Institutional Case Study- Yale University
Yale University is the third-oldest educational institution in America, and was founded in Saybrook Colony in 1701, by the Congregationalist ministers (Doscher, 2005, p. 1). Various factors facilitated the founding and establishment of the institution. Consequently, clergymen’s efforts in 1640s in initiating the establishment of a local college in various countries in the world in order to preserve European’s traditions of liberal education, was the major impetus to the founding of Yale University (Geiger, 2011, p. 29). Additionally, prior to the renaming of the institution as ‘Yale University in 1718, which encompassed a recognition award from the governor of British East India Company - Elihu Yale - the university was initially known as Collegiate School. Therefore, the governor’s award was an engineering incentive to the establishment and development of the university. Furthermore, the churches’ zeal to initiate the instruction of Sciences and Arts to youths in various parts of the world, which they believed would facilitate for their public employment in the civil state and church through the ‘Almighty God’, was a founding factor of the school (Weisman, 2000, par. 15).
America, in the event of the founding of Yale University, consequently underwent a series of historical events. The General Court of the Colony of Connecticut, in America, passed an Act for Liberty’ in order to initiate the erection of a Collegiate institution (Yale Alumni Association , 2016, par. 18). Therefore, the Act would facilitate for the establishment of an institution to help in training lay leadership and ministers for Connecticut, hence, an event that stimulated that founding of Yale University. In addition, the Congregationalist meeting, whose major propagation was to contribute to Reverend Russell Samuel’s study in the Branford Connecticut in order to establish a convergence of books to form a library, was an occurrence in the US that promoted the founding of the university. Therefore, the college had an initial mission and purpose, which was slightly different from the present purpose (Geiger, 2011, p. 33).
The initial mission and purpose of Yale University included providing a platform for instructing the youth in sciences and arts, in order to facilitate for their employment in the civil state and church. In addition, the purpose of the university’s establishment was to impart knowledge and scholasticism features to students, through provision of a training platform to them in order to facilitate in the shaping of professionals and future leaders (Yale Alumni Association , 2016, par. 15). Additionally, the university sought to train young men and youths for careers in politics and religion, since it was Reverend Davenport John’s dream to engineer the establishment of a college and theocracy in order to educate leaders (Geiger, 2011, p. 48).
Yale University provided a scientific curriculum, which was an impending attribute of the enlightenment and Great Awakening movements that waved the world in the event of the founding of the university (Doscher, 2005, p. 5). Therefore, the university offered a platform for learning Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, which were classical languages for essential for studying the Old Testament. Yale University’s curriculum equally incorporated religion, arts, and sciences, in order to prepare students for employment in the civil state and church.
Additionally, the university initially educated the elite’s sons. Consequently, emphasis on classics curriculum spearheaded the rise of several private societies of students within the school, which was open solely through invitation (Weisman, 2000, par. 12). The student societies arose as modern scholarship discussion forums, politics, and literature. Furthermore, serious sons of the elite in New England, who sought to gain knowledge on divinity and theology, subscribed to the school (Zax, 2014, par. 3). Therefore, various factors contributed to the systematic change and growth of Yale University.
Through the Years
A series of political, economic, and social factors contributed to the growth and development of Yale University. Politically, the 1828 Yale report, which included a Greek and Latin dogmatic defense against critics that advocated for incorporation of modern languages, science, and mathematics in the curriculum, was an aspect of growth in the university. Consequently, college leaders in the world, including Yale leaders, strove to incorporate changes in their curriculum, and retained their classical background (Guiford, 2013, par. 13). Additionally, in 1980, the program of American studies reflected on the worldwide anti-communism ideological struggles. Therefore, Norman Holmes, who held a post in the Office of Strategic Studies in London in the event of World War 2, provided a platform for scholarships in order to promote liberty in the world. Consequently, Yale University adopted an instruction that instilled students with a sense of national purpose and nationalism in order to propagate the fundamentals of the US civilization (Doscher, 2005, p. 12).
Furthermore, in 2009, Yale University formed an alliance with the University College London in order ti affiliate hospital complexes for a research directed at improving the care of patients. Consequently, the university formed alliances with other institutions worldwide, which promoted its launch of various operational initiatives (Guiford, 2013, par.5 ). The initiatives include promotion of international education in the entire world, which was a Jackson Institute for Global Affairs initiative, and the Global Health Initiative that sought to unite and expand global efforts towards health across campuses (U.S. News & World Report, 2016, par. 8).
Economically, in 1940s, philanthropic foundations connected with Rockefellers contributed 7 million dollars for the support of Yale Institute of Human Relations. Therefore, the funds catered for the university’s research for behavioral sciences, whose aim was to foster the improvement of humankind through an informal and loosely defined engineering effort (Geiger, 2011, p. 58). Yale University, by virtue of being an Ivy League School, initiated a series of policies in order to facilitate for the maintenance of notable families of the white Protestants in the body of students in the 20th century. Additionally, the university’s workers and security officers voted in order to join the International Union of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America in 2010 (Yale , 2016, par. 12).
Socially, in 1909, Graham William, the university’s professor who offered training in sociology, bested President Porter Noah for disliking social sciences and advocating for the closure of Yale University from the tradition of offering classic education (Yale Alumni Association , 2016, par 9). Moreover, Porter had refuted the use of textbooks, which espoused materialism, claiming that it would harm students. On the other hand, in 1910, football in the university underwent a crisis that resulted from failure of the university’s reforms to solve controversies that attach to serious injuries (Guiford, 2013, par. 8).
Yale, Harvard, and Princeton presidents spearheaded the development of a project that sought to reform football and restore possible changes in the sport. Additionally, in 2013, Yale University formed the Yale-NUS College partnership in Singapore (U.S. News & World Report, 2016, par. 3). The partnership included the university’s effort with the National University of Singapore in the creation of a new institution of liberal arts in Asia. Therefore, the institution features an innovative mode of study and curriculum that seek to weave Asian and Western Traditions, hence promoting cultural integration within the various continents (Strom, 2004, par. 8). Therefore, the instances of growth in Yale University define the present institution (Zax, 2014, par. 8).
The Institution Today
Yale University’s present mission includes a commitment towards the improvement of the contemporary world and its generations through an outstanding and profound research, practice, preservation, education, and scholarship (Yale , 2016, par. 5). On the other hand, the university ensures the sole admission of qualified students, without any regard towards their financial capabilities. In addition, the university ensures the graduation of the students without debts. Therefore, students seeking for undergraduate, doctoral or master’s degrees in the university’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including specialized degrees in the university’s professional schools, are eligible to attend (Guiford, 2013, par.5 ).
Yale University incorporates a selection of students to the professional and graduate schools. In addition, the university’s undergraduates come from various backgrounds, which include different ethnicities, nationalities, and societies (Doscher, 2005, p. 13). In the 2011 first year class, for instance, 10% of the university’s students were non-Americans, while 54% attended public schools (Yale , 2016, par. 8). On the other hand, the university’s student body propagates various articles in student journals, newspapers, and magazines. Additionally, the university registers 385 student organizations, including extra student groups. Consequently, the Yale College Council and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate are examples of student bodies in Yale University (Yale Alumni Association , 2016, par. 12).
Among the noteworthy alumni of the institution includes US’ presidents Gerald Ford, William Howard, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Others include the US Crown Princess Bernadotte Victoria, Prince Romanov Rostislav, and Hosea Nyabongo. In addition, Tansu Ciller, the prime minister of Turkey, and Ernest Zedillo, the Mexican president, are notable alumni of the university (Yale , 2016, par. 2). Conclusively, on the other hand, Yale University features various unique features, which include being among the oldest institutions of higher education in America, producing most leaders and elite members, and is among higher educational institutions that admits the largest number of students Shelton, 2013, par. 12).
References
Doscher, M. (2005). Yale University: New Haven, Connecticut . Pennsylvania: College Prowler, Inc.
Geiger, R. L. (2011). Perpectives on the History of Higher Education: 2007. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers.
Guiford, G. (2013, March 1). The 10 Colleges Most Likely to Make You a Billioanaire (Havard Is #1). The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/03/the-10-colleges-most-likely-to-make-you-a-billionaire-harvard-is-1/273627/
Shelton, J. (2013). Peter Salovey takes the helm as Yale's 23rd president . New Haven Register .
Strom, S. (2004). $75,000 a Record Gift for Yale? Here's How . The New York Times .
U.S. News & World Report. (2016). Yale University . Retrieved from U.S. News & World Report: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/yale-university-1426
Weisman, S. R. (2000). Editiorial Observer; On Being Young, Idealistic and Politically Ambitious at Yale in the 60's . The New York Times .
Yale . (2016). Prseidential Portraits . Retrieved from Yale University: http://www.yale.edu/
Yale Alumni Association . (2016). How many Students attend Yale? Retrieved from Yale Alumni Association : http://aya.yale.edu/faq/how-many-students-attend-yale
Zax, D. (2014). Wanted: smart students from poor families. Yale Alumni Magazine.
