New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-24
AMERICAN COLLEGES.
Dram West on Some Pointed EdHcd-
tiORaI Questions.

n. A
30 Re Charles Scrlbner's Sons
The Dean Of Princeton's Graduate :, hool. in
tlese SIX readable deliVerances. sums up tte
case for the American College and INDUCES also
in some valuable asides. The faith moving him
TO print il that The American College is the
thing in higher education most worth main
tanning" How il is being and should Zee main
tlined these papers seek Ia skeJ n.
Naturally. The nr~t topic is Priuceton's mex
tutorial system = modified revival Of EnglisA
methods. Dean West is convinced that the
secret OF sound education lies ''in the literal
handing Of the torch Of knowledge from
toacher a. student" While il is hard To disagree
Nith Ihis a. a statement 81 current fact never
tleless everybody mus; feel tha enormous bur
den thus imposed upon colleges and their in
EiTuctors 50 long a Young men and women must
Ia personally supervised and inspired in order
TO .soqUilc tulIdre ani lis eaihusiasns. A large
stan OF INSTRUCTORS is needed. aIsl these men
lIusl be willing To foi-go private research l..
large measure. for personal superV sion Of a
dozen students takes time and thought. Ia
English colleges. il is true. many instructors
Lave abundant leisure. but only because they
L. lhtir young charges 90 their own Mays. win
tering III Algiers. sunnaering in Switzerland and
aIpeaTing the Quadrangle onlY for two brief
seasons - ora mining. One is tempted TO ASK
D,an West whether he thinks there is any hope
and environment such that they VIII find help
and inspiration IN b"oas and lectures. as Cont
mental students DO - much for wondering.
The tutorial - s,em Of Princeton. whose historg
and results here described an Dean West.
seems TO mee; present conditions very well The
dean believes il ~ even reyiVing the lost art o.
oorversal lor. campus and clubroom talk Is be-
ginning IL centre about higher themes Jhan foot
Lan and Ineersch sdm pipes. Heaven gran, that
The good dean has not teen h0aKed by wiz
sop,homores who have spisd him afar on.
Tine essayist-s views about the college faculty .
y III probably be challenged 10y many academies (
and IayEnen. The seyerest objections will be
raised by those who reject the fancy, unques
iioiingly cherished ~ the dean that in the
growing compleKify 81 modern life the indyid-
ual counts for less and hess" The general ten
dency 81 large universities toward eXaltation Of
tlle PRESIDENTS powers strikes Dean West u
dangerous imitation Of indusiFialisIn The dan
Ter lies. he thinks the Capitalization Of DELHI
eraINe powers; il Is 10 be avoided by reyiving
tie Democracy ~ the faculty and the consequent
Interest and participation Of professors in the
poIicy OF the institution The question raised by
Rsiis suggestion is one. though which can
scarcely b. answered BY professors alone, even
when the rendered harks back 10 an
IDEAL Deem West VIII probably find the trend
~ the world pFTnanently set against profes-
81 rial D. mOcFacy colleges haze grown too large
complex and bound up with many outside
interests 10 be managed 10y committees Of spe-
oi:ltsts.
The writer we'll says that business men are
usually blind 10 educational needs and methods
Il h. had added that university professors are
at ~ be equally blind the problems con
fronting their president he would have cleared
Tho NAY for essay proving the need Of a
graduate school for prospective college presi-
cents. this theme. though. the writer ~
sitrr. H. gives instead excellent study Of
existing graduate schools. III which he points out
tl.,. lalacutlble tendency II students TO special
ize" solely for the sake Of getting position
ilnre quickly. a plea for versatility is reinforced
~ exposures 81 the bad English and unbalanced
character Il specialists. Saddest of all IL the
c.au's Confession that there too many
third rate men among American scholars Would
that some Shiny scandal-nIonger might drag The
yl1.l ton violently and yociferously from our co-
lese ,losels, Such a rafting OF dry bones and
slioh a Whin 81 the grave might ensue,
The last and longest paper is brief history Of
f.c American college written largely for the ben
eft ~ foreigners. II contains excellent ac-
oount 81 student democracy and the influence OF
college graduates upon American life. i