Here, the writers are saying that we– as a University, and humankind in general– should stray as far as possible from the mindset that “man is fixed.” In other words, we need to recognize that it is possible for a person to change and improve. Via education, they can learn new things and gain intelligence over time, rather than remaining constant. This is important because it gives the University more purpose; it is bettering the lives of the people that attend and enhancing their intelligence.

Kate Colgan

This statement from the writers shows that while they believed what was taught at the University would be important, what was taught before students reached the University was equally as important. They did not want students arriving having not learned the alphabet, yet they obviously did not expect them to arrive knowing anatomy, pneumatics, geometry elemental, et cetera, which they later state would be “branches of learning...taught in the University.” They later state that reading, writing & numerical arithmetic, the elements of mensuration, and the outlines of geography and history were what was expected to be known beforehand, but they acknowledged that the extent to which each student would be taught would differ. Overall, it seems as though they had some expectations for the prior intelligence of their future students, but were also understanding if they were somewhat lacking in certain aspects.

Kate Colgan

Today, UVA can be known as a pretty liberal, diverse university, so it is unfortunately ironic that it was founded on a principle of “centrality to the white population” of Virginia. While it is obviously known that during this time in history racial prejudice was quite evident, everyone would like to hope that the place we know and love today has always been a place of equality and acceptance. That is not the case, however, as shown in this passage that is aiming for a location that is most convenient for white people, not taking into account any of the other “races” that make up the melting-pot of America. I put the word races in quotations because in my engagement “Evolution and How it Shapes Society,” we learned that race is actually somewhat of a social construct. Humans are around 99.5% genetically similar, and our difference in skin color, among other differences in appearance, have occurred in response to the migration of humans to different environments, where, for example, UV rays may not be as strong. This is interesting to think about in response to this passage because it is absurd to think that certain people’s exposure to UV rays made them more favorable to receive a quality education.

This passage refers to the underlying principles that the University was founded on, and what exactly the founders were expecting the atmosphere to be like– professional and peaceful. They had high standards, expecting a lot from the students who eventually would be admitted. Today, the standards remain, but luckily, to whom they apply has broadened. The passage clearly shows that in the beginning, the University was intended for males. Over time, however, women’s role in both the University and the world has expanded as the cultural/social structure regarding gender has greatly evolved. The following link is a great display of the way in which the University eventually became a completely coeducational facility. http://voicesandvisibilityuva.org/about-these-portraits/women-at-uva-history/