New-York tribune., 1899-07-07
THE COLLEGE COURSE.

One of the topics Of most popular interest
discussed at the meeting Of the American Philo-
logical Association. at NewYork University, Is
that Of the length Of the college course. Pro
fessor Smith, Of Harvard, speaking OF the
American college OF the twentieth century,
made an elaborate plea for shortening or
that course from four years TO three, probably
as strong plea as can he made. The profession
al faculties he declared, were almost unan-
mously in favor Of such a change. The four
years course was established long ago, when
there were no graduate or professional schools.
Conditions are now changed. and the length Of
the course should be changed to meet them.
There is not time for a man to spend four years
in college and then three or four more in a pro-
fessiOnal school. year must be saved by
shortening the college course.
We cannot regard such arguments as con-
vncing. The net sum of them is that the col
lege course is to be sacrificed to the special or
professional That would be grievous mistake.
No doubt there is need Of professional train
ing This is often, and not incorrectly de-
scribed as an age Of specialism. But no thought
full observer will dispute the statement that the
chief educational need Of the age Is thorough
general culture and mental discipline. This
fact is strikingly recognized in the growing
tendency to make the baccalaureate degree
prerequisite for matriculatiOn in professional
schools Years ago the average student in
school Of law medicine or theology was not
college graduate. Now many such schools re-
ouire all students 10 he college graduates. and
even in those where that demand is not made
the majority Of the men are entitled to write
A. r. after their names That is convincing
testimony 10 the value Of liberal general culture
as a preparation to special professional training.
To shorten the college course would he to les
sen the thoroughness Of that preparation. and
thus either to increase the labor In the profes-
sional school or to lower the standard OF pro-
fessional AS well as Of collegiate scholarship.
Beyond doubt conditions have changed They
will still further change in the same direction.
The thoughts Of men will continue TO widen
with the process of the suns, the scope Of
human learning will be extended there will he
more to learn in school and college and uni
versity. The logical way In which TO meet
such change is not TO lessen but 10 increase
the period OF study. We referred the other day
10 the evil Of trying to crowd too much into the
common school course. 1t would be equally dis
astrous to try TO crowd into three years Of col
lege life the work that Is now done none too
perfectly In four. And surely no one will
contend that the present college course Is too
thorough and that the A. B. graduates are un-
necessarily learned. There are, however, only
the three courses TO be pursued We may
crowd four years work into three, which would
be an evil thing; or we may eliminate one
fourth Of the instruction and study and training
OF the college course and send out the bachelor
with only three-fourths his present preparation
and culture, which would also be an evil thing;
or we may throw the additional study and work
and time forward into the professional and
post graduate schools.
This last course the speaker at the PhIlo-
logical meeting seemed to regard as an evil.
Perhaps II Is. from one point of view. II so. II
is merely one Of the penalties which human
progress inexorably exacts. But we cannot re-
gard II as an unmixed evil or as n thing whose
evil is greater than IT'S good II Is notorious
that In the three older learned professions
the supply has for years exceeded the demand.
This city is thronged with briefess lawyers
and patlentess physicians. and contains not n
few preachers who cannot find congregations
TO preach to- II would be a good thing TO lessen
the output Of the professional schools. provided
that the standard Of their scholarship and the
quality Of the output be at the same time