The Humanics Philosophy: A Legacy - Dr. Josephine L. Cecco (c. 1980)
In: Distinguished Professor of Humanics Collection;
This document titled "The Humanics Philosophy: A Legacy" is the Humanics Lecture that was given at Springfield College by Distinguished Professor of Humanics Dr. Josephine L. Cecco on May 8, 1980. In Cecco's lecture she explains that a Collegium is organized to resolve several "structural and procedural" problems; namely racism, student and faculty relationships, judicial processes, student participation in the decision-making bodies, role of the trustees, and Humanics. She stated, "For we will have one college or none at all." She discusses the history of the school and its origins in religious courses of study aimed to educate future ministers and YMCA workers, later adding in courses in Humanics or the study of man and his natural needs, growth, and development. Next, Cecco posed questions from the Humanics Course Proposals such as, "How does the course contribute to the improvement of the Human Condition? What attitudes and value perceptions would you expect minimal mastery of the contents of this course to develop, re-enforce, or otherwise alter?" She draws findings to these questions through analogies posed in recent educational research. She states that the school must respond to the changing needs and opportunities of a democratic society and that the task is to educate individuals so that they participate constructively in the economic, social, and political life of the society. She explains the importance of an emphasis is on individual self-realization that is similar to the concepts of "fullness" or "full-grown man" of the Humanics Philosophy. ; Humanics is a word that has a special meaning in the history and philosophy of Springfield College, as well as in the college's motto of "Spirit, Mind, and Body." The Oxford English Dictionary defines Humanics as, "the subject or study of human affairs or relations, especially of the human element of a problem or situation as opposed to the mechanical." In 1962, Dr. Glenn Olds, President of Springfield College at the time, began to wonder why this name was given to the intended philosophy of the college by Dr. Laurence Locke Doggett, Springfield College's first full-time president. Olds acknowledged that the practices of the faculty were in large part consistent with the Humanics philosophy, but he believed that a more self-conscious application would improve chances of its continuity and survival. To ensure this, a Distinguished Professor of Humanics position was created at the college, first filled by Dr. Seth Arsenian from 1966-1969. The purpose of this position was to catalyze a renewal of consciousness in the philosophy. This was done by annually mandating the Distinguished Professor of Humanics to give a Humanics lecture on the definition of Humanics and what the concept means to them. Arsenian started this tradition in 1967 with his speech titled, "The Meaning of Humanics," in which he described the concept as a set of ideas, values, and goals that make our college distinct from other colleges and make commitment and unity toward commonly sought goals possible.
