Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1892 [PAGE 152]

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PROCEEDINGS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

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$120. Your approval of this expenditure is respectfully asked and an appropriation to cover it is needed. Thus it will be seen t h a t the new building comes none too soon. More room is seriously inquired for, and in several departments much better work can be done if it is provided.

COMMITTEES OF T H E FACULTY.

To facilitate its work the Faculty has constituted ten standing committees from its own membership, each having a designated chairman and each charged with distinct duties. The general purposes of these committees, each in its own department, are: 1st, to originate and to suggest to the Faculty new possibilities of action; 2d, to act on matters specifically referred by the Faculty, and 3d, to act for the Faculty in emergencies. The committees are as follows: (1) Executive, (2) University Extension, (3) Preparatory Schools, (4) Advertisements and Publications, (5) Public Exercises, (6) Military Affairs, (7) Athletic-, (8) Students' Welfare, (9) Library, and (10) Museums, Each of these committees has been earnestly at work and has already rendered exceedingly valuable services, stimulating activity and freeing the Acting Regent and the Faculty as a body from numerous time- and energy-consuming details, as well as better satisfying the students and accomplishing better results.

MILITARY A F F A I R S .

According to the action taken at your last meeting, greater change has been made in the military department than elsewhere. By the new rules only two years of drill twice a week are required, if proper standing is secured for each term; recitations upon drill regulations are required once a week for two terms of all students, and special military scholarships are created, open to those who have passed these requirements and continue their study in the department and serve as commissioned officers for the battalion. The committee on military affairs, with Professor Snyder as chairman, suggested to the Faculty several subsidiary rules adjusting the new to the old order of things, and has incessantly labored to reorganize the department, to arouse a proper spirit among the students and to make things move in good military order. Though not without some difficulty at first, a very fair corps of officers was secured, and the instruction and practice were well started. Scarcely, however, had this been accomplished when, about October 15th, information was received t h a t the Secretary of War had approved new drill regulations for the United States army, t h a t the changes were numerous and essential, and t h a t instruction in the old tactics had been stopped in the army. I t was obvious t h a t the old tactics could not be retained through the year in the University when dropped everywhere else, though the students had provided themselves with expensive books which would be useless the moment a change was made. I t was now found t h a t the new abridged drill regulations for infantry could be obtained at once at 40 cents each, and, believing it unfair to ask the students already supplied with books to buy the new books, 100 copies of these were procured and issued to them as University property, for their present use. Drill was suspended for a time sufficient for the instruction of the officers and then the work went forward again. Under the circumstances, the department is now in fair condition and there is good reason to suppose t h a t the work will move along without friction or trouble. An appropriation of $60 is asked for the payment for this term of eight military scholarships already awarded. Also $9 is asked for by Lieutenant Hills for the purchase of a sword for the sergeant-major of the battalion. The cadet band is in excellent order, under the leadership of a student, Charles A. Elder. An appropriation of $12 for music stands is desirable, and a good baritone instrument, costing $60, would be very useful. Last year the leader had this instrument of his own.