AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 163, 10 July 1907, Page 3

AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES.

A COMPARISON OF SYSTEMS. "American universities," said Profes- = sor Starr Jordan in his lecture at the Society of Arts Gallery, Coburg-street, last evening, "were founded on English copies, but as time progressed they discovered that living to learn was better and more profitable than living for examinations." American universities were the pride ol" democracy. They were virile, and abhitious to afford to the student the" very excellence of assistance in perfecting his intelligence for the particular field of work toward which his talent and inclination lay. The degree did not hold the high value in America that it did in England. A graduate was rather qnestioned of his teacher than of his degree, for tbe great teacher made for recognised fact, whereas, in the United States the degree was merely a warrant that a man had gone through a certain course. Since the standardisation of universities in the United States, whereby many of the smaller and unnecessary institutions had been weeded out, the degrees of the larger American universities had grown in estimation very high, and in elementary work ranked now first in the world, as Germany ranked first in the value of research work. The lecturer entered into a comprehensive explanation of the various courses and aims of college and university training in America. Residence was regarded as of first importance. Extramural degrees did not count for much in America. Night lectures were, for this reason, held of small ac-. count. law student was not allowed to hang about law courts or work in law offices, for the reason that by doing so he would be least likely to learn law; nor was an engineering student encouraged to spend his time in factories. The aim was for close contact between teacher and student, and consequently the faculties of American universities were relatively much larger than those of English universities: although the scale of salaries was relatively low. Stateaided universities in America were Stateowned, and the private institution therefore, like his university, the LelandStanford, being free to pursue its way as it best liked, had, a.s a consequence, taken the lead in reform -and research work, while the State universities covered a greater amount of ground. In Australia and New Zealand, said the speaker, university training was too expensive. In California the fees ranged from nothing up to about £6 a year, while diplomas were bought up at about 6/ a piece, and retailed at the same figure to the students. (Laughter.) No incapables or wastrels were tolerated, however. About one-fourth of the entrants were requested to leave the campus of Stanford University at the end of every year for imperfection of work, and about half of them eventually took up their course again, under the privilege, while the remainder went to inspire the cabbages. With free tuition there must be no idleness. (Applause.) Speakof what he had seen in Australia and New Zealand, Professor Jordan considered that our university m»n rank flatteringly high as compared with those of America "and England. He thought that the institutions in Australia and New Zealand would be strengthened by allowing the heads of the professorial boards to have the initiatiTe in educational matters.