New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-24
A NIGHT COLLEGE NOW
Method of Citing Higher InstrHc-
ton to Busy Hen and Women.

Providence, Feb. 2S-Poets have often
grieved over the impossibility Of being child
again, and grown up persons. not poets, are fire.
quentIy heard telling how hard they would
work If they could go back to college During
the present winter grown up persons in Provl-
| dence are having an opportunity to go back 70
college or for that matter. to So to college Ior
the first time. and a surprisingly large NUMBER
OF them are taking advantage of It The situa-
ton Is of more than local interest IN that II
Indicates an educational possibility which may
| include eventually ali American communities
within convenient distance Of q college centre
The idea of extension teaching" so Called
which literally extends the services OF college
lecturers to the surrounding general public as
well as to the regular undergraduates OF u
given college, is already being tried IN many
American colleges. although Brown University
has been the first to include the possible earn
ing of an academic degree by these ouISlue
students. The average citizen or Provldehce
can now go to college during his evening hours'
and may eventually hope to gain the dl5nno-
ton of being a Bachelor OF Arts OF the uni
versity.
This seems at first glance a surprising condt-
ton but In reality is not so unlike very early
university. Such Institutions. as we now Kno"
them, grew naturally from a single teacheF
living in a place at which his students gathered
TO hear his lectures some from near at hapo
and some from long distance. The students
were not necessarily young. They were OF al
ages. rich. poor. well-to-do, but all brought to-
gether by a common desire for greater knowl-
edge It might be fairly said. therefore. that the
classes drawn to Brown University this winter
by an opportunity for any Rhode Islander to
profit by the instruction OF college lecturers arc
really remarkably representative OF tho spirit OF
an ancient university.
Cray-headed men and women sit in line with
others who have only recently been graduated
from school or college. The list includes IN
DIS A. MS A. BIS and greater NUMBER VINO
have no academic titles. 1t s an audience whose
intelligence and interest even as was the case
so many centuries ago. when the earliest teach
ers addressed their university gatherings, nat
orally inspires q lecturer to active personal en-
thusasm The mere fact that his hearers must
climb the pretty stiff hill to the university IN
stead Of having the university send us teach-
ers down tho hill to them eliminates all who
might come out OF idle curiosity or simply TO
pass an evening. and an immediate enrolment
Of something over five hundred adult students
indicates a public interest much greater than
the university authorities themselves expected
Under the system thus successfully instituted
a single course consists Of ten lectures on
given subjeCt-such. for example, as the English
poets Of a specific period. the history OF tAe
American colonies In the eighteenth century
the French drama or the lie ana WoFK OF inc
great German writer, Goethe-Correspondlng 10
the lectures on the same subject regularly gwen
by the same instructors to their classes OF
Brown undergraduates in the daytime II IS 10
be noted that these subjects are chosen with
twofOld purpose-to offer a wider knowledge OF
literature, history and other branches OF study
70 the men and women who come for the sake
OF general culture. enrolling themselves simply
$ hearers" and at the same time 70 aIIord
scope for more systematic work by those VINO
wish 10 pass the examinations necessary 10 Oh
tain either a certificate Of special knowledge IN
a given topic. or. by taking a sufficient mum Der
OF courses IN succession hnaIty TO attain inc
honor OF a university degree.
such a distinction is. OF course, very tar IN
the distance although the time may be ma
tcrially shortened by courses IN the summer
schools that nowadays so largely attended
by adult students. The plan IS not Intended TO
open any short cut TO academic distinction ana
the work taken IN its entirety must fully equal
the work Of the regular college graduate But
the fact that this tangible reward OF attend
ance rs necessarily remote. and not 70 be reached
any the faster by the nervous strain OF over
study, Offsets the possible danger that such an
opportunity would simply prove an Unfortu-
nate temptation 10 lot OF ambitious but al
ready hard working mon and women, many OF
whom are already teaching In the public schools
AS a matter Of fact the experience of the
first term. IN the opinion OF those who have
most closely watched 1t. indicates that the ex-
pertinent Is being accepted In Just the spirit in
which II hoped II would be. II is an inter-
estiug and practical illustration. I'm fact Of the
statement made last year by President Fauuce
IN his annual report OF university conditions
that 1T is the duty Of the university 70 provide
intellectual Insight stimulus and leadership for
the entire community around it,"
In many Of the American communities hav-
ing large educational institutions such in
fueuCe Is unQuestiOnably more or less haudi-
capped by the dlstrust with which tho local
city fathers" wont to regard the college
authorities Fortunately. however, such feel
ing is not characteristics OF the Rhode Island
capital The relation IS, as # certainly should
be everywhere. kindly and mutually beneficial
"A condition especially evident in the success
ful cooperation Of the public school system
and the department of the university that trains
teachers and is now the direct sponsor OF extern
sion teaching. The school committee OF Prnvi-
denCe. by a special agreement. yearly appoints
as teachers in the public schools. chiefly in the
four high schools OF the city, although the same
system is carried out, to a lesser degree, I'm some
Of the grammar schools. a number Of students
selected from the graduating class at the neigh
boring university.
These NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. as they are called
fulfil their appointments under the constant IL
perViSion OF professional teachers and their year
OF work I'm the actual schools Of the city, teach
ing real lessons to real children In real school
rooms. Is not unlike the actual hospital prac-
tice that IS considered a necessary and invalua-
hle part Of the training of modern medical
school. Like the student-doCtors In the hosp-
tails. the student-teachers IN the schools OF
Providence receive compensation for their ser
vices and many OF them have thus entered per-
manently into the local public school system
Nor has this system proved, its opponents
at first insisted fl would, one-sided arrange
ment, beneficial to the university at the ex-
pense OF the children II has been found I'm
practice that the children also benefit by the
arrangement. for the classes presided over bv
the student-teachers are not only in the hands
OF young men or women theoretically well
trained for the position, but also carefully
watched over by the older teachers appointed to
supervise their younger associates. And In ad-
dition to these teaching appointments there are
r'-,Sz5