Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 28]

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c a n legally go, as it h a s practically gone into effect, and there a p p e a r s to be little doubt t h a t s u c h action will be t a k e n d u r i n g the p r e s e n t session. When t h a t action is law, your attention will be asked to plans for a r r a n g i n g q u a r t e r s suitable for t h i s n e w and i m p o r t a n t department. T h e schools of Mechanical E n g i n e e r i n g and of Architecture have shown large p r o g r e s s d u r i n g t h e p a s t four years. I n each t h e n u m b e r of s t u d e n t s h a s increased a b o u t threefold. T h e c o u r s e s of shop instruction in t h e f r e s h m a n y e a r have been c h a n g e d from one short t e r m i n t h e s p r i n g to t h e occupation of t h e entire year, while we would yet be glad t o s e c u r e m o r e time for shop teaching, if it could be s p a r e d from other studies. As it is, t h e m e c h a n ical s h o p is occupied d u r i n g the entire day, and any material increase in n u m b e r s — s u c h a n i n c r e a s e as our late experience m a y well lead u s to expect—will m a k e it n e c e s s a r y to a d d o n e or two competent a s s i s t a n t s to our force of shop t e a c h e r s . The Legislature h a s been a s k e d to furnish t h e m e a n s to p u r c h a s e m o r e m a c h i n e tools for second y e a r ' s s t u d e n t s , a n a i d which is certainly imperatively required. The projected i n c r e a s e of s h o p - r o o m for t h e a r c h i t e c t u r a l s h o p s should not be p o s t p o n e d b e v o n d t h e coming s u m m e r vacation, even if t h e artillery should be required to s t a n d in t h e y a r d without shelter. T h e drift of t h e instruction at the University m a y be best u n d e r s t o o d from t h e following t a b l e , p r e p a r e d for insertion in the last r e p o r t of the Regent to the State S u p e r i n t e n d e n t of Public Instruction:

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Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per 1 Per cent. cent. cent. cent. cent.j cent. cent. cent. cent. cent. 7 School of Agriculture 6 18 6 7 6 College of Agriculture 101 12 10 14 School of Meehan'l E n g i n e e r i n g 17 7 10 12 14 15 School of Civil E n g i n e e r i n g 18 6 7 13 1 1 1 School of Mining E n g i n e e r i n g . . 1 1 4 6 5 Sch ool of Architecture 6 3 37 College of E n g i n e e r s 12 io 8 School of Chemistry 8 7 36 5 30 5 School of Natural History 29 24 2 4 3 1 S c h o o l of Domestic Science*. 10 16 13 13 College of Natural sciences is 2 3 School of Art a n d Design 13 11 12 10 7 Elective Scientific Total Technical College of L i t e r a t u r e a n d Science Commercial Special Special Military .. ^Resident G r a d u a t e s . G r a n d Total 60 32 3 3 1 1 100 62 35 1 1 2 100 64 34 68 31 66 32 2 100

An examination of t h e foregoing table should forever set at r e s t a n y q u e s t i o n which m a y h a v e arisen as to the intent or effort of t h e p r e s e n t m a n a g e m e n t to c h a n g e t h e c h a r a c t e r of t h e University in such a way as to lessen by the least fraction its technical a n d scientific superiority, or, a s it is s o m e t i m e s averred, to convert it into a " m e r e literary a n d classical -college." I Still it m u s t n o t be forgotten t h a t literature and language have a lawful a n d legitimate place h e r e which m u s t not be denied n o r abridged, nor hidden b e n e a t h a bushel. T h e m a t e r i a l a n d visible i m p r o v e m e n t s m a d e d u r i n g t h e last four y e a r s at t h e University a r e not u n w o r t h y of notice. T h e m o s t notable, p e r h a p s , is t h e building of t h e boiler-house with t h e r e m o v a l of boilers from t h e b a s e m e n t of t h e m a i n building a n d their r e p l a c e m e n t by two of m u c h larger capacity t h a n t h a t of t h e first set. As a result of t h i s i m p r o v e m e n t m a y be cited t h e fact t h a t since t h e c h a n g e w a s made, and particularly during the p h e n o m e n a l l y inclement s e a s o n from which we a r e j u s t emerging, the m a i n building h a s b e e n r e g ularly and constantly w a r m e d , a n d the old d a y s of frozen pipes a n d enforced holidays h a v e entirely p a s s e d away. T h e latest i m p r o v e m e n t in t h e boiler-house is t h e setting of a new boiler for p u m p i n g u s e s , with a duplex p u m p a n d a t t a c h m e n t s which c o m m a n d every floor and t h e roof of t h e m a i n building, a n d give a d d e d security a g a i n s t fire. But this leads m e to s a y t h a t a m a t t e r w h i c h will r e q u i r e attention at a n early d a y wilt be some m e t h o d of s e c u r i n g a more a b u n d a n t supply of water.

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