- Nov 2024
-
www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
-
- Apr 2023
- Sep 2020
-
www.sciencedirect.com www.sciencedirect.com
-
RRID:IMSR_UNC:112
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.072
Resource: (IMSR Cat# UNC_112,RRID:IMSR_UNC:112)
Curator: @ethanbadger
SciCrunch record: RRID:IMSR_UNC:112
-
- Dec 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
Government
With a government only a few decades old, I would be incredibly interested to know what they expected to teach students in this course. I wonder if they taught about the British government instead of the new American government. If they taught about the American government, I think it would be extremely difficult to have consistent teaching happening, since very little was solidified in our government during this time.
-
400 acres on the north fork of James River known by the name of Hart’s bottom purchased of the late General Bowyer 171 acres adjoining the same purchased of James Griggsby 203 acres joining the last mentioned tract, purchased of William Paxton 112 acres lying on the North river above the lands of Arthur Glasgow conveyed to him by William Paxton’s heirs. 500 acres joining the lands of Arthur Glasgow, Benjamin Cambden, and David Edmondson. 545 acres lying in Pryor’s gap conveyed to him by the heirs of William Paxton deceased. 260 acres lying in Childers gap purchased of William Mitchell 300 acres lying also in Childer’s gap purchased of Nicholas Jones 500 Acres lying on Buffalo, joining the lands of James Johnston
I'm amazed that everyone was just as prepared to create our school in Lexington as they were in Charlottesville. They had such detailed plans, and individuals were fully prepared to give up their land in case Lexington was chosen to become our Grounds. I wonder how far ahead they planned in Lexington before settling on Charlottesville; did they have building plans and exact locations of dormitories prepared?
-
Also the whole of his Slaves amounting to 57 in number.
I find this quote interesting for a few reasons. It seems as if it is just thrown regularly into the middle of a bunch of other facts. This shows how normal slavery is viewed during this time. This is also a fact lots of people try to avoid or forget about in Thomas Jefferson's, UVA, and America's history. All of these things have been heavily impacted and built by slavery. This is an important part of history that should be acknowledged and unforgotten.
-
To enable him to calculate for himself, and to express & preserve his ideas, his contracts & accounts in writing. To improve by reading, his morals and faculties.
I found these two lines very interesting fr a plethora of reasons. To start off, the line before says how the objects would benefit "every citizen". However, the article refers to every citizen as "him" or "himself". This shows the ideology of the people during this time period. It displays how men were only viewed as first class citizens and the only ones considered in the founding of the university. In addition, the last part of the quote mentions how the object would improve his morals. However, allowing slavery was an extremely immoral act. I find this quote interesting because of its display of the thoughts of women and slavery at the time.
-
Latin
Because it was impossible to highlight all the languages without highlighting other areas, I simply highlighted “Latin”, but I will be referring to all the languages listed, including Greek, French, and German. First, not surprisingly, all the languages listed have some sort of European and Western origin, except for Hebrew. However, although Hebrew originated in the Middle East, many Jews moved or fled to Europe during the diaspora, so Hebrew as a language is also tied to Europe. Secondly, I find it interesting that English is still referred to as “Anglo-Saxon” at this time. Lastly, I also find it interesting that both Latin and Greek were taught in the early 1800's, but now only Latin is taught in some schools, even though Latin is the dead language, not Greek.
-
Some good men, and even of respectable information, consider the learned sciences as useless acquirements; some think that they do not better the condition of men
Although I do not specifically what the learned science means in this context and time, I assume that it has to do with the field of science (including disciplines such as Biology). This is interesting to me, because science is such a big part of our education nowadays. However, obviously during the early 1800's, many people, including educated men, did not believe in science or that science was necessary for students to learn. I assume instead they wanted students to learn more “relevant” fields, such as theology, philosophy, language, and commerce. Thinking about the lack of importance of science in this time, it’s amazing to think about how different people back then viewed the world.
-
Encouraged therefore by the sentiments of the Legislature, manifested in this statute, we present the following tabular statement of the branches of learning which we think should be taught in the University, forming them into groups, each of which are within the powers of a single professor.
In modern education, students are essentially encouraged to specialize within a particular field the moment they declare their major. This table shows how the Jeffersonian vision of education is incredibly well-rounded and encompasses every field present during the early 19th century. However, the College of Arts and Sciences at UVA still has general education requirements, and students are highly encouraged to explore different fields with a variety of classes in their first and second years. The New College Curriculum takes this initiative to an entirely new level, with classes in different areas that captivate the modern intellectual world, including poverty, extinction, and implications of art. These two curriculums serve as a testament to the original Jeffersonian vision of education, and allows current University of Virginia students to graduate with an education so broad and varied that graduates are far more well equipped for life beyond college.
-
The board having thus agreed on a proper site for the University to be reported to the legislature, proceeded to the second of the duties assigned to them, that of proposing a plan for its buildings; and they are of opinion that it should consist of distinct houses or pavilions, arranged at proper distances on each side of a lawn of a proper breadth, & of indefinite extent in one direction at least, in each of which should be a lecturing room with from two to four apartments for the accommodation of a professor and his family: that these pavilions should be united by a range of Dormitories, sufficient each for the accommodation of two students only, this provision being deemed advantageous to morals, to order, & to uninterrupted study;
This description of the general design of the Lawn exhibits Jefferson's idealized concept of how a university should be properly arranged; his firm convictions on the morals of education and his idea of professors and students living and learning together really set the University of Virginia apart from other universities of the time. Even in the present, I for one cannot name a single university that features something similar to the Lawn and rotunda, and the amount of thought regarding educational morals that went into their design. The University of Virginia stands out from its academic peers across the country in the foundations of its creation, and the continuation of the community of trust that seeks to live up to these values that Jefferson envisioned two hundred years ago.
-
- Nov 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
The affectionate deportment between father & son offers, in truth, the best example for that of tutor & pupil; and the experience & practice of* other countries in this respect, may be worthy of enquiry & consideration with us.
This quote resonates with me, as its something that I have found to still hold true both in high school and in University. Professors at the University today continue to offer office hours for students to talk to them both about school and occasionally about their lives, and conduct research side-by-side with students. I also think that this quote expands to the Housing and Residence life that exists today, since first-year students learn a lot from their Resident Advisors and Senior Residents, who they live and study with every day.
-
And generally to form them to habits of reflection, and correct action, rendering them examples of virtue to others & of happiness within themselves.
I find it interesting that the constructors of UVA believed that one of the objectives of the school should be to build character and instill correct action in the students. It seems as if this University always valued "the honor code" and heavily enforced it from the moment the school opened. Nowadays, the honor code is still enforced. We still abide by the rule to not cheat, lie, or steal. However, instead of being enforced by administration, the honor code is more so enforced by the student body. As UVA students, we all feel the need to abide by the honor code because it's just morally correct. In this case, I feel like we've definitely come along way from the past, and this objective has now turned into a natural habit.
-
the Various Vocations of life,
This is ridiculously pretentious. The authors here put forth a restrictive viewpoint stating that if you are of the class to attend the college, you should do one of a number of particular jobs associated with your class. Note the "the" and the capitalized "V"'s. I would bet my bottom dollar that, not only did he have particular jobs in mind when he said these things, he had well established ones there to boot, so that he is not serving to revitalize existing outputs, just the system that produces them. What's the point?
-
In proceeding to the third & fourth duties prescribed by the legislature of reporting “the branches of learning, which shall be taught in the University, and the number & description of the professorships they will require” the commissioners were first to consider at what point it was understood that university education should commence? Certainly not with the Alphabet for reasons of expediency & impracticability, as well as from the obvious sense of the Legislature
I like how this portion of section 3.4 poses a question that makes the topic seem more inquisitive. Because it is a founding document of the University I currently attend it is interesting to see what sort of evaluations were made when establishing the logistics behind university level education. I think the founders of the University were faced with a difficult task when having to decide at what point university education was to commence because at the time the objects of primary education and the number of people that received it varied. I think this was in part why they made sure to outline the importance of primary education and the objections set forth for it. Today, education is more standardized and it is expected that a student entering college has met the necessary requirements to do so. Furthermore, rigorous applications and testing have made it easier for universities to evaluate the extent of our education.
Additionally, as a reader I felt like the tone of these lines were more relaxed. It wasn't a definitive statement and the triviality of stating "certainly not with the Alphabet," made it sound less formal.
-
”In this enquiry they supposed that the governing considerations should be the healthiness of the site, the fertility of the neighbouring country, and it’s centrality to the white population of the whole state: for altho the act authorised & required them to receive any voluntary contributions whether conditional or absolute, which might be offered thro them to the President & Directors of the literary fund, for the benefit of the University, yet they did not consider this as establishing an auction, or as pledging the location to the highest bidder.
I think that it is interesting that these were the criteria for the location of the University, especially the portion about the centrality to the white population. My interpretation of a healthy and fertile site is one that is vibrant, close to an area that bolsters work opportunities for students as well as the ability to play an effect role in society, and a site that is secure in terms of neighbor relations (especially at the time the school was founded). I think the importance of the centrality to the white population is representative of the time period but isn't something that remains as an prominent ideology today. Since the United States was so segregated at this time it is clear why a group of white men looking to found a new University would prefer a location central to the population[white] that would support and attend it. Today UVA and the surrounding area of Charlottesville is widely diversified. I was also interested by the monetary argument in this sentence. It seems like even though they didn't establish the pledging of location as an auction that goes to the highest bidder, money had the ability to dictate and/or persuade where the University would be founded.
-
sufficient each for the accommodation of two students only
The word "only" in this statement intrigues me. Three of my uncles graduated from here, and one of them had two other room mates in his first year. After spending two semesters with them, he firmly decided to live on his own for the rest of his years in the University. Little did I know that the original intent was to suffice each dorm room "for the accommodation of two students only".
-
To develope the reasoning faculties of our youth, enlarge their minds cultivate their morals, & instil into them the precepts of virtue & order.
Through this statement, I can see how the University implemented this principle by the means of the "Honor Code". Thomas Jefferson did not only want to train self-governed students, but also raise citizen-leaders who have enlarged minds, cultivated morals, and have virtue and order instilled within their beings that will impact our community and our nation. Having students to manage the Honor Committee aligns to this vision.
-
It is supposed probable that a building of somewhat more size in the middle of the grounds may be called for in time, in which may be rooms for religious worship under such impartial regulations as the visitors shall prescribe, for public examinations, for a Library, for the schools of music, drawing, and other associated purposes.
I find this part of the report very interesting because it reflects upon the fact that unlike most prestigious American universities, this university was not initially built around a church (the chapel being the heart of the university). When I realized this, I was told that the university was built around a library (The Rotunda) rather than a church (The Chapel) because Thomas Jefferson believed in knowledge and wanted the University of Virginia to be a secular university routed in knowledge and wisdom as opposed to religious principles. Today, the University still upholds it's secularity and allows for multiple religious clubs/organizations to be displayed on grounds without specifically acknowledging one religion as more correct over the others.
-
the said University should in all things, & at all times be subject to the controul of the legislature.
I find this section interesting as Jefferson wants the University to be controlled by the legislature. I think this is partly because Jefferson was an anti-federalist and therefore did not favor a strong central government. He wanted his university to be run similarly to what he wanted to see in the country with "the people" or (most closely) the legislature controlling it. This is more democratic than say an executive member or appointed judiciary.
-
in which all sects agree with a knolege of the languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin,4 a basis will be formed common to all sects
I find it interesting that when the founders of the University of Virginia were laying out what was to be studied, they wanted to make an emphasis on really accepting all religions. They wanted students to have experience with these three languages because they connect "all sects." However, I do not think these three languages really cover all of the religions and I wish the founders had extended this.
-
this provision being deemed advantageous to morals, to order, & to uninterrupted study; and that a passage of some kind under cover from the weather should give a communication along the whole range
Jefferson's original intention with the "academical village" was to show how important it is for students to use what they learn in the classroom in their everyday lives. This passage is focused on how the Professors and students are to live among each other. It encourages further study. There is more to to learn about a topic than what is presented on the lecture slide. Student’s intrigue to learn more is what encourages a greater sense of community. One of the special attributes of UVA is its exceptional community. The “academical village” encourages a greater sense of community. I think Jefferson would be proud of the place UVA is today. UVA bring students from different races, religions and countries together. This is beneficial to every student at UVA because it encourages a love for learning new and interesting things from fellow students.
-
The objects of this primary education determine its character & limits. These objects would be, To give to every citizen the information he needs for the transaction of his own business. To enable him to calculate for himself, and to express & preserve his ideas, his contracts & accounts in writing. To improve by reading, his morals and faculties. To understand his duties to his neighbours, & country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either. To know his rights; to exercise with order & justice those he retains; to choose with discretion the fiduciaries of those he delegates; and to notice their conduct with diligence with candor & judgment. And, in general, to observe with intelligence & faithfulness all the social relations under which he shall be placed.
This is one of the key parts of the Rockfish Gap report. This states the purpose of primary education. Primary education is something that has been around for hundreds of years. There are many reasons primary education is important, this document says the purpose of primary education is to help citizens prepare for future work endeavors, express his or her ideas, improve reading skills, understand civic duties, know all his rights and overall be able to observe and understand society/relationships with others. These ideals are obviously important because they continue to be a part of our society today and more specifically part of our society here at UVA. Today, students have lots of different motives to study and I believe if each student from UVA were to read these ideals they would agree if not all, most of these are important.
-
This doctrine is the genuine fruit of the alliance between church and State,
This part of the document confuses me because later on in the report it emphasizes religious freedom, and how texts from all religious sects should be taught. Based on this sentence, it causes me to infer that UVA was initially a religious institution which is not the case. The only way I can see this statement to make sense is if the "church" was just referring the University as a whole. This way the the report would be saying that the University's larger purpose was to contribute to the larger nation's success, which aligns with what the subsequent sentences say.
-
Professors, and their families thus insulated; retirement to the Students
The capitalization of "Professors" and "Students" is interesting. Typically, capital letters only occur at the beginning of a sentence or in front of a proper noun which "professors" and "students" are not. The capitalization of these words makes it seem like these professors and students would be unlike any professors and students anywhere else in the world. This goes along with the theme of building an elite school that would be uniquely above others which the report carries throughout.
-
two to four apartments for the accommodation of a professor and his family: that these pavilions should be united by a range of Dormitories, sufficient each for the accommodation of two students
When I first toured UVa, my tour guide emphasized how important it was to Jefferson to have students and professor living amongst one another in the academical village. He wanted it to be this way so that learning was uninterrupted, and so discussions wouldn't end when the students left the classrooms. Even today, we have not only continued Jefferson's vision, but we have expanded it with the creations of residential colleges all over grounds, where students and professors reside. Uniting students and professors outside of the classroom created a large sense of community at UVa that is still prominent today. I know I am not the only one who is proud to be part of the wahoo community, and I think that is what really makes UVa a special place to be.
-
It was the degree of centrality to the white population of the state which alone then constituted the important point of comparison between these places
This line was very unsettling for me to read. I must have missed it the first time I read through this document. Here, the report is saying that the only reason why UVa was decided to be placed in Albemarle County, was because of the greater white population there in comparison to Lexington and Staunton counties. It is not right that our school was centered around the concern of pleasing the white race, instead of educating the population. I think it is important for all of us to realize that like the rest of America, UVa has a racist past. We should use items like this document to facilitate productive conversations about racism and once we all accept it as part of our past, we can work together to prevent it from being part of our present and future.
-
Zoology
Zoology is defined as the scientific study of the behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals. I wonder how zoology was taught at the university. In the present day, bachelor’s programs often allow students to choose a particular concentration, which may include marine biology, ecology, genetics, or animal behavior. Students could take biology, anatomy, genetics, animal behavior, ecology, and physiology courses. I wonder if students practiced dissections and how those dissections were sanitary. I wonder what mechanisms and technologies were used to study cellular respiration and other various cellular functions.
-
Wm. H. Cabell
William H. Cabell was a well educated man whom served as Governor of the State of Virginia. Cabell worked closely with the Jefferson administration and assisted greatly with Burr’s rebellion. After completing his term as the governor, Cabell became a Judge of the General Court, and then the Court of Appeals of Richmond. Cabell’s name stood out, because many of our classes are held in either Old Cabell or New Cabell Hall. I found William H. Cabell’s career to be rather impressive. Because of his close work with Jefferson’s administration, I imagine that Jefferson too found this man to be credible and worth acknowledgement.
-
- Oct 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
To improve by reading, his morals and faculties.
I think the term "morals" is interesting in this sentence considering the time period. One of the morals that most people lacked during this time period was owning slaves.The next sentence also says "understand his duties to his neighbors, and country." However, his duty was only to treat white people right and either discard or treat minorities unfairly. It also say "the functions confided to him by either." The crazy thing is the a lot of the people in the country were not represented or given the function to confide in him.
-
It was the degree of centrality to the white population of the state which alone then constituted the important point of comparison between these places: and the board,
I think this sentence shows a few things. For one, it shows the obvious fact that white males were the only people in power and considered at this time. White men created institutions in consideration of other white men and this is the same thing that goes on now. Our nation is still run by white men today and was back in the 1800s too. This sentence also shows UVA white-centered or racist past.
-
Medicine, when fully taught, is usually subdivided into several professorships, but this cannot well be without the accessory of an hospital, where the student can have the benefit of attending clinical lectures & of assisting at operations of surgery.
I think it is really interesting how the authors of this document emphasized the importance of hands-on experience in the field of medicine. They wanted to be able to give students all the necessary opportunities for success. It's cool how this is still true today, as nursing students work in near by facilities. I think UVA still strives to produce well- rounded, professional students that are prepared to enter the workforce, across all disciplines.
-
Education generates habits of application, order and the love of virtue; and controuls, by the force of habit, any innate obliquities in our moral organization. We should be far too from the discouraging persuasion, that man is fixed, by the law of his nature, at a given point: that his improvement is a chimæra, and the hope delusive of rendering ourselves wiser, happier or better than our forefathers were.
I like how this founding document emphasizes the value of knowledge and education. In doing so, they are establishing something for students to aspire to. I think it is imperative to society that we continue to think along these lines, as it is a part of our moral obligations. Working in ways that advance and improve our society. We are not "fixed" and as a current student at UVA I hope that my four years here will give me the knowledge and desire to go out in the world and do something. I take this line of the document as a call to action. Our founding fathers wanted us to be better than they were, and to use what they have done to progress. We are not defined by out history. Thinking with this mindset can only lead us to greater things.
-
The objects of this primary education determine its character & limits. These objects would be, To give to every citizen the information he needs for the transaction of his own business. To enable him to calculate for himself, and to express & preserve his ideas, his contracts & accounts in writing. To improve by reading, his morals and faculties. To understand his duties to his neighbours, & country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either. To know his rights; to exercise with order & justice those he retains; to choose with discretion the fiduciaries of those he delegates; and to notice their conduct with diligence with candor & judgment.
University’s goals for students are generally the same everywhere, but I like how we are given the specific goals for UVA students. To me, this is one of the most important parts of the document because it is addressing the fact that students have the right to express their ideas. I think in order for a students to reach their full potential they must focus on these goals/objects of this primary education.
-
that of proposing a plan for its buildings; and they are of opinion that it should consist of distinct houses or pavilions, arranged at proper distances on each side of a lawn of a proper breadth, & of indefinite extent in one direction at least, in each of which should be a lecturing room with from two to four apartments for the accommodation of a professor and his family: that these pavilions should be united by a range of Dormitories, sufficient each for the accommodation of two students only, this provision being deemed advantageous to morals, to order, & to uninterrupted study; and that a passage of some kind under cover from the weather should give a communication along the whole range
When I read this section about the building plans for the university, I found it interesting that they stated which areas were to be designated for the professors and students but did not mention a word about the slaves. In my engagement class “Making the Invisible Visible”, we toured these historical areas and learned that the basements and attics of the pavilions were built to house slaves. This design was also part of Jefferson’s plan to keep the slaves hidden from the students’ sights, which may also explain the lack of the reference to slaves in this section.
-
Government
With a government that was still relatively young, I wonder what was taught in government classes in the early 1800s.
-
$5,000
I find it funny that they only had estimated numbers, rather than exact amounts they were positive of. In today's world everyone wants to know exactly how much something will cost before they agree to anything, especially building new structures or attending college.
-
Chemistry, is meant, with its other usual branches, to comprehend the theory of Agriculture
It’s interesting how the main purpose behind including chemistry in the curriculum was to teach students “the theory of Agriculture”. The reasoning behind this may be to simply instill applicable knowledge to the students of the school, who were primarily sons of plantation owners. Another possibility is an effort to instill Jefferson’s belief in agrarianism and an agrarian state, which can be seen in Notes on the State of Virginia and during his presidency. For example, in the section “Manufacturers” in Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson writes, “we have an immensity of land courting the industry of the husbandman. Is it best then that all our citizens should be employed in its improvement, or that one half should be called off from that to exercise manufactures and handicraft arts for the other?” (291).
-
Report
It is interesting to me that this document was titled as a report. The word report usually implies that something was investigated or observed but this document feels more instructional than that, almost like a manual.
-
To develope the reasoning faculties of our youth, enlarge their minds cultivate their morals, & instil into them the precepts of virtue & order. To enlighten them with mathematical and physical sciences which advance the arts & administer to the health, the subsistence & comforts of human life:
To me this line is about cultivating students morals and giving them a deeper understanding of the arts, math, science and the comforts of human life. This caught my attention because I feel that today our education system has been diverging away from this. Now students are more focused on memorizing information for tests and getting ahead of their peers. It is less about the learning because its interesting and learning for the good grade. I think the University of Virginia noticed this and that is why the New College Curriculum was added. The New College Curriculum teaches the students to come together and work collaboratively. In class instead of sitting through a lecture, students sit around tables and have intellectual conversations, sharing their opinions and interpretations of certain topics.
-
5. honorary excitements
I think the old-fashioned language here, "honorary excitements", is so odd, because it surfaces certain expectations for any supplemental activities to the students' course loads. The creators of this document desired for these activities to be honorable and to be exciting, which infers passions beyond the academic aspect of these students' lives. UVa has always placed large importance on student involvement to help balance passion with academics, especially in their application process where they are known to accept well-rounded, hyper-involved high school students, in hopes of those values continuing in their college lives.
-
it should consist of distinct houses or pavilions, arranged at proper distances on each side of a lawn
I thought the descriptive language used in this whole passage when talking about the set-up of the lawn truly shows a part of UVa culture that still exists today. The lawn is a very important, almost sacred, part of grounds to all students today, just as it was to Jefferson and the people who wrote this document. The specific symmetry that was laid out in the document shows the neatness and professionalism that Jefferson wanted UVa to be represented by. Even today, the lawn is always kept up well, and highlighted to any prospective students, because it is still a place that we use to represent our school as a whole. Also, the "indefinite extent in one direction" echoes Jefferson's famous belief that education is never-ending. That ideal is still very prominent around grounds in the every day language of students, as we call ourselves first years, not freshmen.
-
- Sep 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
Ours on the same correct principle, should be adapted to our arms & warfare; and the manual exercise, military maneuvres, and tactics generally, should be the frequent exercises of the students, in their hours of recreation. It is at that age of aptness, docility & emulation of the practices of manhood, that such things are soonest learnt, and longest remembered.
Here is another example that demonstrates the historical significance of the Rockfish Gap Report as a document. Although people may not often refer back to this old document, it stands as an embodiment of the early notion of education and provides insight into how things have changed since then. For example, this highlighted sentence emphasizes the importance of military education, which is not prominent nowadays in UVa but very important back then due to political and social reasons.
-
To improve by reading, his morals and faculties.
It is interesting to see that one of the purposes of the University of Virginia education was to "improve by reading, his morals and faculties." First off, I don't know if reading can make someone more moral. Education by books isn't how one developed stronger morals, but interacting with other people and learning from experience. However, I can appreciate how UVa stresses this idea of educating the whole person and not just a part. We still stress strong morals today through the honor code.
-
To develope the reasoning faculties of our youth, enlarge their minds cultivate their morals, & instil into them the precepts of virtue & order.
In reference to "The Informed Retraction" of the Honor Committee, it is evident in this proposal that Jefferson envisions the University to "develope the reasoning faculties of our youth, enlarge their minds cultivate their morals, &instill into them the precepts of virtue and order." An IR (Informed retraction) allows a student to form "habits of reflection" and "correct action" as the following lines indicated after this statement. It's interesting how Jefferson and the writers of this report have foreseen the inevitable ways of youth to rebel against the rules for the sake of surviving in college. By this disciplined and well-thought-of purpose for the Honor Committee we have today, it's convincing that the University is still found loyal to these fundamental principles that Jefferson laid out two centuries ago.[]http://honor.virginia.edu/informed-retraction)
-
To these should be added the arts, which embellish life, dancing music & drawing; the last more especially, as an important part of military education. These innocent arts furnish amusement & happiness to those who, having time on their hands, might less inoffensively employ it; needing, at the same time, no regular incorporation with the institution, they may be left to accessory teachers, who will be paid by the individuals employing them; the university only providing proper apartments for their exercise.
The last academic courses emphasized in the report are ones of performing and visual arts. This low placement demonstrates how a career in these fields was not realistic or successful in Jefferson's eyes. He views the subjects as simply entertainment, not ones that should be taken seriously, referring to the teachers of them as "accessories." The only one he thought could be practical was drawing class and that was not about drawing portraits, but rather drawing military plans because that was what higher education was. I found this interesting because today there is a large emphasis on promoting the arts and creativity in schools, but back then it was only about how they were sources of amusement.
-
Orthography
Orthography is the system of spelling for a language. Because Jefferson was such a renowned writer and thinker, is this why he emphasized language so much? In the book that we read over the summer, language was emphasized in such a clear and eloquent manner. The language of the Declaration of Independence was crucial in determining its meaning and interpretations, so language is stressed in such a vivid manner. Language is how we communicate, and communication is how we learn.
-
On the condition that the central College shall be made the site of the University, its whole property real & personal in possession, or in action is offered. This consists of a parcel of land of 47 acres whereon the buildings of the College are begun, one pavilion and its appendix of dormitories, being already far advanced, and with one other pavilion, & equal annexation of dormitories, being expected to be compleated during the present season. Of another parcel of 153 acres near the former, and including a considerable eminence very favorable for the erection of a future observatory.
It is interesting to see that this exhibits the very beginning ideas of the lawn and central grounds. Already, we see Thomas Jefferson and others discussing "pavilions," which make up most of the structure of the lawn today. They note that there is a suitable place nearby for an observatory; this could be Observatory Hill for all we know!
-
better than our forefathers were
This is interesting because it implies that our forefathers were thinking about their forefathers in the same way that we do. We are currently attempting to improve the university by acknowledging our founder's mistakes and changing our outlook to adopt a more progressive view, which is the same thing the University's founders were attempting with their ideals. We often don't think about the fact that we ourselves are forefather's of generations to come; there is a lot riding on our actions.
-
Education generates habits of application, order and the love of virtue; and controuls, by the force of habit, any innate obliquities in our moral organization. We should be far too from the discouraging persuasion, that man is fixed, by the law of his nature, at a given point: that his improvement is a chimæra, and the hope delusive of rendering ourselves wiser, happier or better than our forefathers were.
I agree that "education generates habits of application, order, and the love of virtue". It's interesting how Thomas Jefferson envisioned an institution that prioritizes a moral organization. However, in our modern time, I've observed how this principle have been watered down. We may have already "rendered ourselves wiser, happier or better than our forefathers were" in regards to knowledge now, but I noticed how we have degraded our value of morality and virtue. In regards to the alcohol prevention/intervention system here at UVA, it seems as if our institution have conformed to democracy rather than submitting to the righteous authority that our founding fathers have set upon the University. Instead of preventing alcohol usage, it's being "supported" with certain safety hazards. This makes me wonder if our morals should be based on the main foundation of our University; or should our morals conform to our modern 'progressive' world today?
-
To improve by reading, his morals and faculties.
Reading broadens one's perspective, opening one's eyes to the unknown yet exciting realms of intellects, arts, ethics, culture, science, and society. Reading improves one's morals and faculties because not only does he/she absorbs the knowledge in reading, he/she also learns to think critically while he/she reads. Reading is a process of absorbing, reflecting, and sometimes disagreeing. I would also like to add something to the sentence--To improve by reading (and reading as much as one can into all fields of knowledge), his morals and faculties. Reading helps facilitate a sense of cosmopolitanism in one's upbringing.
-
What, but education, has advanced us beyond the condition of our indigenous neighbours? and what chains them to their present state of barbarism & wretchedness
-
They should be lodged in dormitories, making a part of the general system of buildings.
The emphasis in this document on lodging students in dorms is less about giving students housing and more about establishing a living and learning environment. This living/learning environment runs much deeper than a classroom education, but is associated with UVa's insistence on stressing student self governance. However, this idea of self governance cannot be achieved if the students do not live together in a society where the "government" can function. Living together is part of this education the university was so set on establishing; when people live in close quarters, they are able to learn from each other and really begin to establish an environment for themselves. This idea is still prevalent at UVa today where first years must live on grounds and essentially start their journey together.
-
of the parent especially & his progeny on which all his affections are concentrated.
The idea of legacy is stressed during today's admissions process, so I found it very interesting that Jefferson promoted it here as well. I think Jefferson promoted this strong familial relationship in order for his students to feel supported which would contribute greater to their success as well as creating a chain reaction. His goal was to create an institute for higher education that would lead to students doing things they otherwise would not have. When a child can see that a parent has done this, then they are more likely to do that also.
-
The tender age at which this part of education commences, generaly about the tenth year, would weigh heavily with parents in sending their sons to a school so distant as the Central establishment would be from most of them.
This suggests that during this period of time, an education at a University could begin at a much younger age. "Tender age" sounds like an age less than adulthood (or even late teen years); perhaps between the ages of twelve and fifteen. This could offer some insight into the early 19th century concept of higher education, being offered to a greater age range (and to fewer people).
-
and it’s centrality to the white population of the whole state
-
convenient & proper part of the State for the University of Virginia.
While I'm not exactly surprised by the general modern assininity of historic perspectives, it is rather striking to me how parallel this particular phrase is to one in the Constitution, i.e., the necessary and proper clause, or the elastic clause. It makes me wonder whether or not they used this as an excuse to establish whatever they pleased on site. Although eminent domain did not exist in the US officially at the time, and Virginia had a tendency to be ever so slightly anarchistic towards the wealthy, this does pose the question of how the poorer folk in the area got off with the changes, as well as how the university's establishment served as a political tool.
-
1st. day of August of this present year 1818, and having formed a board, proceeded on that day to the discharge of the duties assigned to them by the act of the legislature intituled an “act appropriating part of the revenue of the literary fund and for other purposes” and having continued their proceedings by adjournment from day to day to Tuesday the 4th: day of August, have agreed to a report on the several matters with which they were charged, which report they now respectfully address and submit to the legislature of the state.
What catches my eye most of all with this is the brevity of time they were given. This is four days' worth of work to design the primary university for the state. That means four days to determine which location(s) to go with, design the curriculum, determine the basic emphases of the university, determine the layout and basic design, figure out priority for construction, hiring, and the like, and, last but far from least, troubleshooting these basic ideas for a university!
-
Albemarle
I understand that the university was chosen to be placed in Albemarle, because of its central location in regards to the white population; however, I wonder why Charlottesville specifically has been chosen as a dwelling location for the past presidents and such a wonderful university. Charlottesville is a city rich in history, and I find this fact to be evident in today. For example, the Barrack's Road shopping center, which is home to Starbuck's, Ulta, and Chipotle, etc, was termed this because it housed German and British prisoners during the Revolutionary War. This is just one example, and I find that even though I have lived in Charlottesville and was born at Martha Jefferson Hospital, I am still uncovering so much about my home. What would Charlottesville be without UVa? What would UVa be without Charlottesville?
Barracks Road Example: https://www.visitcharlottesville.org/about/history/
Tags
- Sarah Smith 112
- Constitutional Parallel
- Housing
- Student Self-Governance
- 112
- Race
- Sarah Smith
- Huh?
- Education
Annotators
URL
-
- Aug 2015