- Nov 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
These are the objects of that higher grade of education, the benefits & blessings of which the legislature now propose to provide for the good & ornament of their country the gratification & happiness of their fellow citizens, of the parent especially & his progeny on which all his affections are concentrated.
All of the objects that the report went over reflect a nationalistic viewpoint that stays true to the foundation of America. When reading all of these objectives, I almost think of a report for the objective of America during it's colonial times. This makes sense because Jefferson knows the feeling of the tight grip of an authoritarian government and restricted natural rights too well. It can be seen in objectives such as "To expound the principles & structure of government, the laws which regulate the intercourse of nations, those formed municipally for our own government, and a sound spirit of legislation" and "generally to form them to habits of reflection, and correct action, rendering them examples of virtue to others & of happiness within themselves" that he wants to ensure that the students at UVA will get a fair education that allows them to be prepared to live their lives the way they want, as far away from tyranny as possible.
Brandon Smith
-
Education, in like manner engrafts a new man on the native stock, & improves what in his nature was vicious & perverse, into qualities of virtue and social worth; and it cannot be but that each generation succeeding to the knowledge acquired by all those who preceded it, adding to it their own acquisitions & discoveries, and handing the mass down for successive & constant accumulation, must advance the knowledge & well-being of mankind: not infinitely, as some have said, but indefinitely, and to a term which no one can fix or foresee. Indeed we need look back only half a century, to times which many now living remember well, and see the wonderful advances in the sciences & arts which have been made within that period
Jefferson valued education as a crucial part of America's success. He really did care about the education students would get at UVA. We can see how important this school was to Jefferson when he writes, "and it cannot be but that each generation succeeding to the knowledge acquired by all those who preceded it, adding to it their own acquisitions & discoveries, and handing the mass down for successive & constant accumulation, must advance the knowledge & well-being of mankind". He is also thinking about the progress mankind has made during his own lifetime and the future of mankind potentially being in the hands of UVA alumni, seen in his last sentence. He wants UVA be able to educate talented students that have the potential to advance our community.
Brandon Smith
-
- Sep 2017
-
engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
-
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.
It seems that during this time that medical students did not have nearly as much opportunity as students at UVA do today. It's incredible how the school went from not having a hospital or even enough qualified professors to teach medicine to one of the better schools for medicine in the nation. The school now has many more opportunities offered to students studying medicine and offers a prestigious medical school that offers everything UVA wanted at the time of this report.
-
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, after full enquiry & impartial & mature consideration, are of opinion that the central point of the white population of the state is nearer to the central college, than to either Lexington or Staunton by great & important differences,
This section of the report speaks loudly about the standardized racism that existed during the time. The location of the college was chosen largely based off of the degree of centrality to the white population. This makes me realize that the reason our school is still predominantly white today and not as diverse as it could be is directly due to this.
-