The reply of the trustees to the class of eighteen eighty-five, Amherst College 1911

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THE REPLY OF THE
TRUSTEES TO THE CLASS
OF EIGHTEEN EIGHTY FIVE

THE REPLY OF THE
TRUSTEES TO THE CLASS
OF EIGHTEEN EIGHTY-FIVE

THE REPLY OF THE
TRUSTEES TO THE CLASS
OF EIGHTEEN EIGHTY-FIVE

• : • ;• ; . •»

AMHERST COLLEGE
1911

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THE • PLIMPTON • PRESS • NORWOOD • MASS • U • S • A

THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES
TO THE CLASS OF 1885

w

IDE attention and comment have been
awakened by the memorial presented to the
trustees of Amherst College by the Class oj
1 88^ at its twenty-fijth anniversary, on the
condition and policy of the institution. In
response, the college corporation has made
the following answer:

TO THE CLASS OF 1885 OF
AMHERST COLLEGE

THE president and trustees of Amherst
College recognize in your address a
gratifying proof of the affectionate
care of our alumni for this institution as a
home of learning, from which they have
profited and desire others to profit. You
have done Amherst a great service by draw-
ing the attention of the world of education
to the policy of the College. Your criticism
is frank, loyal, and helpful. We approve your
spirit and intent. Your proposals are all the
more valuable and gain greatly in practical

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

efficiency and application because they urge
much that the College administration was
already putting into operation when your
memorial was presented; and this advance
has been supplemented by your advice. Our
mutual confidence in the policy of our College
must be strengthened when we find that its
alumni urge what the president and faculty
were adopting, and that its president and
faculty approve additions to its policy which
the alumni propose.

Your address asks that the instruction be
in future a "modified classical course"; that
the degree of bachelor of science be abolished ;
that the College devote all its means to the
increase of teachers' salaries; that the number
of students be limited; and that entrance be
permitted only by competitive examination.

We agree with you that the function of
Amherst College is to train its students by
means of the liberal arts and sciences for a
more abundant life, and not for a larger wage.
It should not attempt technical, vocational, or
professional education. Amherst has always
regarded both the humanities and the sciences
as necessary to a complete education and the
true foundation for intellectual discipline and
for character.

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

A liberal education is not complete unless
it enters several fields of learning. The value
of the ancient classics, that is, the Greek and
Latin languages and literatures, is recognized.
But there are other knowledges that are
requisite to a liberal education. Science,
which has so developed in the last fifty years
as to be a new creation, is a discipline, is a
knowledge that every educated man should
have. This, indeed, is recognized in your
address when you say, "All would agree that
some knowledge of science is part of a Hberal
education," that "in any teaching of the
experience of the race, the sciences have a
necessary place." But history, philosophy,
mathematics, political science, economics,
music, the literature of one's own tongue,
German and Romance languages and liter-
atures, certainly a liberally educated man
should know something of these great expe-
riences of the human race. The curriculum
includes all these subjects, and more than
half of the choices of students are made from
among them.

Amherst does not, however, leave the selec-
tion of studies to the wandering choice of
the student. It has applied this principle
to physical development as well as to mental

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

training. The studies of the first year are
prescribed: Latin and Greek, or Latin and a
modern language, mathematics, English, and
a science. The second year an ancient lan-
guage and a science are continued, and three
subjects are chosen. The third and fourth
years the student chooses all the subjects he
will pursue. Thus about one-third of the
whole number of courses is prescribed and
two-thirds are elective. In order that some
studies may be continued beyond the ele-
mentary stage, three of the subjects elected
are studied three years and oncv subject two
years, while no subject is elected for a course
of less than one year. The three-year courses
are called majors, and the two-year course a
minor.

It is important that students have a working
knowledge of modern languages, since they
are more and more needed in actual life.
To ensure this knowledge, those students that
have had both Latin and Greek will, begin-
ning with the next entering class, be required
before graduation to translate at sight German
or a Romance language (French, Spanish, or
Italian), and those that have had but one
ancient language, to translate both German
and a Romance language.

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

If a Student completes in the first two years
the required courses in classics, science, and
the modern languages, the last two years
will oflFer a free and wide choice of subjects
whose mastery and advanced study will be
rendered feasible by the ability to consult
works in German and a Romance tongue, by
familiarity with scientific method and classical
study on broad lines.

The degree of bachelor of science has not
been off'ered in Amherst for a course of
technical training, but for a course in which
the culture of science and of other liberalizing
studies was sought as a sound preparation
for technological and professional schools and
for life. For eight years past, three years of
preparatory Latin have been required from
those entering this course. But the degree
appears now open to the misapprehension
that it is conferred upon completing a course
of technical training. Since it is a course in
the liberal arts and sciences, there is no reason
why the degree of bachelor of arts should not
be given on the completion of such a course,
and therefore the degree of bachelor of science
will not be off'ered to classes entering after
191 3, but only the one degree of bachelor of
arts. As now arranged, the course leading

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

to this degree is a better training for technical
studies than the course that led to bachelor
of science. Four years of Latin will be
required of all for entrance. Two years of
an ancient language and two years of science
are in the future to be required in the college
course, instead of one year each in classics
and science, as in the past. Hitherto half
the College took two years of the classics and
half two years in science, a part taking both.
In future all will take both studies for two
years. Amherst does not look on any man as
educated unless he has been taught to inter-
pret the problems of his own day through
the lessons of the past and has received a
knowledge of classic literature, philosophy,
and civilization, gaining discipline in the
expression of his own tongue through the
mental process of translation. Neither does
Amherst look on any man to-day as fully
trained for modern life who has not learned
the methods of the laboratory and laid a
secure foundation in science.

With the requirement of a preparation of
four years of Latin and of two years of an
ancient language in college, Amherst is defi-
nitely on the basis of a modified classical
course. It is to be regretted that the require-

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

ment of Greek cannot be made, since so few
preparatory schools teach it. But the Col-
lege believes in Greek, believes in its value for
discipline, for the culture and for the wide
horizon opened to the student by knowledge
of the vital past on which the literature, the
institutions, the life of to-day are founded
and without which they cannot be fully under-
stood. To encourage the study of Greek,
plans are being made to establish a classical
lectureship, and a number of honorary schol-
arships for students fitted in Greek.

The outside activities of the College have
never trenched upon studies in Amherst to
the extent that is charged elsewhere and
intimated in your address. We look on these
activities as of great cultural value, and we
also believe that the development of the
curriculum tends to the proper subordina-
tion of these interests. By limitation of the
number of activities, by insistence upon good
scholarship as a requisite for participation,
by giving opportunity and encouragement to
every student to have some share in them, we
are securing from year to year a wiser balance
of work and play. We would not prevent
the competition of students with their fellows
for prizes and honors justly dear to under-

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

graduates. In this spirit, besides the required
gymnastic exercise, the College is developing
team work by the general body of students
on the athletic field. This year three-fifths,
300 out of 500, share this stimulus for the
physical and social well-being, and the policy
will be continued until all not physically
disqualified are engaged in some athletic
competition. Dramatics, music, literary
publications, intercollegiate debates, and
oratorical contests have a place and engage
an interest of great value.

The Amherst graduate, with these plans
and policies in full force, will have ofi'ered
four years of Latin or Greek or both, at
entrance; he will have had in college two
years of an ancient language and two years
at least of science; he will have a reading
knowledge of German and a Romance lan-
guage; he will have pursued three subjects
for three years and one subject for two years;
he will have had the choice, besides the
requirements of classics, sciences, mathe-
matics, and modern languages, of philosophy,
including metaphysics and psychology, his-
tory, economics, political science, and litera-
ture; he will have had abundant opportunity
to interest himself in college activities and

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

athletics, and he will not have been permitted
to overdo in either. Best of all, this will have
been done in an institution whose president,
trustees, faculty, alumni, and undergraduates
believe that the first office and duty of its
training is to stimulate spiritual responsibility
for the service of humanity.

As to the limitation of numbers: It is, of
course, necessary to limit numbers in accord-
ance with our equipment and capacity for
teaching in the most efficient manner. The
teaching policy of the College is to have
small groups of students. The last semester
76 courses were given. Of these, 64 courses
were taught to groups of 30 or less, namely,
18 courses to groups of 20 to 30; 5 courses
to groups of 15 to 20; II courses to groups of
10 to 15; 15 courses to groups of 5 to 10;
and 15 courses to groups of 5 or less. In
only 1 2 courses were the groups larger, ranging
from 31 to 54. The number 30 is arbitrarily
chosen as a dividing line. There are few
subjects that should be taught to as many as
30 men. The ideal of Amherst is small
numbers in the classroom and thorough
teaching.

We deem it desirable that the numbers
remain in the neighborhood of five hundred,

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

in order that the distinct atmosphere of a
small college may be preserved, a number
not too large for personal acquaintance of
teachers with students, and of students with
one another, not too small for esprit du corps
and enthusiasm.

Competitive examinations on all subjects
we do not regard as the best method of testing
candidates for admission. In view of differ-
ences of preparation and opportunity, we
take the best evidence obtainable whether
canditates can do college work or not.

Amherst is less solicitous about the size
of its Freshman class than about the character
of the Seniors it yearly graduates. It is as
desirous to improve the work done by the
lower third of a class as to lavish effort
on the upper tenth. Hence our system of
prescribed subjects and of major and minor
courses, our raising of grades for passing in
each course and for graduation, which has
been advanced to a minimum of 70, on a
scale of 100, after having been for several
years at 65; our policy of small divisions, of
examination at the end of each semester,
and of rigid scholarship requirements in case
of participation in athletics and other outside
activites.

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

Such a course and such aims as have been
outlined call for instructors free from anxiety-
over their daily expenditure. It is the policy
of the board to increase salaries until they
are at a reasonable level. This policy has
been practically pursued for several years.
The sum of $400,000 has been applied in the
last ten years to raising the salaries of pro-
fessors, while at the present time we are
engaged in securing a fund of $400,000, which
is nearly completed, for the same purpose.
We mean to have the best teachers, to put
the emphasis on teaching more than on
research, and to make the emolument such
that teachers will not be enticed away. We
do not think, however, that the College has
no other needs. The faculty is unanimous
in the opinion that there should be an increase
in hbrary accommodations, that there should
be another recitation hall, and more adequate
administrative offices.

In reply, then, or in response to the address
of the Class of 1885 we would say that the
curriculum offers the studies of a liberal
education; that courses in classics, mathe-
matics, modern languages, and science are
required; that the choice of three-years, two-
years, and one-year courses is from history,

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THE REPLY OF THE TRUSTEES

literature, philosophy, political science, and
economics, as well as from classics and science;
that the one degree of bachelor of arts only
will be given; that the compensation of
teachers has been increased and will be still
further advanced ; that the number of students
will not be arbitrarily fixed, but will be deter-
mined by the provision for efficient teaching;
that candidates will be selected according to
evidence of their fitness to do good work;
and that a high standard of scholarship is
maintained.

[i6]

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