Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-13
The Work of the Small College.

1t has been a fad in recent years 1oi
educational theorists to argue the
small college out of existence. Ihey
have declared that the evolution when
has been under way for the past gen.
Grafton would eliminate it from our
educational system, and that a part Oh
its present work would be given over to
what are now termed secondary
schools and part to the great uni
versities and professional schools. Civ
ing this country much the educational
organization that Germany possesses
A most effective answer to these
theories and to the attempt to model
our educational system according to
European models, was given last week
bv President Hyde of Bowdoin College
in his address at Wellesley College be-
fore the New England Association OF
Colleges and Preparatory Schools, OF
which he was elected president. Few
educators in our country command
greater respect or wider audiences
when they speak upon educational, re-
ligious or philosophical topics than
does this great educational leader OF
Maine. and already this latest utter
ance is attracting much interest.
President Hyde is so sure that the
small college, as we know it here in
New England, where it has done such
grand work for generation after gen.
Grafton, will be perpetuated in its his
toric form. that he does not shrink
from classification and definition MAX
ing. He is so sure of his ground, and
considers the college idea sufficiently
precise. that he describes in particular
words both what it is not and what ii
is.
AS to what it is not he says: The
concept and function of college is not
mental training, which is the province
Of the school, nor specialized knOwl-
edge. which is the province Of the
university, though incidentally it may
do both of these things" AS to what
it is. he says with enthusiasm: Its
distinctive sphere is liberal culture
the opening of the mind to the grea
departments of human interest, the
opening of the heart to the great
spiritual motives and social en-
thusiasms, the opening of the will tt
opportunity for wise and righteou:
St f-control. 1t is the most economic
cal and efficient means yet devised tC
take we'll trained boys and girls from
school and send them either on to the
university or out into life with {
breadth of intellectual outlook no sub
sequent specialization can ever take
away from them"
President Hyde. preserving the col
lege. would nevertheless have elimi
nation. What he would cast out arr
what he calls the school-college and thu
university college. OF the former HI
says that it is IAN institution which
admits poorly prepared students and
does by school methods and under
| school restraints the work which ough
| to have been done in the schools" o
the latter. the university-college, III
declares it herds large masses of stu
dents in lecture courses, with only vi
carious contact Of the lecturer with hi!
students. and often with vicariou
study on the part of the students
where graduate students do what littl
uuiZzing is done and printed notes ant
hired teachers prepare undergraduate
for examinations, and study is practi
cally confined to two periods of two o
three weeks in each college year"
4 In view of these graphic definition
by President Hyde. is it not possibl
, that our educational refOrmers, VIII
have put forward vague theories t
, eliminate the small college, have bee
on the wrong track all the time
w Quiz not lntlT proper buSiiiesS ne
attack the SCHOOL college" and tn
; university college" as President Hyd
: defines them, rather than the sma
: college itself, such as the one of whic
President Hyde is the head is goo
I type. Schools which attempt to d
2 college work, and universities whic
= attempt to do college work. are equal
= in need of reformation. and to ther
rather than the small college itsel
should these refOrmers give their at
tention. There is a place now an
there will be through all the future, fC
the small college with it's purpose M
Of merely mental training or specia
ization, but the advancement of IL
broadcast standards of culture.
Miss Stella Tate. the fair Georgian