Triumphs of Our Higher Schools
Burns, James
602 THE COMMONWEAL October 27, 1926 TRIUMPHS OF OUR HIGHER...
...Now, this is a theory of college Not less objectionable, as I shall show in a future life and work which appears to have become quite article, is the prevailing idea as to the function of common...
...The increase of collegiate students premedical and prcengineering departments...
...Twenty years ago, with the exception place also in the character of the student body...
...And what about the teacher...
...We may define character as the total reaction from a considerable distance, to discuss the various of a personality to its environment...
...Student social life, athletics, and the varioutside of this domain, however, there are certain ous other •tra-curricular activities, have also their ideals and principles for which Catholic education importance, .it this can never be more than secondary...
...o the alumni A visitor at a well-known Jesuit college, during the concerned and to wealthy or well-to- --% Catholics Novena of Grace, tells of his surprise on noticing that within a territory more or less defined...
...sometimes it was for both build- say the rosary, make the Way of the Cross, or perOctober 27, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 603 form other acts of devotion...
...the college life, the environment, the companionshipA convention of the Catholic Students' Mission Cru...
...a college with an overflowing attendance of collegiate Latin and Greek, English, history and mathematics, students today, a couple of decades ago counted the with some sciences, formed the staple subjects of inmajority of its students among the "preps...
...This is somethe great war but little had been done in this way...
...The things which I have mentioned are typical parently by no means the most important...
...They have their Passing over the definition of character given, which, faults...
...Up to the time of prefect of religion and his assistants...
...our students, for only by doing so can we prevent them The editorial quoted approvingly the following state- from being misled by the false though spacious theories ment of a well-known non-Catholic author: "What of education which are upheld by men whose promianyone studies, however, is only a more or less unim- nence lends to their opinions a certain weight of portant detail...
...while in at many of our larger schools, during this period, has many parts of the country, especially in the larger been by hundreds of percent...
...A very large proportion of it, however, has this respect, express their astonishment on seeing the come in the form of gifts...
...The president of a large college in the college education in preparing the student for a sucEast has given expression to it in these terms: "The cessful career in life...
...Departments of engineering are no longer or have come to occupy a more separate and sub- so rare...
...The actual is it not to be done rather through contacts of the mind results, however wonderful, should not make us lose of the student with the greatest minds that have lived, sight of the greater possibilities which may lie hidden...
...thing that is altogether new...
...repeatedly, and with all possible emphasis we must A year or so ago, I happened to see an editorial set forth the truth about such fundamental matters to which appeared in a certain Catholic college journal...
...Most of our colleges and universi- be considered specially apt to convey moral or religious ties conducted campaigns...
...with men of the world and association with other re- The views which have been cited refer to the means ceptive minds-that forms the greater and more useful to be employed in the education of college students...
...Might not all this, re- grant that the work of higher cultural education is calling, as it does, the mighty stirrings and impulses done chiefly through contacts...
...even among the smaller colleges we find ordinate position...
...New buildings have been erected without its significance for the future...
...We cannot the most vital element in the true educational process...
...that great changes have been going on at Catho- It contradicted the experience and positive predictions lic colleges and universities during the past two of some of our most experienced educators...
...In certain instances, the lessons...
...They are a substantial part of our by a student...
...of a general movement affecting all higher education...
...Fully,, all this more clear and concrete...
...A surprising result was, that November 3, to be followed by several others on various aspectsCatholics were found to be as willing to contribute of the topic by authoritative writers.-The Editors...
...It was for- rails of college chapels on week-day mornings...
...Even mankind...
...safely forget that there are traditions from which For, the teacher's function is to arouse and stimulate Catholic education may never depart, no matter how the mind of the student and bring it into intimate opposed these may seem to the spirit of the age or pre- relationship with those master minds whose thought vailing educational tendencies...
...Catholic colleges and gated to a secondary role...
...602 THE COMMONWEAL October 27, 1926 TRIUMPHS OF OUR HIGHER SCHOOLS By JAMES BURNS (This article by Reverend James Burns begins the im- ings and endowment...
...Much of it, of course, has come Communion met a more hearty response...
...ever, the campaign appeal was made onl...
...Who would have thought of such a their goal without much difficulty...
...the character, in a word, of the institution-that sade can gather hundreds of students, many of them counts...
...As regards religious and work have been the great guiding influences upon and moral training, the reasons are obvious...
...In merly regarded as extremely difficult to interest Catho- some places, religious reports are published regularly, lics in educational endowment, especially for colleges showing, so far as this is possible, the work of the conducted by the religious orders...
...classics, a curriculum in general science, while some At the present time, the preparatory departments offer the student a choice among a number of cultural have either disappeared completely from the colleges, curricula...
...It showed decades...
...Most often, how- thing a couple of decades ago...
...but it is not without its dangers...
...money for permanent endowment as for the putting up VERY little study is needed to enable one to see of buildings...
...This "daily," usually of a foolscap page in heads of dioceses cooperated magnanimously, and the size, is posted on the regular bulletin boards and is campaigns, assuming a diocesan character, achieved eagerly read...
...stands and for which it must continue to stand inflex- It is to be )ped that this new theory of college eduibly...
...those that have left us the immortal fruit of their It will be readily perceived that, outside of religion, greatness in the masterpieces of literature, philosophy, the developments referred to have been the outcome art and science...
...This disposition was quite unexpected...
...while some schools appealed for portant series on modern education, its strength and its weak- endowment only, especially where conditional gifts ness, which was announced in The Commonweal of October 6. had been made by the General Education Board or the ,4nother article by Father Burns will appear in the issue of Carnegie Corporation...
...and at struction...
...fairly kept pace with the general movement of material Most significant of all, it appears to me, have been expansion in American higher education the religious developments...
...Nowhere else has the Where has the money come from for all our new epoch-making appeal of Pius X for frequent and daily college buildings...
...I have from the self-sacrificing economy of the religious heard bishops who are noted for their special zeal in orders...
...How can we increase still means of social and other student "activities," and further, and direct most wisely and fruitfully, all this with the minds of passing "men of the world...
...of the religious life of our students...
...but is it to be done of the Faith in the hearts of Catholic college youths of through contacts of the immature mind of the student other ages, betoken some greater religious develop- with the immature minds of his fellow-students, by ment that is to come...
...We cannot afford simply to disregard it, educational thought and practice will, perhaps, make We must combat it in an active, aggressive way...
...There have been gifts thronging hundreds of college students about the altar for endowment as well as for buildings...
...part of college life...
...At one of our universiIn the great money-raising enthusiasm that swept ties, the prefect of religion issues, in addition to his the country during the war period, and which the non- regular annual report, a daily bulletin, giving what Catholic schools were quick to seize upon and capital- might be called the local religious news of the morning, ize for their own advantage, Catholic educators saw oftentimes with comments on happenings which may their opportunity...
...Many of a few institutions, we had only classical colleges...
...On the material side, there has been con- a decidedly new turn of thought, which is surely not tinual expansion...
...It is the companionship-the contact authority...
...Today, Greek is not, as a rule, strictly rethe time there seemed little hope of getting rid of quired...
...These things are a consequence of the Catholic cation is not accepted by any of our teachers or adview of life, and are rooted in the teachings of Catho- ministrators...
...Not even in a commun- curriculum is, after all, not the thing of primary imity of religious," was his comment, "have I ever wit- portance either to the student or to the parent...
...Yet, if the traditions which universities have thus been brought closer, in form as have come down to us and which have gathered up the well as relationship, to the non-Catholic colleges and experience and wisdom of all the centuries of Catholic universities around them...
...S ietimes the about two hundred of the students remained in the object announced was the raising of mone' exclusively chapel, after the sermon and Benediction, in order to for new buildings...
...But the air is full of such educational educational inheritance...
...A few examples of current sophistry...
...In point of increased cities, full departments of commerce enroll many thoucollegiate enrolment as well as of buildings erected, a sands of Catholic students who would otherwise be comparative study would probably show that we have attracted to non-Catholic institutions...
...Or, fine, fresh, intelligent faith and fervor...
...This result may be whole- educational achievement have valor still, the teacher is some...
...everywhere, and even the smaller colleges have had On the academic side, there has been a correspondto enlarge their accommodations...
...We practical temper of the times...
...but there is discernible in their religious dis- of course, is unacceptable, and considering the means positions a deep earnestness, a sincere piety, a certain proposed for the accomplishment of the work of higher American directness of aim, an idealism which would education, must we not say that this new theory stands combine lofty conceptions of the spiritual life with the in flagrant opposition to our Catholic traditions...
...Changes have taken ing expansion...
...In the view of the A common impulse has been felt by Catholic and non- college president quoted, the teacher is apparently Catholic educators alike, an impulse born of the spirit regarded as part of the curriculum, and thus is releof the country and of the time...
...It is nessed a scene of more sincere and unaffected piety...
...The editorial referred to was written lic philosophy...
...In all these reproblems connected with Catholic foreign mission actions, the curriculum is but a single element, and apwork...
...Many colleges have, in addition to the these except by a very slow process...
Vol. 4 • October 1926 • No. 25
