St Francis College - Motus Yearbook (Biddeford, ME)

Page 26 text:

22 By the end of the Fifties criticism of Catholic higher education had become so incessant as to be almost trite. A century of silence was broken only by a few perspicacious and daring indi- viduals, and, when the initial shock subsided, Catholic educators settled down for a truly criti. cal appraisal of their system. They found that the accomplishments of Catholic higher education were quite momentous. Five generations of a predominantly immigrant minority group had constructed a huge system of schools on 267 campuses, including 31 uni- versities, enrolling 322,000 students. These schools graduated countless doctors, lawyers, teachers and businessmen. Their alumni were successful and respected members of almost every community. At the same time, however, this educational system had failed in the attain- ment of one goaI-excellence; too often it had even neglected to adapt such a goal. Where, asked the critics, are the Catholic scholars? Where are the leaders in the arts and sciences? The answer often was that they did not exist at all. The critics asked, where was there a Catholic college or university which could compare with the quality of the finest secular colleges? The answer again was that such an institution did not exist. Saint Francis was affected by this discussion no less than any other Catholic college. Yet be- cause of the brevity of its educational experience, Saint Francis was excused by most critics as a school that had not yet matured. This, in a certain sense, was true. However there must come a moment when a careful analysis of Saint Francis' stature in the field of education is not only required, but necessary. If Saint Francis is a different college in 1963 than it was in 1959, this change is evident in many segments of the life of the school. The curriculum is one of Saint Francis College's strong points. Solidly liberal arts, the College eliminated courses in business administration and account- ing several years ago, and has structured its courses around four divisions, namely Humani- ties, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathe- matics, as well as Theology and Philosophy. Among the outstanding features in the curri- culum are several new courses. One of these, Modern Christian Literature, was instituted as an inter-departmental course utilizing the full resources of the Division of Humanities. With four professors, the course first explored the state of contemporary man through a study of Romano Guardini, Nicholas Berdyaev, Teilhard de Char- din, Karl Adam and Thomas Merton. The con- centration was then shifted to modern French authors, especially Leon Bloy, Charles Peguy, Paul Claudel, Georges Bernanos and Julien Green. The instructor in American Christian Literature varied the approach to include writers whose points of view are influenced either con- sciously or unconsciously by the divine redemp- tion of man. Thus the course was abie to consider writers such as Nathanael West and William Faulkner. The section of English Chris- tian Literature focused mainly upon Gerard Manley Hopkins and T. 5. Eliot. Although the course exhibited a need for better organization, it did stimulate student response and the Division of Humanities is to be congratulated for its initiative and vision. Two other courses are worthy of special note. The first is the directed study in French Literature, offered on alternate years. Thanks to Mr. Paren-

Page 25 text:

Although there is need of improvement in the Religious Program, to say that Saint Francis has been completely by-passed by the spirit of ecumenism would be to greatly belie the actual situation. To some extent we can measure the opportunities given by Saint Francis to the stu- dent to mature in a directly religious way. In addition to the four year theology curriculum which undeniably includes much of the philos- ophy courses, these opportunities are many and fruitful. The principal organizations devoted to the students' spiritual development are the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Future Priests Club. However these' groups are select and total membership is relatively small. The gen- eral opportunities attorded the entire student body are the daily services in the student chapel including Mass, confession and the weekly serv- ices with Benediction and the Way of the Cross. Also the religious on the faculty provide especial advantages for personal friendships, frequent consultations and casual discussions. As a natural consequence of the present Ecumencial Council and from the awareness of the need for Christians of all denominations to commit themselves continually to the search for knowledge which makes action possible, Saint Francis College sponsored a Symposium on April eighth and ninth entitled The Christian In the Modern World. Under the able organizational quarterbacks David DeTurk and Alfred Poulin, Jr., the Symposium stimulated thought concern- ing the role of the Christian in our world and gave impetus to the burgeoning Catholic- Protestant dialogue in the New England Area. The representative and appreciative attendance left no doubt that Saint Francis College had the potential to become a foremost institution of theological concern and had succeeded in foster- ing and maintaining an ecumenical spirit, the Spirit of Christ. We, the graduates of 1963, hope that Saint Francis College will always remain united to Holy Mother Church in her attempt to foster an ecumenical attitude which accepts the Testa- ment's teaching on Baptism that all who are validly baptized are members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Dialogue about and examination of the common heritage of our pluralistic society will inevitably lead to the union in worship of all confessions to the same Truth. The joy derived from what We share will enable us to come closer and closer in the love which is Christ. Saint Francis College will succeed as a Catholic college if it otters the student opportunities for scholarly theological pursuits and aftords him the opportunity to worship God in a vital and personal dialogue. In this way it will give him, what we the graduates are thankful for, a posture in the great Graeco-Judaic-Christian intellectual tradition and the illumination of his role in its development by the fire of Pentecost. e FRANCIS LEBEAU.

Page 27 text:

teau, the course provides an opportunity for ex- tensive reading in the field of French Literature without the pressure of classes and exams. The other is the General Mathematics Honors Course which allows capable students to complete fresh- man mathematics in one semester, and thus be able to start Analytic Geometry and Calculus the second semester. The major weakness of the curriculum is that it does not provide enough opportunities for in- dependent study under guidance, nor does it in- clude enough accelerated programs for the more capable students. The result is often that courses are geared to the average student, and are unable to stimulate the full potentialities of the more gifted student. The academic atmosphere at Saint Francis has obvious assets and deficiencies. The close rela- tionship between students and faculty members provides an extraordinarily fine opportunity for discussion and individual help. A number of the classes are still small, and this permits a close student-teacher relationship in the classroom. A wide range of periodicals kept up to date in the library reading room, away from the noise of the dormitories, and improvements in the library itself have made the develoPment of an aca- demic atmosphere easier. Unfortunately, these assets are sometimes coun- ter-balanced. Considering the ninety student economics and sociology courses, it is to be hoped that the trend is not away from small classes. College men are sometimes referred to and treated as boys in other areas of college life. Some courses are watered down to meet the needs of these boys. In a few instances, especially in Philosophy and Theology, free thought is discouraged. Philosophy is often pre- sented as a depository of long established abso- lute truths rather than a search for truth or even a love of wisdom. The Theology is embedded with scholasticism, and most teachers ask little more than the doctrines be memorized. The alert student is tempted to see the learning atmos- phere as narrow and parochial while feeling that he is under suspicion if he attempts to change it. Still, it would be a mistake to think academic liberalization would solve Saint Francis College's ills. Much needs to be done with the student body itself. The majority of the students would not respond to a free intellectual atmosphere, nor would they know what to do if they were placed in one. This leads us to some interesting observations concerning Saint Francis' future. The leaders of the College community have permitted them- selves to become so engrossed in the plans for physical expansion that they have permitted their plans for academic excellence to take second place. Despite the presently competent faculty, the College rendered more dimcult the higher quality of. the student body through yearly increases in the costs without an effective scholarship-relief program. Perhaps if the Col- lege shifted the emphasis of its academic pro- gram to one of quantitatively low but academic- ally high standards, physical expansion would aImOSt take care of itself. The Class of 1963 feels that it has profited intellectually by its soiourn at Saint Francis Col- lege, but it also feels that many avenues are open so that other classes may derive more benefit. - EMlLE TALBOT.