The Undergraduate Education Reform Of Lowell Harvard University And It's Modern Value

Abbott Lawrence Lowell is the 22 nd president of Harvard University(1909-1933).He graduated from Grino aristocratic School in 1873 and then went to Harvard Law School,he is an accomplished jurist,but also an excellent university president.After analyzing the characteristics of the development of various universities in the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century of American higher education,Lowell believed that the development of public universities was weak,the land-grant colleges were too professional,and the development of research universities lacked the idea of university development with local characteristics.In addition,based on the development status of Harvard University,it is concluded that the reason for the low quality of talent cultivation is that too much emphasis is placed on graduate education while undergraduate teaching is neglected.Therefore,he point out that undergraduate education is the foundation of excellent development of universities,and excellent undergraduate students are the important guarantee for graduate education and professional education.At the same time,due to the tendency of "professionalization" of higher education and the popular utilitarian view of education,the cultural life of the whole society was empty,and the students' desire for knowledge and innovative spirit are low.So,Lowell agreed with the humanistic educational thought,put forward the undergraduate education idea of educating the whole man,and advocated the play of "democracy" and "academic" function,attaching importance to students' interest in academic research and their ability to innovate,committed to cultivate the American scholars,and meet the needs of the development of society for universities.In his view,the way to achieve this goal,in addition to the guidance of teachers,students also need to learn to self-education.Therefore,on the basis of Charles William Eliot's reform,Lowell took the initiative to create a turnaround and implemented the curriculum system of "concentration and distribution",aiming at reconciling the relationship betweengeneral courses and professional knowledge.The implementation of the honours degree and Comprehensive examination system was aimed at enhancing students' interest in learning and academic motivation,and attracting students to devote themselves to study;The establishment of residential colleges and the provision of tutors for students was not only to help students achieve excellent results,but also to promote the communication between teachers and students with different cultural backgrounds,so as to form a rich cultural life of the university.Lowell's reform of Harvard undergraduate education had been very effective.On the one hand,it has continuously promoted Harvard University students' interest in learning,academic ability significantly increased.It laid a good foundation for the curriculum reform of the successor James Bryant Conant,and put an important foundation for the transformation of Harvard University from a local aristocratic college to a world-renowned university of excellence.On the other hand,Lowell's reform ideas and measures have been emulated by other colleges and universities in the United States.Meanwhile,the idea of cultivating American citizens and enriching the cultural life of the American people has effectively promoted the democratization process of American society and improved its international status.In the critical period of carrying out the connotation development of higher education and attaching importance to undergraduate education in our country,Lowell's reform of undergraduate education in Harvard University has important reference significance.On the basis of collecting,identifying and summing up Lowell's relevant materials,the study adopts the methods of literature,historical research and comparative research to analyze the historical environment of Lowell's reform.The specific reform ideas,reform measures and their historical impact are analyzed,and then provide reference for the reform of Chinese universities.Therefore,the study is mainly divided into the following five parts:The first part mainly analyzes and summarizes the characteristics of the development of American higher education in the period of the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century.And probes into the difficulties and challenges faced by Harvard University in this period,and sorts out Eliot's reform in Harvard University;The second part analyzes Lowell's elaboration on the functions of universities,explores its undergraduate education goal of cultivating " the whole people",and its educational idea of improving students' self-education ability to achieve the goal and themanagement philosophy underlying the implementation of the reform;In the third part,specific institutional measures of Lowell's undergraduate education reform at Harvard University are analyzed,including centralized and distributed curriculum system,honours degree system,comprehensive examination system,residential colleges and tutor system;The fourth part summarizes and analyzes the historical significance of Lowell's undergraduate education reform in Harvard University from both internal and external aspects;The fifth part analyzes the modern value of Lowell's undergraduate education reform in Harvard University and its enlightenment to the undergraduate education reform in China.