University of San Francisco - USF Don Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 12 text:

Meaning of Excellence How Achieve Excellence? It need hardly be said that every institution, indeed every individual. is striving to perfect himself, in some aspect, in some field of endeavor. It would not be twisting the fact to say that every person, every institution, is aiming at excellence at least as an ultimate final goal for which he is acting. We should not, then, be surprised to find that the University of San Francisco is dedicated to excellence. In fact there might be a valid question raised in the minds of readers why this annual is dedicated to such a commonplace, expected commitment as the one of this University. The answer to this question depends in large measure upon precisely what is meant by excellence. Although commonly used as the watchword and rallying cry for many purj oses, diverse as they are numerous, and although there seems to be a general agreement as to its meaning, it is in fact most limited in comprehension and broad in extension. It simply means a relative superiority, first in its class. Now, then the crucial question simply is, what is the class in which USF is committed to be first? One may presume we are selling up straw men to be knocked over as so many tenpins in the next paragraph, but the question is seriously posed. From some aspects, it would seem that our aim is to grow, to enlarge the campus, increase its buildings, augment the faculty, expand the endowment. Commonly, when reading of advances made by particular colleges, both public and private, we find a basic assumption which holds size to be the sine qua non of excellence and growth to be the pursuit of that goal. There is much to be said for this. Famous universities are usually large, and much indeed is to be said for famous institutions; we admire them from afar, somewhat in awe of their vast campi. One Jesuit educator said recently that colleges must grow or perish, and he did not intend that his institution should choose the latter course. Perhaps we should strive to imitate, in some respects at least, the secular colleges of such great fame. They are producing the men who will man our rockets, build our cities, rule our land and probably write our books. George Bernard Shaw has held that Catholic education is a contradiction in terms” and Bertrand Russell feels that an educational system . . . ought to foster the wish for truth, not the conviction that some particular creed is true . . . It is eminently possible that in the eyes of those who sit in judgement upon modern education, that no University can be judged excellent until it ceases to teach as the truth that which it feels to be true, and begins to let the student engage in his own quest. This is a position in conformity with those institutions which are now called excellent. There are the famous places, the names which bring awe to the common folk and which set the graduates of these hollowed institutions apart in a very special category. The respect with which these schools are regarded is quite definitely a mark of excellence, for one can hardly attribute it to simply unsupported myth. Perhaps now one can see the question, the problem: which path will lead to excellence; or, more pointedly, in what respect should USF aspire to be excellent? Since, in the final analysis, a University exists for its students, the question can be posed in a different and perhaps more pertinent frame of reference: what type of student should USF aspire to turn out; what should we aspire to impart to that student during his collegiate career? In what image should we attempt to mold him? We read again and again that Catholic universities are not producing a proportionate amount of distinguished scholars, while the field is dominated by the famous secular institutions. Perhaps their approach is the correct method; perhaps a drastic revision is in order for Catholic universities in general and USF in particular. There arc certainly a number on this campus who arc painfully aware of its shortcomings and seem to have the feeling that they are being cheated in a myriad number of ways out of what they consider to be a real college education. Critics there arc without, and critics there are within. It would perhaps then be well to examine the course on which USF is tending, for to be excellent in a field which is less than worthwhile, is hardly a prize worthy of the effort of winning. The University of San Francisco, as a small. Catholic institution, possesses several distinctive characteristics. It firmly believes

Page 11 text:

DON Dedication 8 Adminisration Affiliated Departments Faculty “The Year Graduates Leadership Organizations Cultural Activities Fraternities and Sororities Athletics Undergraduates 16 36 42 62 76 126 160 182 194 204 232 294 7 Advertisements

Page 13 text:

that there is such a thing as objective truth and that this truth is knowablc. It believes that there is a God. and that man has definite obligations to Him. On the academic plane, as a Jesuit institution, it is dedicated to instilling these truths and to give in general the best education possible. It is committed to training leaders, not followers. This training goes far beyond imparting information. It is designed to teach the man to think, pure and simple. There most certainly is an effort to instill the truths mentioned above as we have said, but this effort is directed by the principle that these truths are eminently reasonable and, therefore, “force-feeding could hardly characterize the approach by which they are presented. There is an effort to educate the whole man, a familiar expression. Towards attainment of that end, a liberal arts program is in effect prescribed for all. This is simply a further amplification and ramification of the essential philosphy that to neglect one aspect of man’s nature is to fail in educating him. Required courses, about which we hear so much by way of criticism are designed to fill this requirement. The philosophy curriculum is based on the firm conviction that man. as a rational animal, should direct his action in a rational way. The theology department exists because there is something more than this life, of the most urgent importance. The other requirements are designed to fill various needs of one who is to be called truly educated. All this is based on a firm conviction that college education is something more than vocational training for whatever life work the student might have in mind. It is based upon the belief that the truth of which we spoke earlier as existing and being know- able, is worthwhile knowing as truth; that the joy of learning is something that should be cultivated. These are certainly most ambitious and noble aims and convictions, and one recognizes that their fulfillment will of necessity be conditioned by the men concerned, both the educators and the educated; men are fallible and the system will therefore never perfectly achieve its ends. Perfection is, although never attainable in human affairs, always the ideal goal, that for which we strive. On this same plane we can consider excellence. The goals of USF have remained constant throughout the years, for they are based on our concept of the nature of things, man in particular. But the proximity with which we approached these goals, the measure of excellence which we have attained in pursuit of them has never been higher. The University of San Francisco is a University which is moving forward and at an ever-increasing pace. The goal towards which we are striving is not an increased enrollment, better facilities, strengthened faculty and so on, but these are the stepping stones, the means of attaining the ultimate objective. The school must grow if she is to serve as well as possible. This growth has been accompanied, however, with an increase, not a decline in academic quality. USF is what is considered by many to be the ideal size: large enough to furnish the requisite facilities, small enough so that the professors and students are not completely isolated from one another by an unassailable wall of educational bureaucracy. The relationship still maintains, if the student so desires, a personal aspect, which contributes not a little to the joy and richness of the learning process. The facilities, those tangible indicators by which so many judge the growth and improvement of an institution, simply because they are so obvious, are hardly essential, and certainly no measures at all of excellence. They do, however, again, aid in its attainment. In this regard, USF in the past decade has made and is continuing to make great strides forward. The Second Century program is truly building for an even greater future in the material sense at USF. As the years go by, the campus will undergo a real metamorphosis. But, after all, this is as nothing compared to the improvement in faculty which is planned. This is coming much closer to directly aiding the pursuit of excellence towards the goal of full development of the student. A truly outstanding faculty member can do truly phenomenal things with his students, firing within them the spark of intellectual curiosity and wonder, filling them with the joy and satisfaction of learning; in short, inspiring them to pursue with real vigor the academic life; and this is the stuff of which excellence is made. One notes many instances of such Liberal Arts Program Increase of Academic Quality 9