Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1894 [PAGE 60]

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PROCEEDINGS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

CI

to grow, it must have more money coming to its treasury. The maximum salaries now paid are lower than they should be, and you will probably agree with me that some not maximum should be raised at the end of t h e current year. The remarkable increase in numbers of students in the engineering courses especially calls for further instructors in these lines. The drawing and descriptive geometry of the freshman class demand a permanent teacher with an assistant, and further aid is essential in the course of mechanical engineering. The shops of this latter department are altogether inadequate in kind and extent, and more assistance is evidently required in instruction. Both the course of instruction and the equipments therefor in physics should be largely extended, and a course of laboratory instruction in physiology is a needed improvement. On the literary side, the offering in history should be largely increased; while a chair of political economy is an exceedingly desirable addition. The library ought to be at least doubled in its number of books within a few years, and its treasures should be rendered accessible to teachers and students by much fuller indexing and by giving to all opportunity to consult the books on their shelves—a thing now impossible for want of room. As an indication of what other state universities have done, and are doing, for their libraries; the following statistics, recently furnished by Professor Crawford, are of interest:

NAME.

Volumes in library.

Annual F o r adexpenditure for b o o k s . m i n i s t r a t i o n . $7,500 4,000 15,800 * 4,264 t 2,000 t 2,500 4,000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 $6,050 2,000 9,818 2,075 1,800 1,600 2,150 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

Michigan University. Wisconsin University Cornell. U n i v e r s i t y . . . M i n n e s o t a University, Indiana University... Iowa University Nebraska University. * I n 1892. 5,000 in 1891.

83,000 26,000 110,000 28,077 15,887 22,000 20,000

$ $10,000 i n t w o y e a r s .

Wisconsin is spending this year $5,000 additional for t h e purchase of books on history and economies. Nebraska will enter a new library building January, 1894. The introduction of the so-called seminary method of instruction, especially in literary and philosophical subjects, is urgently important and ought not to be delayed a moment longer than is absolutely necessary. In this whole matter, applicable alike to many departments, one essential to success is proper room for expansion and development. Your attention is already directed to this and I am sure it will receive your earnest consideration. These are slight references to the growing needs of the University as it now is, or as the natural development of the present departments require. What has been said indicates the necessity for more funds for current expenses. The accounts of the treasurer and the estimates of the business agent show t h a t we cannot go on as we have been recently doing without more available means. The expenses of the last two years considerably more than equal the estimated receipts for the next two years, upon the basis of present resources. The urgency of the demand for money is thus made apparent, even if advance beyond the present status is not undertaken. Bridling every lofty ambition and rationally considering even the most modest requirements of the times and circumstances, it seems to me an appeal to the legislature should be made at its next session for double the amount heretofore received for annual expenditure, and t h a t this item should be kept to the front, notwithstanding the need and hopes for at least three new buildings.