Failures of Our Higher Schools

...it were, they would all be striking in different direc- The Christian Scientist can go on monotonously retions...

...He graduates meant simply failure...

...If it is especially of the ripest scholars, there is still no equally effective attributable to America, this is so only because those substitute for it in the field of purely cultural studies...

...But it never seems to occur instead of marking time on the borderland, their next to them that some people do not believe in the Catho- step will be to learn what the Church could have lic dogma of the mystical equality of men...

...and so Christian Scientist...

...One of them devotes himself whole-heartedly swer...

...On the contrary, the small four-year colstances may make this advisable or even necessary...

...To us, Christian Scientists are simply people are many, even among Christians, who are so heretical with one idea, which they have never learned to balas to question it...

...If our universities are to be as productive as something like it, with a competent person in charge, they should be of the highest scholarship, we must pro- would probably be the best preliminary remedy for vide the means for bringing more laymen into their this condition...

...Their chief efforts in the lief-a belief which is shared by others who have had way of academic development ought to be directed personal experience in the matter-that if we can only upward...

...they modify their own doctrine...

...for Catholic education, the danger of its becoming inNow, these two young men go out in the world: how fected by the Mammon-worship of the age and of are they going to turn out in the course of the years...

...A leges, notwithstanding the immense growth of the unicollege, after all, has to have students in sufficient versities, are stronger and more numerous than ever...

...and preprofessional departments, whether it be ques- leges and universities...

...It may be a wise thing to establish commercial gone, and that the future would see only junior col...

...They ride it to death as ing silly messages from Plato and doggerel verses the others rode their dogma to death, turning their from Milton...

...Both school and college," says men, each a graduate of a cultural course of studies, President Nicholas Murray Butler, speaking of Ameriand each having had quite a successful business career...

...The we may profitably draw from these educational ten- establishment of a permanent endowment office, or dencies...

...university teacher is comparatively rare...

...The other young man gets through college education is common enough, but I was not his studies successfully, but he becomes an outstanding prepared to believe that it is accepted by the alumni leader in `student activities,' devoting much of his time of Catholic colleges...

...It is as likely to be found among along the lines followed by those who have been most the laity as among the clergy...

...enable them to share fully in the advantages offered by There are many Catholic millionaires...

...In the words of Bishop Spalding, we hold field wherein we shall achieve the greatest educational that "culture is an end in itself, and brings its own results...

...Nor do I know to what extent to these, and doing such intellectual work only as he this is so...

...still, ber down to an inconsiderable fraction of the whole, they are able to retain a sufficient enrolment in the would be to condemn the institution, in advance, to two upper years to maintain their character as finish- a position of relative academic inferiority...

...nearer Rome...

...Yet, he is not a 'wall-flower...

...and, so far as it is cially Catholic men of wealth can be induced to conpossible, our universities should adopt, if they have tribute to the establishment of endowment funds...

...They lack the necessary endowments...

...A college of between two hundred and five hun- as priests to discuss such questions with the authority dred collegiate students should be able to realize ideal attaching to a scholarly reputation...

...But there is evidently a special danger here is strictly obliged to do in order to get his degree...

...They are, as it were, people just of any such theory of brotherhood is based upon one educated enough to have heard of ghosts, but not eduunfathomably mystical Catholic dogma : the equality cated enough to have heard of witches...

...Here, as every- naturally form the nucleus of the entire body of the where else in the realm of higher education, the chief educated Catholic laity...

...634 THE COMMONWEAL November 3, 1926 might use his liberty to deny or limit the divine om- central sanity is the philosophy of the Catholic Church...

...Circum- verified...

...The socialists get into a great tangle ance and combine with all the other ideas...

...This, of our teachers, the bent of mind of most of our stutoo, is a substantial part of our great educational dents-all point to the old humanistic studies as the heritage...

...be better off in the well-staffed, well-equipped, and If we have a clear conception of our own ideals, well-conducted small college...

...Bolshevism and every shade of evil spirits...

...That is when they try to apply it...

...but it must doubtless become more sensibly felt with the continued have, along with the necessary equipment, a sufficient growth of the Church...

...That is exactly the spirits, in a brief and blinding oblivion of the existence situation of the socialist...

...Catholic lay professors will staff of earnest, capable teachers...

...It is my bethe changing conditions...

...but must it not be admitted versity must come to dominate more and more in all that there has been generally lacking, on our own its aims and policies as well as in all its life and work.part, the organization or the organized effort suited There is another conclusion, it seems to me, which to the task of overcoming their indifference...

...The not already adopted, the practical measures which will number of wealthy Catholics is increasing rapidly...

...two young men, about equally talented, enter col- Now, I was not particularly surprised at this anlege...

...not afford to lose sight of the unquestionable fact that A study of the methods employed at some of the the future of the university in America is bound up wealthy eastern schools in securing gifts for endowwith the development of the graduate method and ment, not so much through regular organized camspirit...

...and, elaborate, and it is not always an accompaniment of above all, enlightened, earnest, and persevering effort university degrees...

...reward...

...they compromise with their why the wealthy business man so often becomes a own ideals...

...At many not be concerned...

...The question The highly successful fund-raising campaigns conwill still remain, however, as to which studies shall ducted by so many of them show how securely they be stressed, whether through the action of the faculty possess the confidence, not only of their own alumni, or our individual influence...

...There are many ways in which a places, practical measures are being tried with a view truly educated man may employ his powers, for his to overcoming the difficulties of the situation...

...And there ing schools...

...FAILURES OF OUR HIGHER SCHOOLS By JAMES BURNS S OME time ago, I put the following question to and your honor student might, perhaps, attain to the two representative Catholic alumni: "Suppose position of his private secretary...

...Whatever may be the final outcome of the paigns as through personal influence with particular present tendency toward a combination of the upper men of large means, would certainly afford extremely college years with the graduate period, it is but rea- helpful information in this connection...

...That leader in `student activi- something which is very subordinate, namely, how to ties' will in time become the head of a big corporation, prepare youth to make a living...

...Lay professors in our universiboth studies and administration...

...is puzzling many earnest educators today, namely, how The knowledge is more than its use, and they choose best to care for those specially gifted or eager minds rather to be intelligent than to be rich or powerful or that are found in every class entering college...

...With few are naturally inclined to be conservative, and it may exceptions, if any, our universities cannot afford this take a considerable period of time to bring about and at present...

...Our Today, as in past ages, we must stand firmly for cul- educational traditions, the clerical character of most tural as opposed to materialistic ideals of life...

...into the continent and common life of their and our But if ever he really goes on to any other ideas, he civilization...

...way can we so wisely provide for the training of those At any rate, the duty of Catholic education is clear...

...stabilize the requisite academic readjustments...

...student, especially the talented or more serious stu With more than this, the college or university need dent, needs such personal attention most...

...But what did line...

...association with the clergy in the work of higher educaAs to the university, it is generally felt nowadays tion will enable them, in taking part in public discusthat its true work belongs to the later college years sions, to speak with an assurance of being fully in and the graduate period...

...cultural studies from their traditional preeminence in A quarter of a century ago, one often heard it said the college curriculum, in order to increase the enrol- that the day of the conventional small college was ment...

...While laboring to do everything that can get these men to see our needs clearly, as clearly as be done for students in the lower college years, by we see these needs ourselves, they can be led to do giving them the best teaching possible, together with for our universities what so many other rich men the best disciplinary and administrative care, they can- have been doing for non-Catholic universities...

...While the need or ties must have salaries which are commensurate with utility of some such distinction is obvious, educators those that are paid in other universities...

...number to enable it to meet its expenses...

...but also of the general public...

...In the judgment peculiar to our country or time...

...There highest personal advantage, or the highest advantage is a growing feeling, however, that during the first of his fellow-men, without his ever attaining to riches two years of his college life, the student will ordinarily or any sort of external domination...

...Hence, to exclude lay- successful in securing money for educational purposes...

...Just as those who are truly religious do not Again, if we clearly recognize that the chief busivalue their faith for any worldly advantage which it ness of higher education is "to mold and fashion may give them, so the disciples of culture cannot con- men," we should not find so difficult the problem which sider the pursuit of excellence as a means of success...

...He will have better opwe shall be better prepared to take up the various portunity there than he could have at a large school, of practical questions which may be involved in the reali- coming into intimate personal touch with his teachers, zation of those ideals under given circumstances...

...lie is interested surprise me, on further conversation, was to see that in whatever is going on...

...and the better they are staffed and are other reasons...

...Rich Catholics sonable to expect that, with the constant growth of may be, as is so often asserted, indifferent to the needs human knowledge, the graduate interests of the uni- of our higher schools...

...some effective plan and organization...

...The kind of talent which makes the true have, in fact, established such an office...

...The communists stake everything on the spirits succeed in stopping their education and stunting equality of men, as the Calvinists staked everything on their minds, they may, of course, go on forever repeatthe omnipotence of God...

...Their collegiate enrolment is especially with the incoming freshmen...

...The reasons for out, have shown that the Catholic public and espesuch a differentiation are sound...

...he takes exercise of some this settlement of the case was regarded by them as sort, goes to games, and may go to a social gather- complete and final...

...Its there are so many distracting influences there, that it policies must be guided by the settled conviction that is difficult to provide for that attention to the indithe more a man's mind with all its powers, including vidual student on the part of the professor which is thought, emotion and volition, is developed, the requisite for really effective teaching...

...Their conclusion was, that one of ing now and then, and so for other matters...

...can education in general, "have in large part taktn One of them promptly gave this answer, to which the their minds off the true business of education, which other unhesitatingly agreed: "Here is the way they is to prepare youth to live, and have fixed them upon will be apt to turn out...

...Questions are always being raised equipped for their work, the larger is the percentage about particular aspects of Catholicism, and it is highly of their students who continue with them until gradua- important that there should be Catholic laymen as well tion...

...Yet, it is pregreater will become his capacity for personal happi- cisely in the freshman and sophomore years that the ness as well as his power of benefiting his fellow-men...

...who are to be the Catholic leaders of the future...

...This applies equally Very much can be done through personal advice, to Catholic colleges...

...He is not used to ideas and one find themselves, like the Quakers and the Calvinists, idea goes to his head, like one glass of wine to a starvafter all their extreme extravagances, a day's march ing man...

...This need will conditions for higher cultural education...

...The case given, no doubt, often works out in to books and study, his only ambition being along this some such way, although not always...

...but he these college graduates became a big, rich, influential does not `go in' for such things with anything like a business man and therefore a great success in life, leading purpose, his leading purpose being study, with while the other's comparative poverty and obscurity all that goes with it, and nothing more...

...abandoning the noble ideals which have come down Such was the question I put to these two Catholic to us from the past...

...Is it not to be feared November 3, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 63S that our Catholic youth, both at school and college, school graduate, who has not made up his mind as to all too readily fall in with this feature of the prevail- just what he will study for, can be led to take the full ing materialistic philosophy of life and adopt it as an classical curriculum, if its supreme advantages are ideal...

...Many a high- steadily increasing...

...This view of the function of with high honors...

...on the academic side...

...A single great teacher, at is an end in itself and brings its own reward," we shall such a college, will be able to exercise an influence be less likely to yield to the temptation to displace which will be felt by every earnest student...

...If the evil of men...

...It is true that many of their 636 THE COMMONWEAL November 3, 1926 students drift away from them, during or at the end men from a university faculty, or to keep their numof the first two years, and go to larger schools...

...who are influenced by it are relatively more numerous And if the best cultural education should produce the here, and because educators themselves, here more highest qualities of human leadership, in what other than elsewhere, accept it and help to propagate it...

...Freshmen and sophomores are The first purpose of every true Catholic college or so numerous at the large colleges and universities, and university must be "to mold and fashion men...

...But the Catholic Church is used to living with ideas In short, the story of these sects is not one of and walks among all those very dangerous wild beasts straight lines striking outward and onward, though if with the poise and the lifted head of a lion-tamer...

...and the summary of that civilization and will be so much the nearer to being a Catholic...

...Such predictions have not been tion of a small college or of a university...

...made clear to him...

...Their position in the unifactor in the achievement of success will be the quality versities will make them the leaders, while their close of the teaching...

...This in office...

...If, while at the same time he will be better safeguarded for instance, we fully accept the principle that "culture from distracting influences...

...But if they do go a step or two further, horse into a nightmare...

...It is a pattern of curves continually returning peating his one idea and remain a Christian Scientist...

...Several of our universities already faculties...

...To urge the pursuit of learning with a is probably the most important practical question view to money-making is apostasy from light, is deser- which college and university men have to deal with, tion to the enemies of the soul...

...It cannot be problem in all its phases, as it presents itself to each created through any system of training, however institution...

...The Now, our campaigns of recent years, as I have pointed lesson for us, however, is plain...

...This curriculum was never more This utilitarian theory of education is by no means desirable than at the present time...

...have already drawn a clear line of distinction between The crux of the entire matter appears to be the students at the middle point of the college course, for question of salaries...

...Many of the universities accord with the mind of the Church...

...Yet there taught...

...nipotence, or to the Quaker that anyone could ques- To us, Spiritualists are men studying the existence of tion the supremacy of simplicity...

...It is no re- There is evidently needed a careful study of the spector of place, or station, or vocation...