medical schools, law schools and
divinity schools were gradually added
without any definite purpose, in
most instances, to develop university
work along other lines. The study of
the German system of higher educa-
ton by those who, from time to time,
have gone to. drink from those foun-
tains OF knowledge, has gradually led
to the development of a University
system, which is peculiarly American,
and, like much else in this country a
piece of patchwork. The German uni
versity is a place for professional
study and original research. The
student is supposed to have finished
his collegiate course, and is now ad-
dressing himself to the serious work
of life. :.
This system we have sought to en-
graft upon the American college, and
theresult lisa patchwork. In a few in
situations which BY reason of large
endowment and wealthy patronage
have been able to MAINTAIN a high
standard Of admission and give great
freedom to undergraduate and collie
! gate work, tile addition of university
postgraduate courses and original re-
search has proved measurabfy success
full. In many institutions, however,
which have undertaken university
: work, it is very tame performance
\ A few text books to be read for exam
nation, anda perfunctory essay to be
presented, is the usual standard for
a Doctors degree. There is now a
tendency toward the establishment of
institutions for exclusively university
work. having only graduates of col
-lnfrac THAR
: If university degrees, as distin-
guished from collegiate or bachelors
degrees, are to be worth anything in
this country, one OF, two things must
happen. Either the smaller and
weaker colleges must forego their am
bilious titles of "Unfversities, and
consent to be and remain good colleges.
doing undergraduate work, or every
man who holds a university degree will
be compelled to place after his title the
name OF the institution which con-
ferred it. In the latter event, the,
survival of the t1ttest" will lead to
the elimination of the university fea-
are of the inferior schools. 3D..
1t would be better for the education
al interests of the country if there
were fewer universities and more coll
leges, andtthe distinction between the
two functions kept prominent. Then
Young men who go to college would not
be seeking to specialize in law and
medicine before they get through the
Freshman year, nor would we have
Instructors trying to impose on the
same freshman the methods. of the
university seminary or laboratory for
original research, before he has learned
even the a, b, c,.of the subject The
standard of college education would
also be raised, and the weaker OF the
I colleges would be relegated to the
\ place Of secondary schools Or acade-f
mics, and would perform their
4 work in thorough manner.
Illustrative of this, lately read a
a statement from president Dreher, of
Roanoke college, Virginia, that they
had received several young men into
their Sophomore class, who were grade
dtes Of southwestern Unirersitys The
world is still deceived byornament. !"
It is better to be a first-class college
than third class university In the
catalogue of a Dretanfiols Institution