Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1906 [PAGE 30]

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UNIVEESITY OF ILLINOIS.

[Sept. 27

Otherwise, I recommend that the arrangements with the members of the faculty of the School of Pharmacy heretofore in operation be continued as to the coming year, including $25.00 per month for the seven months of the school year be allowed to the assistants in each of the three laboratories in consideration of additional work attendant upon the leasing of the rooms for an evening school. This recommendation was approved. WOMEN INSTRUCTORS AS A COMMITTEE ON WOMEN STUDENTS' WELFARE. In the absence of a dean of the woman's department it has been thought advisable to organize the women of the corps of instruction in such manner as best to meet the needs and interests of women students in the University. There are in the corps of instruction twenty-six women. The Council of Administration appointed from these a committee of three to have general charge of the whole matter, to make plans and arrangements, to select persons for special duties and to see that all designated duties are performed. Every one of the whole number of instructors has been given something to do and provisions have been made for service by the following committees, eaclxhaving its own organization and specific duties: (1) The Office; (2) Intellectual Life; (3) Social Life; (4) Home Life. Besides this, certain of these women of the faculty have been appointed to be by turns in the office at designated hours of the day to act as advisors of any students who may choose to consult them. While this adds to duties already burdensome in most cases, all have gladly accepted the duties thus assigned and there is now good reason for the expectation that the matters in question will have more and better attention than they have ever before had. AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS. I submit herewith a communication from Dean Davenport, as dean of the Agricultural College and as director of the Experiment Station, and approve of the suggestion that provision be made for an appointment of an instructor in landscape gardening. I am, however, also of the opinion that something further is demanded in regard to investigation and instruction in what is generally included under the name of forestry. I am myself giving a short course of lectures year by year upon the subject in the department of horticulture and so as a matter of fact under the official charge of Professor Blair as head of the department. Nothing further has been attempted. No systematic effort has been made to study the tree growths or conditions in the State and nothing of moment has been done towards advancing knowledge or practice among our people in this relation. The Department of Agriculture at Washington has had men in the field during the summer and we may before long expect a report upon the preliminary surveys thus made. The general subject has been taken up by the woman's clubs and we are asked for advice as to facts and as to proper procedures. Professor Blair is absent, but he is much interested in the subject and I am sure would gladly have this considered along with the question of landscape gardening, and Dean Davenport is ready to do anything within his power to meet what seems to be a large and growing demand. Whether any one man can be found who could suitably aid in the development of and instruction in the two somewhat allied subjects can not beforehand be determined. Various other state universities have recently established full courses in or schools of forestry, and this larger idea ought to be considered here. But any action looking in this direction must be taken only after careful study of the whole matter and our special conditions and needs be made the basis of procedure rather than what others have elsewhere found desirable or necessary. I therefore recommend that authority be given the dean of the College of Agriculture and the head of the department of horticulture to find for the next semester one man who may be appointed at a salary not to exceed $1,200.00 as istructor in one or both of these subjects, and that the former be requested to report further upon the general subject at your next meeting. Authority was given as asked.