circa late 1960s, National Review
TWO VERY DIFFERENT COLLEGES
From the Academy, by Russel Kirk
If you look long enough, you can find almost
anything you want, in some American college or
other. (Whether what you want will be good for
you is another question.) College catalogs descend
upon me weekly. This week I pore over the publications
of two little colleges back among the hills - Goddard
College in Vermont, and the Warren Wilson College
in North Carolina.
Both Goddard and Wilson are small, situated
near isolated villages both have work programs
for students - physical work, that is; both are
interested in the "university without walls"
concepts of the Newman Report on Higher Education
(which this commentator discussed about the time that
report was made public). There the resemblences
end.
Goddard college's brochures are handsomely printed
and highly eccentric. Goddard's elaborate 'Trimester
Calendar' concludes with a full-page photograph of a
naked young woman endowed with monstrous breasts -
whether a member of staff or student body, we are
not informed. A school principle who received these
publications promptly transmitted them to me.
"I don't want them back here where some innocent
student might get his hands on them," the young
principal writes. "It seems that there is no
attempt to sandwich in a traditional education
between the Radical Studies Program and Women's
Studies. This is the weirest batch of literature
that I've received from any college."
Goddard grew out of the educational theories
of John Dewey and William Kirkpatrick. It was
meant to be a center for "education for real
living, through the actual facing of real
life problems"; it was to use the local
community (so isolated as to be
virtually defenseless against the experiment)
as a laboratory.
Goddard has no regular curriculum and no formal
classes. It charges high fees, and gets some
money from the federal Office of Education and
the Ford Foundation for developing a university-without-walls
program. What does one study? Well, study is something of
a dirty word, and the "work program" is treated
gingerly in the Goddard prospectus; but "a student's
educational program at Goddard is conceived as
a total experience."
There is the Bread and Puppet Theater, enjoying
pride of place among Goddard's "Programs,
Projects, Current Experiments." There is Design
and Construction - which seems to be mostly
carpentry. There is ESP, Environmental Services
Program, which "will combine the previous operations
of infirmary, housing office, recreation office,
and environment center." There is GIFAS, the Goddard
Institute for Anthropological Studies. There is a
group which joins practical organic gardening with
yoga exercises. There is Bill Osgood, who
plans to lead Northern Studies, about the polar
regions. There is a Radical Studies Program, the
character of which is candidly described by
its authors:
No philosophy, humane letters, mathematics,
physical science, natural science, history,
languages, and such impedimenta? No. Goddard
is free, creative, unstructured.
Turn we from Vermont to North Carolina. Warren
Wilson College was founded by the United Presbyterian
Church, which now has ceased its grants to the college,
preferring to spend money on "inner city" projects.
It remains Christian, nevertheless: "Worship is regarded
as an integral part of our community life." Wilson's
president is Dr. Reuben Holden, who left his post as
secretary of Yale University to save this remote little
college from dissolution. He presides over a college
most definitely structured and disciplined.
All students work fifteen hours a week on the grounds,
on the college farm (which provides their meat), or
in library and laboratories. Every student is expected
to engage in some project that will be of service to
others, outside the college. "We believe work is part
of a liberal education - understanding the dignity of
work and achieving the satisfaction of working harmoniously
with others," says Dr. Holden.
Wilson's core program consists, during the freshman year,
of a semester of Man's Social Issues, a semester of
Old Testament, a semester of mathematics, two semesters
of freshman English, two semesters of world history and
two of a laboratory science. The sophomore year includes
one semester of New Testament, one of International Studies,
and two of World Literature. The junior year has a semester
of fine arts or the equivalent, and a semester of Mankind
and the Individual. The baccalaureate may be earned in
biological sciences, education, English and drama, general
studies (for superior students), history and political sciences,
mathematics, music, physical sciences and social studies;
also there are strong programs in modern languages, psychology,
and religion and philosophy. Incidentally, there is a work
program for the faculty - probably unique nowadays in this land,
or any land.
"I have witnessed such complete happiness and working togetherness
for the good of one institution as is apparent at Warren Wilson,"
says a visiting administrator from Duke University. "I can honestly
say I never heard one serious word of discontent, criticism
or complaint expressed by anyone there."
A wondrous diversity still survives in the American groves
of adademe. It will not survive long, if Behemoth State University
has its heavy way: not even in the Green Mountains. Christianity
at Wilson, spontaneity at Goddard - those must yield to Social
Stew at Behemoth U, if tax-supported mediocrity triumphs.
Political action is harder to achieve in
central Vermont. Functioning as a focus or
forum of smaller groups, Radical Studies
has most recently organized a local demonstration
against the invasion of Laos, helped publicize
the 'People's Peace Treaty' for ending the war,
and won official college support for the farm
workers' national boycott against non-union
lettuce.
