El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-26
THE FUNCTION OF THE COLLEGE

THE FUNCTION OF THE COLLEGE.
What is the function of a college
What must it accomplish to earn its
right to live? The characteristic fun
ctiOn of a college is no longer the pur-
veyence of erudition. Perhaps it was
once, before the organization of gen.
pine universities. The higher educa-
ton. the cultivation of rigorous schol-
arship. now belongs to the graduate
school. The college should concern it
self with the final stage of secondary
education, aiming to stimulate general
culture to train character. The
amount Of learning which it succeeds
in imparting is insignificant. 1t can
only justify itself by furnishing sound
and successful training in the laws and
arts of life by Kidding its pupils of
their boyish irrespo visibility. If the
college has to leave the task of walk
ing up" the graduate. OF compelling
him to take sane and manly views of
life, to the business office, it is use
less thing.
Why is the college necessary at all q?
Many think it would be better to fol-
low the german precedent by adding
four years to the high school course.
letting such graduates as have call
coed to the university, while the re-
mainder og into business. The col
lege is necessary, because when adol-
essence is we'll established awakening
individually demands more autonomy
than can be accorded in the home,
where the remembrance of infancy is
always strong upon the parents. The
residential college gives a larger
measure of freedom Just when it be-
gins to be needed. Even at the risk of
some error. it throws the student upon
his own resources at the time when
minute guidance prolongs childhood,
and FINELY prcvokes a violent revolt.
With all its faults, the college COM
munity is a more faithful transcript
of the world ard it's ways than the best
ordered home. The curriculum and the
general life of a residential college are
intended to carry the student from
childish responsibility and domestic
subsection to manly self-reliance.
Graduation from n German gymna-
SUM is a guarantee of much knowl-
edge and training. What college can
say as much for its pass diploma?
And yet for boys of from sixteen to
twenty-one the American college is
much better suited. 1t is psychologist
cally fitted to the last stages of adde's
cence. The gymnasium IS an apron
string too long drawn out. The col
lege has primary regard to character:
it is essentially transitional. and must
stand or fall by its success in conduc-
ting its pupils to mental independence
and social common sense. The college
renders its best service by introducing
the growing boy to the world and it's
ways; by putting him into good rela-
ton with society: by dispelling boyish
and replacing them with So
cial commcnsense. If it leaves this
task to the business office, the few
scraps of learning which it imparts
cannot cover it's nakedness.
The college finds its justification not
in any unique power of imparting spe-
cific instruction, but in social and
moral training. Its claim for contin-
uance rests upon its success in leading
the studenAts from their boyhood to
manhood, naturally and safely. Its
domain is character rather than schol-
arship; and the tombstone of it's
worth is the fitness Of it's sons to take
useful PAGES in the working world.
With all its faults, the traditional
American college largely succeeded in
doing all this; it graduated men. It's
ideal aim was measurably realized.
Can our colleges today say as much?
In some respects they possess more
psychological intelligence. Their class
room methods better assist the trans
ition on mental independence than the
old ones did. The elective system has
introduced elements of larger intellec-
tual liberty than the old curriculum
offered; and the partial substitution of
lecturing for Getting contributes to ad-
vancing emancipation from schoolboy
subsection. A combination of pre-
scribed subjects with free electives
and of individual recitation with lee
turing is indicated by the essentially
transitionary character of college
work. The old curriculum. fixed
throughout, was psychologically
wrong. Rightly is not favorable to
growth. But the new system of I'M
regulated and entire election is equal
ly mistaken. The latter assumes that
intellectual competency is already full
ly attained: it ignores transitionary
needs: it is the extreme opposite of
the old system of prescription. but it
is equally intelligent. From the ma
ture of its characteristic service the
college must combine academic guild
ance and the progressive granting of
autonomy; and since it does so in the
classroom it need not fear the aDpli-
cation of practical tests to it's strictly
academic work.-Robert Ellis Jones in
the January Forum