Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-08
.1HE COLLEGE COURSE
ACCESSIBILITY of Shortening Bac-
calaureate Term Discussed
by Prominent Educators
RELIGIOUS SIDE OF QUESTION
NJ odern Education's Contribution to
Religion is Form and Method Which
the Church and Home Are Relied
Upon to Fill With Complete Chris
tian Content.

Boston, Mass, July S.-The length
of the baccalaureate term in colleges
and universities was under discussion
at yesterdays session of the depart
ment of higher education of the Ma
tional Education association. Presl-
dent Harper, of Chicago University,
President Nicholas Murray Butter OF
Columbia University, and President
Charles w. Eliot of Harvard gave
opinions and participated in the dis
cussion.
President Harper presented the plan
in force at Chicago University, when
President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the
University Of California called the tel
escope plan. because two years
course was made to fit into 1our
years course. President Eliot differed
radically with President Harper, anu
as the Harvard president was the nrst
speaker the Chicago president had an
opportunity to make reply.
President Eliot said, in part:
"Inasmuch as it Is the intent OF the
society and the interest of the indi-
vidual that young men should be en-
abled to enter, well trained, on the
practice of a profession by the time
they are IS years old, it follows that the
period of training preliminary or pre-
paratory to professional training should
some to it's end by the time the young
men are q years old. The principle
on which the Harvard faculty has acted
Is this: They propose, in reducing
the time required for the A. b. degree
to three years, to make no reduction
whatever in the amount OF work re-
uuired for the A. Is. degree. In other
words. they propose that the degree OF
A. b., taken in three years, shan rep
resent the same amount OF attainment
ar mower acquired which the A. y.
taken in four years has heretofore rep
resented.
President Nicholas Murray Butler OF
Columbia University, spoke on the
same topic. He said:
THE baccalaureate or college course
OF study of the liberal arts and sciences
should be preserved at all hazards as
an essential part OF our educational Or
SaniZation.
For the boy who enters college at
II and who looks forward to career as
scholar as teacher. or as q man Oh
affairs four years Is, ordinarily, not 100
long Il time to spend in liberal studies.
THE earlier parts of professional
courses in law. medicine. engineering
and the like are most excellent mate
rial for the boy of 10 or 20. He should
begin them at that time and complete
his four years of professional study by
-23 or "a.
There should be college course two
years in length. carefully constructed
as thing by itself and not merely the
first part of three years or four
years course, which will enable in
tending professional students to spend
this time as advantageously as possible
In purely liberal studies
A lively discussion in the national
council yesterday. presided over by
President Harper of the Chicago Uni
versity, was precipitate1 on the ques-
ton of "Religious Education" Pro-
lessor George Albert Coe of Northwest
ern University, Evanston, headed the
discussion with a paper on "Contribu-
tons of Modern Education to Relig-
lon."
Professor Coe said in part:
"The demand for Improvement in re-
ligious education apparently assumes
that the educational principles en-
ployed in the secular schools are capa-
Bile of promoting religious nurtures also.
This assumption should aot be accepted
without scrutiny. Religious education
1;~v;., IN, pir,r n
as well as of purpose. cut modern ed
ucation, tho it originated within relig-
ion, has built up a set of at least ap-
parently independent principles. Edu-
cational theory rests chiefly upon two
IDEAS, the natural development of the
child and his social destination. The
first determines the nature of the edu-
cational process; the second describes
the end of the material.
'.The idea of child development ex-
pands into the principles of appercep>
ton, free self expressions, concrete
ness and symmetry The idea of the
chid's social destination makes the
work and end of education predomi-
nantly ethical. Analysis of these prin-
ciples will show that they are inner
entity adapted to the work of religious
education.
The modern educational movement
as a whole has been working out GER
tain pedagogical aspects of Christian
belief. 1t follows that the entire body
of the educational principe rs adapted
to the specific work of religious train
ing. The contribution OF modern edu-
cation to religion is form and method.
which church and home must be relied
upon to fill with the complete Chris
tan content
Professor Coe was followed by the
Rev Edward A. Pace. of the Catholic
University, on "The, Influence of Re-
ligious Education in the Modes of Con-
duct" while w. T. Harris. United
States commissioner Of education, COM
pleted the trio of speakers.
Nearly two hours more. however.
were consumed in the discussion which
followed.
OVER 100000 PAID.