- Dec 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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Some of these have rendered the elements themselves subservient to the purposes of man, have harnessed them to the yoke of his labours, and effected the great blessings of moderating his own, of accomplishing what was beyond his feeble force, & of extending the comforts of life to a much enlarg[ed] circle, to those who had before known it’s necessaries only.
Unlike some other portions of this document, this quote has aged incredibly well. UVA continues to study how we can harness resources to create a better world for more and more people. From the engineers to the architects, UVa students are constantly studying ways to better make use of materials through innovation.
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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.
This quote reminds me of the important Jeffersonian ideal of "lifelong learning," something that is so integral to the University that it is taught to prospective students on tour at UVA. Everyone can learn, no matter how young or old. This is why UVA students are called first years, second years etc. because it implies you are only in your "nth" year of learning, and that there is no cap to these levels of learning.
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- Oct 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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an University, to be called the “University of Virginia.”
The usage of the word "university" as opposed to "school" or "college" here is crucial. A university encompasses more than one school or college, by virtue of which lends itself to multidisciplinary engagement. The founders envisioned a multifaceted school that could equip scholars of a variety of disciplines, as well as accommodate research in a variety of fields. They may have even envisioned UVA someday reaching the level of an Oxford or a Cambridge, the two foremost universities of the western world.
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prescribed by the legislature
This phrasing here shows that, from the getgo, the University and the Commonwealth are intertwined. UVA receives state funding, so they must also listen to Virginia's governing body. The school itself is responsible to taxpayers. In this modern era, every now and then, a headline will pop up wondering if UVA will go private. After seeing how closely influenced this founding document was by the state legislature, I think it would be a shame to destroy that 200 year relationship with privatization.
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