Evening star., 1942-07-12
BY C. B. GARNETT, Jr.

dean of Columbian College OF
George Washington UniuerSity)
BY c. B. GARNETT, Jr.
eff I enter college this year In
the midst of the war, what have I
a right to expect my college to offer
me?"
IF send my young son or daugh-
ter to college this year, what sort
of education have I a right to expect
to be offered?"
IF we, the American colleges,
admit a young man or young
woman this year, what have we
right to expect of him?"
Never before has it been more
essential that prospective college
students, parents of students and
university educators get together
and understand each other In a
world darkened with war, parents
and students have too much at stake
to make large outlays of time, eff
fort and money without some
tangible assurance that the goals
sought are worth the price.
Easy Going Students Frowned On.
In a world in which their own
existence as institutions of learning
is at stake, American colleges can
no longer afford to admit to their
halls the easy-going, pampered
youth of yesterday, interested only
in good time" A change must
come over us all if. in the midst OF
an unprecedented total war effort,
we are to maintain and improve
that time -honored cooperative en-
terprise between parent, student and
teacher which is called liberal edu-
cation.
Let us take brief stock Of ourselves
and see what all three of us-stu-
dent. parent and college-have to
offer In q war torn world.
Today, as always, college must
Ioffer three things: Inspirational
teaching, the encouragement of
scholarly research, and the promo
ton of larger social awareness.
Inspirational teaching is not the
product of some pet formula. There
is no one set of qualities which every
great teacher possesses, yet probably
every effective teacher has mind
that is still in the process of learn
ing. The "know-it-all" type is apt
to teach poorly. Also, the great
teacher wins his way to kind of
independence of thinking which the
bumps of academic life all too readily
tend to annihilate.
Bored Teachers Ineffective.
Above all, the effective instructor
is fond of his subject, likes his stu
dents, and enjoys the teaching pro-
cedure. Even the average young
mind can quite easily notice when a
teacher is no longer engrossed In
his materials. "A bored teacher Is q,
contradiction Ia itself. Any instfuC2
tor who finds himself bored In class
must resort to drastic measures or
he may as well dismiss the class for
that day.
While no teacher can entirely
avoid irritating experiences with
aggressive and discourteous stu
dents, BY and large no person can be
q good teacher unless he has a
fondness for his students and deep
and patient interest in their prob
lens. Young people going to college
and the parents of these young peo-
pie have a right to expect all of these
qualities in college teachers. With
out inspirational teaching, college
education becomes a mfre phrase.
Likewise, a liberal arts college
must offer, even in wartime, the
encouragement of scholarly re-
search, The young people who
come to college today contain ir
their ranks many of the thinker
and leaders, the scientists and ar.
fists, of tomorrow. No parent car
be sure that his own child doe.
not belong among this chosen group
Every young student, and every
parent, has right to know that ir
the few precious years Of college
the young student will be giver
ample opportunity for developing tt
the full his capacity for scholarship
and research. Only in this wa,
will the country be assured of tn.
best possible future leadership
Most college students will not b.
destined for high calling in the art
and sciences. and in posts of politi
cal and intellectual responsibility
yet from the college-bred student
these chosen few will, in general
continue to come. No college fresh
man can be absolutely sure tina
his later pace in the Nation vii
not be one requiring the knowledg
and insight of the scholar. N
father of a college freshman toda
can be certain that his child wi
not be needed in future years in
position of leadership requiring
considerable amount of scholarl
knowledge.
Sense Of Responsibility.
Today more than ever libers
arts college must promote in II
students a sense of the wider re
sponsibilities of citizenship,
L. L..