Foundation University in transition

Title

Creator

Sinco, Vicente G.

Language

English

Year

1969

Subject

Foundation University (Dumaguete)

Schools.

Universities and colleges.

Sinco, Vicente G. -- Speeches, addresses, etc.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Message of Dr. V. G. Sinco on the inauguration of Foundation University of Dumaguete, delivered on April 12, 1969.

The Foundation College of Dumaguete founded by Dr. Vicente G. Sinco twenty years ago (long before he became president of the University of the Philippines), changed its status from that of a college to that of a university on January 28, 1969.

Fulltext

■ The Foundation College of Dumaguete founded by Dr. Vicente G. Sinco twenty years ago (long before he became president of the University of the Philippines), changed its status from that of a college to that of a university on January 28, 1969. FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY IN TRANSITION Human experience should convince every sensible per son that there is no finality to the process of education for all men and women who have caught the vision of the good, the true, and the beautiful. The ineluctable changes in the conditions of life, in the styles of living, in the methods and modes of activity leave their im print on the thoughts and views of men of intelligence and education. Consciously or unconciously we have to face them and be attuned to them if we ever hope to grow in intellectual and moral ma turity to enable us to acquire a feeling of individual ful fillment. And to keep that hope alive, it is not enough that we have some vague awareness of their existence but that we understand their significance, and, understand ing it, we take advantage of their enriching influence. Should we fail to keep pace with the evalution of ideas produced by the inevitable passage of time and the shift of circumstance, we may have to suffer for that failure the tragedy of recession or de terioration in our mental ability, in our moral out look, and in other valuable and precious qualities of our life. It is not the individual student alone that has to face the problem of needed growth that should follow every stage of transition. Every educational institution, in fact every living institu tion, be it economic, civic, or religious in purpose, has to meet this crucial stage of transition if it is to preserve 2 Panorama their vitality and to maintain their power and potential for service to man and society. For no one can ignore with impunity the challenge of the changing conditions of life to develop such correspond ing ideas that could fertilize a man’s mind, broaden his sympathies, and sharpen his intellectual p e r s p e c tives. The man of education should try to keep the lamp of learning ever bright to ena ble him to see the way to better modes of living, think ing, and working. The change of Foundation College to Foundation Uni versity represents this stage of transition in institutional growth. We feel a sense of exaltation and a measure of pardonable pride in conse quence of this change be cause it indicates a decisive improvement in the academic structure of our institution and in its capacity to be of service to people who are in search of moral, cultural, and intellectual betterment. But the present attainment of university status by this institution should be taken only as a transitory step to wards higher levels of acade mic growth. It is indeed the acquisition of a superior educational rank. It is an indication of a degree of in stitutional maturity. Let us not forget, however, that it also involves an added obli gation to maintain a higher degree of efficiency and com petence to breed persons of learning and imagination im bued with a deep sense of intellectual and social respon sibility. Let us all understand that a university worth the name and rank is expected to ad vance the cause of education as a means of acquiring those intellectual values which form the basic factors for a superior life. The uninitia ted believes thal a univer sity should be satisfied if it produces pedants and walking encyclopedias. Of course, a university may pro duce persons of this classi fication; but this is neither its characteristic object!'? nor its essential function. A distinguished educator des cribes a university as a cen ter of independent thought. As such its true spirit is something that infuses in’o every student, who takes his Marsh 1969 work seriously, an unquen chable curiosity and a reso lute determination to learn and to achieve; and it builds in him those sturdy habits of self-discipline, self-restraint, and moderation. It is op posed to every propensity to senseless revolt, irrational action, and stupid imitation. It looks down with disap proval at the political tan trums of juvenile upstarts and the atrocious appeals from man’s lower nature. It cultivates the power of ba lanced judgment and looks askance at the pretentious posture of immaturity and inexperience. The record of universi ties as respectable agents of civilization is ably described by the distinguished philoso pher., mathematician, and educator, Alfred North Whitehead, in these pregnant phrases: "The universities have trained the intellectual pioneers of our civilisation — the priests, the lawyers, the statemen, the doctors, the men of science, and the men of letters. They have been the home of those ideals which lead men to confront the con fusion of their present times... In early mediae val history the origin of universities was obscure and almost unnoticed. They were a graduaF and natural growth. But their existence is the reason for the sustained, rapid pro gressiveness of European life in so many fields of activity. By their agency the adventure of action met the adventure of thought. On this occasion may I remind you that Foundation University is a Filipino uni versity which seeks ways to instill in the mind of every student Filipino ideals of in tellectual excellence. In our effort to grasp these ideals, we have to learn and respect old and new values in Fi lipino life and conduct to the end that when fully real ized they may help us dis cover our identity as a na tion. Paraphrasing White head’s words, Foundation University hopes to use in a modest way these ideals to confront the confusion of our present times. 4 Panorama As the first and only Fi lipino university established in this city and province, Foundation University ex pects its students and grad uates to labor as pioneers for the social, economic, and civic development of this part of our country and to sup port all other efforts which our elders and betters may employ for the welfare of all. The policy of Foundation University is to concentrate on teaching basic principles and authentic ideas to the end that our students may be able to understand and appreciate them for inspira tion and application. As a university it will have to de vote some of its time and attention to teaching the methods of scholarly investi gation and to engage in mo dest and pertinent research work. Our aim is to pursue knowledge for its own sake and for the cause of truth rather than for purposes of promoting pretentious claims of novel discoveries and su perficial findings. My own personal conception is that a university should be directly dedicated to the development of the individual mind and character of man than to the cultivation of possessive and acquisitive powers for the sole use of industrial giants and economic overlords. A university should be the helper of man, not the ser vant of self-seeking power, nor the protector of greed. This is the stage this Uni versity hopes to reach in its journey to the heights of achievement. From this point of transition, your Al ma Mater counts on your enthusiastic cooperation. — Message of Dr. V. G. Sinco on the inauguration of Foundation University of Dumaguete delivered on April 12, 1969. March 1969 5

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