Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1878 [PAGE 75]

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75 called in accordance with your suggestions, at Columbus, O. T h e proceedings of the conference will be published by the national bureau of education, under the charge of Gen. Eaton, its chief, who was present and took part in its discussions. T h e question of college degrees, which was referred by you to the conference, and which I had the honor to present in an elaborate paper, was discussed with great fullness, interest and candor. There was not entire harmony of opinion upon all the points involved ; but there seemed to be the most perfect agreement in the conclusion, that the conferring of the common degrees, for the full and satisfactory completion of a thorough course of study, is a usage too wise and useful in itself, and too firmly knit in with the whole system and theory of our higher education, to be now dispensed with. Its value as a means of stimulating earnest study, and of counteracting the strong tendency among our college students to abbreviate their courses of study, is too important to allow its discontinuance. T h e abuses of these degrees by institutions which have granted them for insufficient studies, or as mere literary honors, was not considered as a sufficient reason for their rejection, but rather as requiring on the part of the state colleges an effort to establish and maintain a truer and higher standard. The final report of the conference on this subject, after a careful and protracted consideration of all its clauses, has been published in the Illini, a copy of which I append. It having become necessary to prepare a new catalogue and circular for the University, the faculty took up the consideration of the subject, and after long and patient consideration, adopted the following programme for degrees which has already been submitted to the several members of the board by letter. Several minor changes in some of the courses of study have also been suggested by the faculty, to which your approval is asked.

DIPLOMAS.

T h e adoption of these degrees necessitates the preparation of several forms for diplomas which should, if possible, be printed and ready for use at the next commencement. I t is the common usage of American colleges, as indeed it is also in Europe, to charge a graduating fee to cover the expense of the diplomas, &e. The committee of the faculty to which this matter was referred, recommend that a fee of five dollars be established and charged for all diplomas conferring degrees. Certificates are also needed for those who complete the course of the school of design, and the school of commerce. New certificates must also be provided for the general students, not candidates for degrees, but who are entitled under the law to certificates of the work done by them in their studies.

LIBRARY.

The purchases authorised by you for the library have been made at a satisfactory rate. Some of the books selected had to be imported, and as they have not as yet come to hand, the entire amount of the bills