ISSN 1712-8358[Print] Cross-Cultural Communication ISSN 1923-6700[Online] Vol. 10, No. 5, 2014, pp. 148-153 www.cscanada.net DOI: 10.3968/5174 www.cscanada.org Modern Extension of Classical Culture Life: British Residential College System and Its World Influence YANG Tian[a] ; CUI Yanqiang[a] ; [a]Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China. teaching, academic research, as well as creative cultural *Corresponding author. life (Karl, 2007). Due to the prevalence of market Supported by Key projects of Southwest University’s Basic Scientific logic and instrumental rationality, the size of modern Research in 2014 “Cultural Connotation and Social Function in university has continued to expand, academic specialized University’s Ceremony”. increasingly, people alienated day by day, and cultural life has become barren. This situation has caused people’s Received 12 March 2014; accepted 28 June 2014 Published online 31 August 2014 deep thinking. Arised from the middle ages, and followed by a great number of later universities; residential college has Abstract typically represented the classical university spirit, worthy Residential College system was originated in Middle Ages, of further and continuous study. With the acceleration first founded in Paris, perfected in Oxford, and had proven development of modern university in China, academic to be the most important sign of British universities. Even circles have grown research interest in British residential to this day, residential college still retained in British college system in recent years, not only emerged in a series universities, and inherited by American universities. of studies, but also put into practice at some universities. With long history and unique concept, residential college In the theoretical level, the domestic study of British system is not only a kind of enduring housing system, but residential colleges has mainly concentrated in aspects of also an effective cultivation system. Furthermore, it is an educational concept, management system and teaching indication of spirit and creative culture life of university, mode, all aims at exploring humanities spirit behind the which has a very important significance to Chinese system, and its enlightenment to our personnel training universities. To learn from residential colleges, we need to and management system; At a practical level, some combine theoretical logic and practical logic, and gain a universities drew lessons from British residential college clear idea of that the construction and operation of system system, and combined with Chinese traditional academy must be established in the cultural basis. mode, have also opened a series of beneficial exploration. Key words: Classical culture Life; British residential But on the whole, domestic research has still stayed in college; World influence the level of learning, absorbing, imitating, should further explore the combination of theory and practice of logical Yang, T., & Cui, Y. Q. (2014). Modern Extension of Classical thinking. Building a sound and effective operation of the Culture Life: British Residential College System and Its World Influence. Cross-Cultural Communication, 10(5), 148-153. Available system must be based on deep cultural roots, and must from: http//www.cscanada.net/index.php/ccc/article/view/5174 adhere to the endogenous historical logic. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/5174 Throughout the spread of British residential college in the whole world, the United States University inherited the most comprehensive, but was not simply transplantation and grafting, but the long-term repeated testing and INTRODUCTION innovation. Tracing and analysis of British residential Education is not only in classroom, but also be in your college as well as the United States University’s life. Kalr Theodor Jaspers believed that, a true sense of the innovation process helps to recognize the historical and university contains three inextricably aspects: knowledge practice logic, thereby clarifying the theoretical logic Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 148 YANG Tian ; CUI Yanqiang (2014). Cross-Cultural Communication, 10(5), 148-153 of the construction of modern university system with 2.1.1 Authorized Management Chinese characteristics. Since the implementation of boarder statute of 1489, residential colleges have used the “authorized management system” all the time. It means that donors will entrust the 1. THE ORIGIN AND FEATURE OF right of management to colleges, then the colleges should BRITISH RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE be responsible for organizing management committee, setting out statutes and discussing major events. Till the 19th As a department organization pattern, residential college century, the management committee has gradually stable derived from medieval Europe, was built in Paris and structure includes the Dean, provost, tutors, managers perfected in Oxford. At the beginning, students were and student representatives. The dean will be entirely mainly taught in the rented house for no fixed classroom responsible, the provost guides the students’ learning life and dormitory, students were required to solve the overall, they and their families must live in the residential accommodation problem on their own. In 12th century, colleges with students. The tutors and students have the European universities still retained the religious tradition most closely relationship with each other for the teachers’ of knowledge-transference and meditation, so students direct guidance in life and academic areas. Maintenance were most poor man from all over the continent of including dormitory management personnel, restaurant and Europe, the predecessor of residential college called security staff hold an important position in maintaining house was established by the donation from higher-order normal operation of the college. Student representatives cleric and nobility (Hastings, 1936, p.681). At the end th are responsible for upload and give opinions. In addition of the 12 century, Paris University built a residential to the management committee, the college also has a college, and later spread to Oxford and Cambridge in the th specialized agency responsible for specific items, such as second half of the 13 century, and gradually developed meals committee, academic committee, which composed into a unique ideal facility where teachers and students of administrative staff and student representatives. Students inhabit together. themselves also have a commission, whose main job is to Despite a few colleges found by mendicancy friars, provide consulting for junior students, organizing activities, dozens of different styles of residential colleges were participating in making school rules. Due to the multivariate evolved from boarding houses in Oxford and Cambridge. management organization, almost all the teachers and The founders of houses were famous scholars or students are blended in. celebrities, including the British royal family members. 2.1.2 Mixed Inhabitant Mode For example, King’s College of Cambridge was created Students of different major and grade will live together, by Henry VI of England in 1441; Queens’ College was which is a way of showing college’ democratic almost the oldest and largest college, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou (the Queen of Henry VI).With management and self-government. Before the new term the support of the donations, houses gradually formed begins, freshmen should have to fill in an application form into academic communities. Under the administration which including their interests, habits and characteristics, of the statutes of the medieval university, the academic etc.. The college staffs will base on the data to allocate communities developed into residential colleges of the accommodation, thereby eliminating disharmonious autonomy. In 1489, Oxford teacher groups and the head of factors and avoiding conflicts as far as possible. the houses drawn up the Aularian Statute which marked 2.1.3 Tutorial System the residential college system formally established Tutorial system is a specialized teaching mode for (Hastings, 1936, p.683). After the 15th century, residential undergraduates; it pays great attention to face-to-face college system has gradually become the main school- communication between teachers and students. There running pattern of the classical British university. In the are two kinds of tutors called life tutor and course tutor 19th century, residential colleges began to take on more respectively, the life tutor is generally graduate students or education function such as enrollment selection, tutor low order professional teachers, and the course tutor are appointment and creation of cultural life; colleges finally usually professors. For the similar age, graduate students become the core area of university life. have the common in life with undergraduate students, so they could provide comprehensive and direct help, they are mainly responsible for organizing activities, 2. CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF providing consultation and reviewing papers etc.; RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE professional teachers are mainly responsible for academic. Accommodating together in the college provides a good 2.1 Institutional Features chance for students to the teachers to communicate The institutional system of British residential college conveniently for each other. has mainly included three modules; they are authorized In general, the residential college system would like management, mixed inhabitant