LESSON 16

Topic:  HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USA   1. Skim through the text and say which of its paragraphs gives the information about: a) state universities; b) the first institutions of higher learning in the country; c) the two broad fields of higher education. Private and State Colleges and Universities Harvard College was established in 1636, with the principal purpose of providing a literate ministry¹ for colonial churches. It was a small institution, enrolling only 20 students in 1642 and 60 in 1660. It soon became more than a theological training school² and established itself as a liberal arts college. The next institution of higher learning established in the American colonies was the College of William and Mary, which opened in 1693 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Other colleges were founded in the next century, but all of them remained small schools for long periods. Students entered at the age of 14 and remained until they were 18, and the curriculum, while rigidly academic and classic was by modern standards rather secondary in nature. Private colleges and universities were established in various states. The first state university was the University of Virginia, founded in 1819. Some state universities have large endowment funds³ which provide a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of income are student fees, gifts and endowments. In general, higher education in the USA may be divided into two broad fields: liberal arts and professional. Each of these fields may be further subdivided into undergraduate and graduate levels. The liberal arts program, on the undergraduate level, may be a two-year junior college course, or a four-year course leading to a degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The four-year course is usually subdivided into a lower division (which may be called the junior college), consisting of the two first years, and the upper division, which is the last two years. The first two years continue the general education and specialization begins in the third year. (Cramer John Francis, Brawne George Stephenson. Contemporary Education) ' literate ministry — грамотные священнослужители.  ² theological training school — школа богословия. ³ endowment [ in'daumənt ] funds — фонды пожертвований.  2. Find sentences with the following words and phrases in the text and translate them into Russian: ministry, to enroll, a liberal arts college, an institution of higher learning, curriculum, modern standards, private college, state university, endowment funds, student fee, gift, undergraduate level, graduate level, junior college, Bachelor of Arts (Science), general education, specialization.

3. Find answers to the following questions in the text:

1. When was Harvard College established?

2. What was its original purpose?

3. Was it a big or small institution?

4. How many students studied at it at first?

5. What was the next institution of higher learning established in the American colonies?

6. Which was the first state university?

7. Which sources does the income of a state university come from?

8. Does a state university charge student fees?

9. What are the two fields of higher education in the USA?

10. What are further subdivisions of these fields? 

American Universities and Colleges. Higher education in the United States includes educational programmes which usually require for admission 12 years of elementary and secondary schooling. It is carried on under a number of forms. The most common type of higher education is the college. It requires for admission graduation from a standard secondary school; its four-year curriculum leads to the bachelor's degree in arts and sciences. A college prepares the student for two things: either graduate study leading to master's or doctor's degree or a job immediately after graduation. A student who majors in business administration for example, may be fully prepared for a career in business when he has finished college. On the other hand, a student majoring in psychology often must do a great deal of graduate work before he is competent in this field.  The American college is known by various titles such as the college of liberal arts, the college of arts and sciences, the college of literature, science and arts. The college may be the central unit around which the university is organized, or it may be a separate corporate entity, independent from the University. The university in the United States is an educational institution comprising a college of liberal arts and sciences, a professional school leading to a professional degree and a graduate college (school). A graduate college provides programmes for study and research beyond the levels of the bachelor's and first professional degree. The word «university», however, is also used in a broader sense, for almost any type of educational institution offering instruction beyond the level of the secondary school. Thus in the United States there is some confusion in the use of the terms «college» and «university». Some institutions that are in fact colleges of liberal arts have been incorporated in the universities. Some institutions incorporated in colleges are in fact universities with graduate and professional schools.  American colleges and universities are either public or private, that is, supported by public funds or supported privately by a church group or other groups acting as private citizens although under a state charter. In addition to colleges and universities there is a large number of professional schools, separate from universities. They provide preparation in one or more professional fields, such as law, music or theology. Junior colleges or professional schools do not offer the full four-year curriculum leading to a degree. An institute of technology is a degree-granting institution that specializes in science and technology; some of them have graduate study, An institution offering programs of technological study only at the junior college level is known as a technical institution. The colleges in the United States differ greatly in size- they may include from 100 to 5000 students and more. Most of the larger institutions fall into the category of universities, the largest being University of California, State University of New York, New York University, Columbia University and others. Higher educational institutions usually are governed by a board of regents or a board of trustees.  The executive head of a college or a university is usually called the president. The various colleges or schools which take up a university are headed by deans. Within a school or college there may be departments according to subject matter fields, each of which may be headed by a professor who is designated as department head or chairman. Other members of the faculty hold academic ranks, such as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshman is a first year student, a sophomore, a second year student, a junior, a third year student, and a senior, a fourth year student. All students who have graduated from the senior class and who continue studying at a university are classified as advanced students or graduate students. Some graduate students receive grants which cover the cost of their education; a person on such a fellowship is called a university fellow. EXERCISES

Learn the words and word-combinations:

to require for admission требовать при поступлении elementary and secondary schooling начальное и среднее образование to be carried on осуществляться graduation from a standard secondary school окончание средней школы to lead to приводить к чему-либо arts / sciences гуманитарные / технические науки to be the central unit быть центральным звеном a separate corporate entity отдельная составная единица  to comprise smth. включать что-либо (в состав)  a college of liberal arts and sciences колледж свободных искусств и наук a professional school профессиональный колледж; профессиональное отделение универ-ситета a graduate college (school) аспирантура  to provide a programme for study and research предоставлять программу обучения и исследований  beyond the level of smth. выше уровня чего-либо to offer instruction давать образование to be incorporated in a university быть включенным в университет to be separate from a university быть независимым от университета

to provide preparation in a professional field давать подготовку в профессиo нальной области  a junior college первая ступень колледжа an institute of technology технический институт  a degree-granting institution учебное заведение, присваивающее степень  a technical institution технический колледж to include smth. включать что-либо (в состав)  to fall into the category of попадать в определенную категорию 4. Translate the following words and phrases into English. Find the sentences with them in the text; use the words and phrases in sentences of your own.

Образовательная программа, колледж, степень бакалавра гуманитарных и технических наук, образовательное учреждение, программа, отдельная составная единица, карьера, специализироваться по какому-либо предмету, путаница, аспирантура, технический институт, совет попечителей, ректор, декан, заведующий кафедрой, преподаватель, адъюнкт – профессор, студент первого курса (второго, третьего, четвертого курса), аспирант. 5. Answer the questions:

1. What do higher education institutions in the USA require for admission?

2. What degree does a college lead to?

3. What does a college prepare the student for?

4. What sense is the word «college» used in?

5. What kind of educational institution is the University?

6. What sense is thе word «university» used in?

7. What is the devision of American universities and colleges?

8. What kind of preparation do professional schools provide?

9. What is an institute of technology?

10. What is the size of colleges and universities in America?

11. Who usually governs higher educational institutions?

12. Who is the executive head of a college or a university?

13. Who governs the departments of a college?

14. Who are other members of the faculty?

15. How are students classified?