Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1878 [PAGE 140]

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140 enable students to enter intelligently upon the various and important duties of the engineer.

INSTRUCTION.

T h e student should lay a broad foundation in general culture, which will euable him to pursue his professional studies with greater ease and advantage. W i t h this view, the subjects peculiar to civil engineering are not introduced until the second year. The instruction is given by lectures, text books and reading, to which are added numerous problems and practical exercises, as serving best to completely explain subjects and fix them in the mind. Models and instruments are continually used, both in lectures and by the students themselves.

COURSE O F S T U D I E S .

T h e complete Course occupies four years. The tabular view shows the arrangement of the subjects. The studies of the first three years will prepare students for undertaking many engineering operations, such as the building of railroads, canals, embankments, etc. The fourth year is intended to fit them for the higher engineering constructions, as the building of arches, trussed bridges, and supporting frames of all kinds. Each year consists of thirty-six working weeks, divided into fall, winter and spring terms. T h e four years are divided among the different branches nearly as follows : languages, 360 recitations; pure mathematics, 369 recitations ; drawing of all kinds, 840 hours ; lectures with mathematical analysis, 100 hours ; surveying, recitations, drawing and field practice, 200 h o u r s ; physics, mechanics, hydraulics, astronomy, geology, chemistry, mental philosophy, logic, political economy, history, altogether 680 lectures, recitations, and exercises: practice in the chemical laboratory, 110 h o u r s ; engineering projects, 240 hours. Besides the above, there are various special exercises requiring time, the amount of which cannot be assigned. Each recitation requires one hour in the class room, and to its preparation should be given an average time of three hours.

TECHNICAL STUDIES.

Mathematics.—For a list of the principal subjects included under pure mathematics, see the school of mechanical engineering. T h e following are those included in applied mathematics : Descriptive Geometry.—Problems on the point, right line and plane; warped surfaces; perspective; shades and shadows ; practical problems. Analytical Mechanics and Hydraulics.—See school of mechanical engineering. Astronomy.—The Observatory ; instruments and their adjustments ; determination of time, latitude and longitude ; practical exercises. Geodesy.—Figure of the earth ; surveys of the earth's surface : base