THE FUTURE.
This has been, indeed, an auspicious year for Trinity. Not only has the year’s work been good and the institution brought more prominently before the public, but there has been work done within its walls that is indicative of a bright future and that can be correctly measured only by the future. The President and Faculty have faithfully labored with an eye to the future, believing that time and experience will prove the wisdom of their course. The curriculum has been revised. It is their object to keep it squarely abreast with the educational demands of the age. The College is now divided into two Departments: the Academic, including the first two years; and the Scientific, including the last two years.
The Academic has three courses: the Classical, the distinguishing studies of which are Greek and Latin; the Modern, distinguished by German and French; and the English, requiring English studies only. Mathematics, English and History are equal in the three. Other studies are not equal, consequently, the conditions for admission to College will not be the same for all the courses, the Classical requiring the most. These conditions will be enlarged from year to year as may be thought best. In this Department, special attention will be given to mental discipline, to methods and to laying such foundations in study as will best prepare students for the more independent work and scientific research to follow.
The Scientific Department is composed of fifteen different schools, and this number may be expanded according to the number of instructors employed. Its characteristic features are the cultivation of all the Sciences, original inquiry and freedom to select from these schools studies, within certain prescribed limits, according to the peculiar taste of the student. This curriculum will lead to four different degrees, according to the selections made from the schools. It is, consequently, varied sufficiently to please all, from the classically inclined to the devotee of science, and full and thorough enough to satisfy the demands which the age is making upon Colleges. Indeed, the general, but constant, aim will be to make the college a more potent and independent factor, through its influence, for moulding public opinion and elevating public life, in religion, in education, in government and in the industries of the country. In order better to do this, and believing that the time has come when there is a wise demand for three different institutions in our national educational system, the Preparatory school, the College, and the University, the authorities have abolished the Preparatory Department heretofore connected with the College, and will give their influence to the up-building throughout the State of first class preparatory schools, which may act as feeders to the Colleges. The lack of such schools has greatly retarded the advancement of education throughout the whole country. College work should begin where that of the better class of lower schools closes, and end where the best Universities take it up. This is the rational, economical plan, and the one that Trinity proposes to follow. Thus each of the three institutions will be better able to do its peculiar work. The College will be relieved and can, in turn, relieve the Universities of the burden of doing College work, and then the Universities can engage their powers in answering the demand for true University work.
This is a general statement of the Faculty’s plan for the future work and management of the College, but they are not alone in the work. They have an active, energetic Board of Trustees to co-operate and assist by action as well as by word. It is the Board’s purpose and determination, so far as in them lies, to make and keep the institution the peer of the best of its kind in the South. Upon them, in a large measure, devolves the financial support and management and, consequently, the success of the institution. To this demand they are ready to respond, and are responding. Every one that has given the subject thought concurs with the late Dr. Craven that “to meet the demand of the times, keep pace with improvements and growth, and hold equal pace with a host of noble competitors, one hundred thousand dollars endowment must be realized at an early day. Her alumni and friends can do the work.” While the endowment has long been delayed, Trinity has done a work without it, of which any institution might be proud. But with this fund partly raised and the rest well under way, we think we see a career before Trinity that will make glad the heart of every Methodist and of every friend of christian education, provided always that he has done his part in consummating the noble work. To do this fully requires only an effort from each one. Then will not every one unite hands with the devoted, self-sacrificing Faculty and earnest Board of Trustees in achieving a work that is to surprise the most hopeful? What say you, reader? or, rather, what will you do toward securing this nucleus of an endowment?