Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1915-02-10
THE SPECIAL ADVANTAGES OF
THE SMALLER COLLEGE.

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Every observer Of modern Ameri-
can educational institutions is giving
thought to the small college. To deny
that it is in present though probab-
ly passing danger would be futile.
Schemes to reduce the years Of study
required by primary, secondary, and
university courses from sixteen and
fourteen years, to establish 'junior"
colleges, to extend the high school
courses so as to cover the first two
years of present college courses, all
threaten the position of the small
college and give new encouragement
to the greater institutions.
DR.. John H. McCracken, the newly
elected president of Lafayette col
lege, would meet this tendency with
higher specialization of purpose for
the smaller colleges. He does not
mean higher specialization for the
student. That he is inclined to be-
ieve, has already been carried too
far. Apparently what he has in mind
is that such a college as Lafayette, if
it has developed strength in sociolo-
gy, shall center it's main efforts on
further development Of such strength
if in engineering, likewise; if in the
ology, likewise; if in agriculture,
likewise.
Much Of the speculation fails to
take into account the educational
needs Of this country after few
years more Of growth. All of it fails
to give proper consideration to the
special advantages Of the smaller
schools as they now exist. For TWEEN
ty years or more, the alumni of Dart
mouth, Bowdoin, Williams, Amherst
and colleges of similar size have been
emphasizing their disposition to send
their sons to their alma mater or to
colleges no larger. However much
this decision is founded in loyalty, it
is sustained by many impressive ar
guments.
The larger colleges are almost in
evitably undenominational. There was
something more than hunor in the
observation of the president of. one
of the largest American universities:
eve have to be non-sectarian and
careful to have no religion which
would be offensive to anyone" In
the field Of training avowedly religi-
Gus, the small college stands practic-
ally alone.
In social life, in the atmosphere Of
scholarship, in contacts with helpful
Ill,
which graduates sometimes treasure
even more than intellectual training,
the lesser institution has usually
more to offer, than the larger. At
Harvard it is accepted that the stu
dent cannot know the men outside his
own class and not always those with
in his own class.
The larger school presents spe-
cial problem in teaching. The ideal is
individual attention. In the smaller
colleges of Minnesota this is the ma
'tural result. In Princeton, Wood
row Wilson found himself forced to
propose an entire REIMBURSEMENT of
teaching methods in order to progress
toward Individual attention.
That the great state universities,
the great foundations like Yale,
Princeton and Harvard, have advan-
tage Of equipment is beyond question.
That there is quicker and more
spontaneous pride in their diplomas
is equally clear. But it does not fol-
low, for all this, that the smaller col
leges have not distinctive advantages
or that it is well, at this time, to give
approval to any scheme Of adjust
ment which will tend to- diminish
their services. Minneapolis Tribune,
Dec. 26.
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