>2_ Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree «s BY CHARLES W. DABNEY, Ph.D., LL.D., President of the University of Tennessee * REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN SOUTHERN COLLEGES A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES, READ AT THE MEETING AT ATHENS, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 2, iSgS BY CHARLES W. DABNEY, PH.D., LL.D., PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, AND PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION, 1899 ,»** L%v MAY & 1914 Reprinted from the School Review, No. 3, Vol. VII, at the University of Chicago Press. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE Having probably accomplished all that can be accomplished at the present time in elevating the standard of admission to the fresh- man class, it is believed that the association should next direct its attention to the requirements for academic degrees. It was doubtless with this view that our secretary has asked me to prepare a report upon the requirements for bachelor degrees in the colleges and universities in the territory covered by this association. It was proposed at first to investigate all the degrees given by southern institutions, but the field was so large and the time allowed so short, that I have confined this investigation to the B.A. and B.S. degrees. "'. First, let us get clearly in mind the object of all colleges and all college courses. The end of college education is culture, the only preparation for worthy life, the life of the ordinary man, as the end of the university education is the training J,o think and investigate, the only preparation for the worthiest life, the life of leadership in the world of thought and of action. This idea of the liberal education is as old as civiliza- tion, and has been the purpose of all true schools and the hope of all good teachers since the world began. " Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom ; and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her and she shall promote thee : she shall bring thee to honor," said Solomon. Aristotle taught that "there is a certain education which our sons should receive, not as being practical and useful, not as indispensable, but as' liberal and noble. The endeavor of nature is, not only that men may be able to engage in business rightly, but also to spend their leisure nobl}\ The right conduct of business and the noble employment of leisure are both requisite." The ancients believed as we do that a liberal education is good for all races and orders of men, in all times and places, and under all conditions. This idea Cicero has expanded in the oft-quoted passage : " Nam ceterse, neque temporum sunt, nequc setatum omnium neque locorum ; at hsec studia adolescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac solacium prsebent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregrinantur, rusticantur." We may differ as to the methods of giving the child a liberal edu- iS4 155 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE cation — we have undoubtedly improved those methods and enlarged the scope of the liberal education since the days of Solomon, Aristotle, and Cicero — but scholars have never differed as to the objects aimed at as the foundation of a worthy life. The chief elements of the Greek system of education were aesthetic and physical culture, the cultivation of literary expression, and training in the rules of argumen- tation. Roman education emphasized the study of institutions and law. With the introduction of Christianity, this system was modified and improved in the direction of literary and religious culture. The Middle Ages witnessed a change in favor of the study of languages, literature, and a largely fictitious history ; and for several centuries men gave themselves to a slavish study of manuscripts which contained, as they thought, all the wisdom of the world. It is only in modern times that we have learned to appreciate the book of nature and study it as the Creator intended we should. Few will now deny that a liberal education may be obtained by other methods than the study of Latin and Greek texts. Thus both the material and the methods of educa- tion change, but the ideal continues the same throughout all the ages. That ideal is today, as it always has been and always will be, a liberal education, the only preparation for the worthy life. Men appreciated the value of the liberal education, and understood its methods, in part, at least, long before they had the slightest concep- tion of its rationale. It was impossible for them to grasp this until that grand conception of modern science, the theory of evolution, came to illumine all our problems and direct all our methods. The doctrine of infancy in the human species has thrown a flood of light upon the rationale of education, and has explained both the necessity for and a value of, that course of training which we have tried to give our youth ever since the time of Solomon. "The doctrine of evolution teaches us to look upon the world around us — our art, our science, our literature, our institutions, and our religious life — as an integral part, indeed, as the essential part, of our environment ; and it teaches us to look upon education as the plastic period of adapting and adjust- ing our self-acting organism to this vast series of hereditary acquisi- tions. \ So that while the child's first right and first duty is to adjust himself physiologically to his environment, to learn to walk, to use his hands, and to feed himself, to be physically independent, there still remains the great outer circle of education or culture, without contact with which no human being is really either man or woman. The child receives first, and in a short series of vears, his animal inheritance; it THE SCHOOL REVIEW 156 then remains for us in the period of education to see to it that he comes into his human inheritance This period of adjustment constitutes, then, the period of education ; and this period of adjust- ment must, as it seems to me, give us the basis for all educational theory and all educational practice, and it must at the same time pro- vide us with our ideals." — Butler. It is the object of this investigation to ascertain what our southern colleges are doing to impart this liberal culture, as distinguished from the technical or professional education, or the special training for research, which it is the duty of the university to give. Let us first fix our attention closely upon the objects aimed at, and see how our methods measure up to these ideals. Perhaps the noblest and com- pletest description of the liberal education in modern literature is con- tained in this paragraph from that great master of evolution and edu- cation both, Huxley : "That man, I think, has had a liberal education whose body has been so trained in youth that it is the ready servant of his will, and does with ease and pleasure all that as a mechanism it is capable of; whose intellect is a clear, cold, logic engine, with all its parts of equal strength and in smooth running order, ready, like a steam engine, to be turned to any kind of work and to spin the gossa- mers, as well as forge the anchors, of the mind ; whose mind is stored with the knowledge of the great fundamental truths of nature and of the laws of her operations ; one who, no stunted ascetic, is full of life and fire, but whose passions have been trained to come to heel by a vigorous will, the servant of a tender conscience; one who has learned to love all beauty, whether of nature or of art, to hate all vileness and to esteem others as himself." This noble statement gives us the starting point for an analysis of the elements of the liberal education. First, the youth must have a body "so trained that it is the ready servant of his will, and does with ease and pleasure all that as a mechanism it is capable of." We know now that a knowledge of his physical nature, its structure, its organi- zation, the laws of its development and health, and especially of those laws which control the working of the brain and the nervous system, is the most valuable knowledge the man can have. This implies also a knowledge of the effects of bodily habits upon mental states ; of the laws of exercise, diet, and sleep, and of the right use of all those things that tend to produce that healthy body which the best support of the intellectual life. The Greeks gave a proper place to physical training in their system of education, but from their time to pur own the physi- 157 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE cal education has been too much neglected. One of the most impor- tant questions we have to ask of our colleges is, What are you doing to build human "bodies which shall ever be the ready servant of the will and do with ease and pleasure all that as a mechanism they are capa- ble of?" We regret to say that we have received a very unsatisfactory answer to this important question- — so unsatisfactory an answer that we may as well say that very little is systematically done outside of a half dozen institutions — and drop the matter here. Secondly, the making of the intellect, the building of the "clear, cold, logic engine, with all its parts of equal strength and in smooth running order." We give the youth this training chiefly by the study of mathematics and the physical sciences, and by training in logic and philosophy. How are we doing this ? Thirdly, we must give the youth a knowledge of his own tongue, its history, its laws, its idoms, and its capabilities. In these days it is necessary that he also have a knowledge of the tongues of several other peoples. In order to avail himself of the literature and art of the past and to make his own contribution to the thought of the future, he must, in fact, know all the methods of embodying thought and feel- ing. Language, the vehicle of thought, is absolutely essential, espe- cially a mastery of the mother tongue. It is the crystal vial that contains all the potentiality of the living present, as literature is the sculptured urn that holds all the ashes of the dead past. These are not mere accomplishments ; rightly viewed and used, they are an inspi- ration, a lesson, and a guide. Aside from their direct, or first uses, the languages are the most perfect educational polishing machines. In the gymnasium of the Latin and Greek, the mind, stripped like the athlete, brings many an intellectual muscle into play. Properly used, these studies exercise many faculties — observation, comparison, and analysis, as well as memory, imagination, and taste. Through them the youthful mind grows to robust manhood, so that he who was but a stripling of a freshman finds himself an intellectual Hercules when a senior. Fourthly, we must store the mind with the knowledge of nature and her laws, while we fill the heart with the love of her. It is a trite saying that the Creator has given us two books to study — the book of Revelation and the book of Nature. But we cannot express it better. The book of Nature is laid out open before the child everywhere for the purpose of developing his senses and teaching him law and beauty. Nature study is the joy and inspiration of the young, the comfort and THE SCHOOL REVIEW 158 recreation of the old ; it brings us some of the most useful knowledge we ever get, trains the perceptive powers to habits of accurate and dis- criminating observation, and develops the reason and the judgment. Fifthly, the liberally educated man must have a knowledge of the experiences and opinions of his ancestors as expressed in their institu- tions and laws. He must know all the sad and wearisome steps by which man has marched from savagery to civilization, from the dark- ness toward the light. So we come to sociology, the science of sciences, in the light of whose teachings, we optimists believe, man is to march through the deserts and the wildernesses into the promised land, which hope has ever held before our race, and which is the object of all our striving. For this Heaven the whole race is being educated ; for races have their periods of infancy, youth, manhood, and old age, as well as individual men ; and this world was made to be the home, the school, and the training ground of our human kind, so that, at least, we might all enter into this estate of perfect knowledge, perfect peace, and per- fect joy. Sixthly, and, finally, the moral and religious nature must be devel- oped — "the passion trained to come to heel by a vigorous will, the servant of a tender conscience." Better not educate the man at all than sharpen all his powers and then leave him without a conscience to direct him. Conscience is the guardian of the man, and righteous- ness is the teacher of conscience. Righteousness is the finishing touch to the picture, the final tempering of the tool, the governor of the engine, the compass of the ship. What is man worth without a " ten- der conscience ? " What is education worth without righteousness ? Just as much as the picture without the finishing touch, the tool with- out temper, the engine without governor, the ship without compass. Let us see, now, how our southern colleges are planning to give their students this sixfold training which we call the liberal education. In order to conform to the language of the catalogues, we will group the various subjects of instruction together under the following heads : First, the English language — the mother tongue — and its litera- ture. Second, other languages and their literatures, especially the glori- ous Latin and Greek, and the French and the German — and, must we not now say, Spanish ? Third, the mathematics. Fourth, the natural sciences; divided into the experimental sciences, physics, and chemistry, and the descriptive sciences, botany, and biology. 159 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELORS DEGREE Fifth, history and political science. Sixth, philosophy. Seventh, physical culture and all that contributes thereto. Eighth, moral and righteous training. Moral training must, of course, be given with and through all of these. It is too spiritual to be described and measured as we describe and measure the others, and must, therefore, be left to be understood. The courses of study presented in the catalogues of some fifty col- leges and universities in our territory have been examined and ana- lyzed, and the results classified and measured in accordance with the plan used in our best institutions ; that is, the work required in the different subjects has been reduced to the number of hours of recita- tions and lectures in the annual session. The number of written exer- cises, themes, or reports, required to be prepared outside recitation hours were noted wherever possible. The amount of parallel reading required was also noted. The minimum amount of laboratory work required was ascertained, each unit representing two hours. In the accompanying tables, the first figures under each head represent the number of hours of recitations or lectures. W. stands for regular written exercises, themes, or reports, and the figures following express the number of them required. P. stands for parallel reading, and the figures following mean the number of pages. L. stands for laboratory work, and the figures represent the number of two-hour periods. Where sciences are taught in the laboratory (as they should be), this laboratory work is included with the recitations and lectures, two hours being reckoned as one. Where the instruction is in part by lectures and in part by recitation, the amount of laboratory work required is given in parenthesis. The work in languages and literature is given under three heads : the English language and literature, the ancient languages and their literature, the modern languages and their litera- ture ; and the total of these is given in the next column. Pure math- ematics has a column to itself. Experimental sciences and descriptive sciences are given in separate columns, and the total work bestowed upon mathematics and sciences is given in the next column. History and political science are given in one column, philosophy in another, and these two added together in a third. A column is devoted to physical culture, including military drill and similar exercises. Another column gives the total number of hours required in the entire course for B.A. or B.S. The first figures in this case express the total number of hours required in the course ; the second figure THE SCHOOL REVIEW 160 the number of hours of prescribed studies ; and the third the number of hours of elective studies. The word "thesis" in this column means that an original thesis or dissertation is required in addition to the foregoing work. The last column gives the average number of hours per week of recitation, lecture, and laboratory work for the entire course (two laboratory equal to one of recitation). Accompanying this paper is only one of the large tables. This gives in one group the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the eight colleges and universities belonging to the Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools in the Southern States. For the purpose of comparison we have added at the bottom of this table the work required for the B.A. at Yale. The second group in the table gives the requirements for the degree of B.A. in twelve of the best colleges and universities in the territory having nearly the same entrance and graduation requirements as the colleges belonging to this association. It has not been possible, in the case of some of the institutions having the " Group system," to distribute the work required into all of the columns ; but the distribution has been carried as far as possible, and the "Group" distribution is given wherever it was impossible to carry it further. The figures without initials before them represent the total number of hours in the annual session. For example, if a study is scheduled for three hours a week for a term of twelve weeks, the gross number of thirty-six hours is included. If a subject is scheduled for three hours a week for forty weeks, 120 hours are put down. No effort has been made to eliminate the holidays or periods devoted to examinations. It is believed that the deduction for holidays and examinations would be approximately equal for all institutions. The announcements or catalogues give in most cases fairly definite statements with regard to the subjects taught and the number of hours devoted to recitations and lectures. The majority of them are very indefinite, however, with regard to the number of written exercises, themes, or reports, and the amount of parallel reading required. Very few state exactly how much laboratory work is required, though the majority mention it in connection with the sciences. Statements with regard to the work in history and philosophy are less definite than those with regard to the work in mathematics and languages. The work required in physical culture is rarely defined at all, even in insti- tutions known to have good equipment. We would urge all institu- tions to be more definite in their statements of all these matters. i6i REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE In some institutions, where the rule is to give perfect freedom of election, it has been impossible to ascertain what the requirements for B.A. are. To illustrate, one institution merely requires that the stu- dent shall have finished twenty units, one unit being a three-hour course running through the session of forty weeks, or the equivalent made up from shorter courses, making a total of 2400 hours for the degree. Only a few studies amounting to two or three units are prescribed. Such an institution has no course whatever for the B.A. degree. The elective system is one thing ; to give absolute freedom of election without system is a very different thing. The majority of our institutions give the student some freedom of election within "groups," and prescribe a certain order of studies. Such requirements are logical and have been included. To give the kind of undergraduates we get in the South the privilege to elect all their studies without regard to " group" or order of study, is contrary to every principle of education. In such extreme cases no B.A. requirements could be stated. Examining the first group in the table (institutions in the Southern College Association), we find that they all require from one to three years' work in English, from two to four years' work in ancient lan- guage, and one to three years' work in pure mathematics. They all require some science, but the requirements in sciences and philosophy vary more widely. The following table, giving the number of hours positively prescribed in the different subjects, and the average total number of hours, and hours per week for the eight colleges in this association, shows how the requirements vary in the different institu- tions : WORK PRESCRIBED BY COLLEGES IN SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION FOR B.A. DEGREE Highest, hours Lowest, hours] Average for these colleges hours On English and literature, - Univ. So. Course A. Wash. & Lee. On ancient languages and lit- erature, - - - - 380 Univ. So. Course A. 120 Univ. Tenn. 260 On the total of prescribed 880 280 563 languages and literature, - Vanderbilt and Univ. Miss. Wash. & Lee. 1120 620 IOO0 p J £ ■a jg « n £ SI s c w S (/) b, K | P UJ h « ? „ o p e UJ £ J^ s j: _i , -n w -i o '" R < u s w z 'u l'\ X H » < o ' 5 z 03 d = ; > o E | « J X z LL H Z s | IS | H «! o UJ •"j .£ & 3 ■o >. i->S i 8 « fS^'B,- ' P^"p5 J ~^ q - " 1 ^ , .,, ~ b! s »b. s>'b; ||-| s& " ^Ph* m "". " > o"o w ab§ 8>?8 g g"Ig ■ss'a; s£b: Is .1 8 i^ i& % ^g w -^&-t« osss ^b; -a c i-l u ' 4 *J 5 "~-i | |p of ~°j 1 u 2"> B4 M > 41 ^ V Big a ■| S^ 2J s s 4 M J 3J §(£="8 s 5 w ■-■« W ?J.S u 8 a K- o i^T" 3 u a W B ™J K*-> O^ « loi-i 8» I^'j ^ o 8 w j ST J S ' a ?t|8 s M ™ " ™ " m s w m o |Sg 08 2 "ft," 8%n; "jfe Ibspu ° Sp- o ^4 2^ R •a '■ H 3 J M S 6-s w "^b: K > g d £ »3 s lis* SiSft S-g 3*- 8 S 1*" N :^i! 1* 1 " < >■- ■§ ^ I vO^- a ' 1^ o i^'eu is 3 * ro ^ 8 C -a- S^' 4 s " ^-o J. d B,' Jj « I 0-8.8 Isifc o %' s^'^ |s "£* I o^:' i & o < &-o £ -E B ,-] £ .•s &" " I z E o D. 1 £ * .£" - w i5 m * s* c3 s £ S sl >'^-= S ■d §■ >'-= •5 * > §■ > ° ~ * y-3 > p S 5 p H P P 1 1= X H &5 -B ? S " " B s B " M " ss ^"'g uW 4|| "'gSn §8 8|| 5 111 sl % EH SB) Ph B. Bh B, a. B. s^ EO^ * > £ S y m"2„ N s Si* - a 8 4& s 1 5 1 4 « "S H M 8 a « a K 1 S 1 - 1 ' 2 ? S « 00 Ph s ^ „ 8 4^ s " S^b; a o al i-"3™ g 'o vo > *o g -& n 00 VO » "j So "J 1 ^ J '" _ „ "J J « J S 8 » fv-i s ■s «J ►J B ™ H \i+ M J "j H J "J 4 s 8 | a 8 | S 4 8 a 8 s 8 1 § K £'b1 «» 8 €?'b; S^ fc ^^ Isjp: ss'b; 8 1^'b: 1 O 4^ *§ ^' ^&i 2^"b; 8 _ H^" ^' s Si ^' f 8- o g § ^ 3^'p; -&&"&: W fe^ ■ft&B.- J^'b: t^al <~ s&b: 3S "> o H ^ ? "S % ^' 1 ! >' Tr ^ : " « •$£*• S ? 1 „ i S4 a M >. u &