- Nov 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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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.
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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.
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- Sep 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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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.
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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.
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