Within recent years a great deal of attend ion has been devoted to the shortcomings of secondary education in America. But the higher levels of instruction, college and above, have not received the same close scrutiny. Although several penetrating observations on the malfunctions of American colleges and universities have been released, they have been scattered and uncoordinated. Many questions are still unanswered. In the ultimate analysis, what is the purpose of a college education? Should college produce citizens or technicians or both? Since everyone cannot go to college, who should be admitted? Should there be a functional distinction between colleges? And, coming closer to home, what is the justification for retaining the privately endowed college, drawing its enrollment principally from the upper economic brackets, at a time when the great state colleges, backed by public funds, can support a much more representative admission policy?

The day has passed, if ever it was so, when a college was simply a place for learning the intricacies of higher mathematics, Latin, Greek, or science. College is preparation for living, and to be successful it must make use of many devices other than academic courses. Sports, publications, extra curricular activities of all sorts, student counselling, group life --each plays its part. Instructors must have more than mere scholastic proficiency. They must be able to inspire a love of learning, integrate their particular field with the whole of knowledge, and to create that mental attitude which finds a continuing education in life after college.

The ramifications and connotations of "liberal education" are so profuse that the term itself needs redefinition. When teachers colleges, technical colleges, large state colleges all issue B.A. 's, what is the common denominator of a liberal education? In this welter of educational institutions, what is the proper role of a college such as Harvard?

At the individual college level, how can Harvard best integrate its function as a college with its function as a university? Can the admissions policy be widened to bring in more students from lower economic groups? What should be the criteria for allotting scholarships? To what uses can the House system and Tutorial best be put? Questions of this more specific nature cannot be intelligently answered until the basic aims of college education have been defined.

Nor can these answer be given briefly or in haste. An adequate description of the tasks to be performed by American college, and by Harvard in particular, will require intensive study by thoughtful, intelligent, imaginative men. In the weeks to come the Crimson hopes to offer what can only be partial and tentative answers. The brightest possibility of a more through study is presented by the Student Council's intention to draw on the best minds in the College and University and give them free rein to look into the numberless aspects of the problem and formulate extensive proposals and suggestions. The project should not be delayed, for it offers possibilities whose value is beyond calculation.