This phrase encompasses the major goal of all education. These are the things that move society and science forward and that is why people are educated. Currently, we have many majors that simply are not very useful in our world. These go against the goal of education which is to progress society. More education does not necessarily correlate with advancement of society; there needs to be education in the right areas. This is not to say only STEM majors are important, but rather that majors must have a realistic purpose in life. Majors such as Religion and Gender Studies have a few niche areas where they are important, but those should be limited to the amount of people. We should be encouraging people to study more in business, social sciences, and physical sciences so that our world and society will continue to advance. -Ryan Keane

This phrase seems very redundant and i am very curious as to why it was included. I am thinking that there was some sort of legal reason, but it still takes away from the meaning of the work. Ideally, they should have been meeting because they wanted to make this University and it was their own personal reasons, not because it was required of them. However, because of these words it almost seems that the authors had no desire to be at the Rockfish gap and were forced to be there in a way. Something that is very prized today, specifically in education, is one's passion for their work. If you are passionate for what you are doing, then you can better serve those who you work for. Again, I do not know the reasoning behind including this, but if it were left out then the report would be much stronger. It would represent what these men deem useful and necessary for society, not just something the law requires them to do.

While Jefferson is often accredited with being on of the primary figures supporting a separation of church and state, this line brings that into question. This seems to assert that the church and the government have a bond and are on the same side. In many ways, this is true; both religion and public education have similar goals in educating youth so that they can be productive and valued people in the future. The only difference being that these institutions have different definitions for what is "valued". In the Can a text be Ethical engagement class, it is frequently discussed how the Bible is used as evidence for many philosophical arguments. It is clear that the writers of the Rockfish Gap Report do respect the church and its basic beliefs because they freely admit to being in an alliance with the church. However, in spite of this, it must still be asked whether Jefferson and the other writers of this document were for or against the complete separation of church and state.

Ryan Keane

This is consistent with the University today as there is no requirement of physical education or activity for students. However, in a world where people are becoming increasingly unhealthy (especially in white-collar occupations), it is only natural that one reasons that it is necessary for youth to be more educated about how to stay healthy throughout life. Education involves more than only intelligence, it is about being able to apply what you know to do positive things. If we are not teaching people how to take care of themselves, we are doing them a disservice. Jefferson himself was quoted with advising people to give 2 hours to exercising the body each day. However, people often cannot see the future benefits of their actions. Therefore, something such as required physical education is something that encourage fitness and will lead to a continued sense and pride in one's overall health. Ryan Keane