MiNUTHs or Tiir. sirnoNS. 



SECTION ON COLLEGE WORK AND ADMINISTRATION. 



Aftehnoon Session. Tiesdav. N()\KAir.EH 14. I'.M),"). 



The section \v:is ciIUmI to onlor at 'A ]). iii. by the cliaii-iuaii, U. \V. Stimson, of 

 Connecticut. 



Ci i.TiRE Studies ix LANi>-(iRANT Coli.eoks. 



The tirst sui)ject taken up lor consideration was " 'I'o what extent siiould the 

 baccalaureate dej^ree courses of the hind-jirant colleses be severely scientitic 

 and technical — that is. inclusive or exclusive of so-called 'general-culture 

 studies? ' "' 



A. B. Storms, of Iowa, jiresented the following paper : 



The FiEi.n and Functions oe the Land-CJrant Colleges. 



Curririiliiiii. — The avowed purposes of the land-srant colleges, according to 

 the Morrill Act. being " to promote the lii)eral and pi-actical education of the 

 industrial classes in the several imrsuits and jirofessions of life," to what extent 

 should their Itaccalaureate <legree courses l)e severely scientific and technical — 

 that is. exclusive of so-called "general-culture studies?" 



general education and technical efficiency — " a minimum general-culture 



requirement." 



There are two important general considerations in determining what should 

 be the scope and character of the c(mrses of study in land-grant colleges — (1) 

 the intent of the original land-grant act and (2) the evolution of the intent 

 or idea in land-grant colleges. Seldom or never do the originators of any far- 

 reaching and beniticent idea conceive its execution in finished detail. Rather, 

 they open a fountain of inspirational impulse. They initiate principles and out- 

 line the main working features of a plan. Broad-minded and benevolent states- 

 men, in devising plans for the future good of the race or of their country, are 

 the last to wish to give stereotyped and rigid form to the details of their plans, 

 knowing well that the vitality of a great purpose and fruitful idea reipiires a 

 free atmosi)here for its normal evolution. 



Yet it is also true that a definite direction and limitation must be prescrilted 

 for the working out of an educational idea. Those have planned in highest wis- 

 dom who have either i)rescribed these limitations and given this definition only 

 as governed l>y the main initial purjiose. or have left the definition and limita- 

 tion to be worked out in harmony with that central idea or purpose. No edu- 

 cational system can be successfully worked out that lacks consistency and 

 coherence and organic unity within itself. 



We shoidd, therefore, ask as to the main features of the educational idea 

 that found expi'ession in the land-grant act. This, of course, is determined 

 not only by the wording of the act itself, but by the discussions in Congress 



((>7) 



