Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1916 [PAGE 923]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1916]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOAED OE TRUSTEES.

923

or p a r t the e x p e n s e s of t h e t e a c h e r s while a t t e n d i n g t h i s conference. T h e e x p e n s e a c c o u n t of t h e l a s t conference is p r i n t e d h e r e w i t h . I t r e p r e s e n t s in a g e n e r a l w a y the a n n u a l e x p e n d i t u r e s : E X P E N D I T U R E S , 1915. Traveling expense Clerical w o r k Printing Office e x p e n s e R e f r e s h m e n t s a t reception P u b l i c a t i o n of r e p o r t ( e s t i m a t e d ) $506 58 54 1 75 98 55 25 88 00

$696 66 725 00'

Total $1,421 66 This conference is a u n i q u e e d u c a t i o n a l e n t e r p r i s e a n d people h a v e visited it from n e a r l y e v e r y s t a t e in the U n i o n to s t u d y its o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d w o r k . Prof. H . A. Hollister, H i g h School Visitor, d e s e r v e s chiefly t h e credit for e l a b o r a t i o n of t h e p l a n s a n d t h e successful o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of t h e conference.

Superintendent Blair stated in connection with this report that he regarded this conference as a most important element in the educational work of the State and hoped that it would he made more and more efficient.

PROPOSED B U I L D I N G FOR A G R I C U L T U R E . (24) A l e t t e r from t h e D e a n of t h e College of A g r i c u l t u r e a s to t h e n e c e s s i t y of m o r e s p a c e for t h a t college. Edmund Janes James, President, University of Illinois. D E A R SIR : I h a v e t h e h o n o r to r e p o r t a t t h i s t i m e u p o n t h e conditions t h a t s u r r o u n d t h e a g r i c u l t u r a l w o r k of t h e U n i v e r s i t y w i t h r e s p e c t to s p a c e for office, l a b o r a t o r y , classroom-, l i b r a r y , m u s e u m , a n d o t h e r s i m i l a r facilities for t h e w o r k of i n s t r u c t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h — c o n d i t i o n s t h a t u n l e s s relieved will slowly b u t s u r e l y block t h e w o r k of t h e i n s t i t u t i o n . W i t h i n a few m o n t h s t h e n e x t L e g i s l a t u r e will be in session a n d well before t h a t t i m e definite p l a n s of some c h a r a c t e r should be d e t e r m i n e d for relief. I t will t h e n h a v e been six y e a r s since w e a s k e d for t h e s u m of $337,000 for a n addition to t h e A g r i c u l t u r e B u i l d i n g in o r d e r t o p r o v i d e space for t h e a n t i c i p a t e d i n c r e a s e in a t t e n d a n c e . H o w e v e r , t h e g r e a t n e e d for f u n d s a t t h a t t i m e for t h e f u r t h e r s u p p o r t of t h e College, a n d t h e conclusion of t h e U n i v e r s i t y t h a t t h e a g r i c u l t u r a l p l a n t should n o t p e r m a n e n t l y occupy i t s p r e s e n t position led to a w i t h d r a w a l of t h e r e q u e s t for a d d i t i o n a l space in spite of t h e t h r e a t e n e d conditions. Since t h a t t i m e t h e r e g i s t r a t i o n h a s i n c r e a s e d from 691 to 1,255, a n a v e r a g e of over 100 a y e a r . T h e f a c u l t y h a s i n c r e a s e d from 74 to 153 a n d t h e g r a d u a t i n g class from 51 to 191, a t r u l y a l a r m i n g ( !) a n d d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e i n c r e a s e for t h e s h o r t s p a c e of five y e a r s . I t w o u l d h a v e been impossible to c a r e for t h e increase, p a r t i c u l a r l y in t h e u p p e r classes, except for a c h a i n of c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h a t combined to relieve congestion, a m o n g w h i c h a r e t h e f o l l o w i n g : 1. Roofing t h e c o u r t of t h e A g r i c u l t u r e Building - a d d e d some t e n t h o u s a n d s q u a r e feet of space, a b o u t half of w h i c h is a v a i l a b l e for classrooms, t h e r e m a i n d e r s e r v i n g for l i b r a r y , r e a d i n g room, p a c k i n g , a n d s t o r a g e . 2. T h e F l o r i c u l t u r e B u i l d i n g r e c e n t l y erected c a r e s completely for t h e floric u l t u r a l i n t e r e s t s , a n d t h e p l a n t for o l e r i c u l t u r e is e q u a l l y effective. 3. T h e Stock J u d g i n g P a v i l i o n relieved a s p a c e of 40 b y 60 feet in t h e A g r i c u l t u r e B u i l d i n g (fully a b s o r b e d b y m o v i n g Dr. G r i n d l e y ' s w o r k from t h e C h e m i s t r y B u i l d i n g ) a n d p r o v i d e d some half-dozen offices. W h i l e t h e t a n b a r k a r e n a is n o t s u i t a b l e for g e n e r a l class p u r p o s e s , y e t it h a s been p r e s s e d into t h i s service, a c c o m m o d a t i n g a s m a n y a s t h r e e classes a t a time. 4. T h e Genetics Building, of so-called t e m p o r a r y c o n s t r u c t i o n , h a s been built t h i s y e a r . I t relieves one room in t h e A g r i c u l t u r e Building, b u t its chief function is to p r o v i d e a d e q u a t e s p a c e for w o r k in genetics, a s u b j e c t m u c h in d e m a n d , y e t impossible to p r o p e r l y h a n d l e u n d e r t h e p r e s e n t r e s t r i c t e d conditions. 5. T h e A c a d e m y h a s been abolished a n d t h e conditions u n d e r w h i c h special s t u d e n t s a r e received h a v e been g r e a t l y r e s t r i c t e d , b e i n g n o w t h e s a m e .as for o t h e r colleges in t h e U n i v e r s i t y , all of w h i c h h a s been a c c o m p l i s h e d w i t h o u t t h e a d d i t i o n of t w o - y e a r courses, special courses, or a n y o t h e r device to p r o v i d e i n s t r u c t i o n of s e c o n d a r y g r a d e . 6. All elective privilege h a s been t a k e n a w a y from t h e f r e s h m e n , p u t t i n g t h e m i n t o l a r g e r bodies w i t h set courses, r e s e r v i n g t h e m o s t e x p e n s i v e a n d s p a c e c o n s u m i n g c o u r s e s for u p p e r c l a s s m e n . 7. I n addition, all j u n i o r a n d senior courses h a v e been m a d e elective, a p r o c e d u r e a b s o l u t e l y n e c e s s a r y in o r d e r to p r e v e n t t h e b l o c k i n g of g r a d u a t i o n of m a n y m e n b y l a c k of l a b o r a t o r y space in r e q u i r e d cotirses. W i t h o u t t h i s device w e should h a v e been obliged b e f o r e t h i s to c h a n g e t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s so a s to t h r o w a l a r g e r p r o p o r t i o n of i n s t r u c t i o n into n o n a g r i c u l t u r a l d e p a r t m e n t s or m a k e g r a d u ation impossible for a c o n s i d e r a b l e n u m b e r of m e n . 8. B e s i d e s t h e s e devices t o economize m o n e y a n d space, t h e r e h a s been a s e t t l e d policy of t h e College F a c u l t y to k e e p n u m b e r s clown b y r e f u s i n g a d m i s s i o n to t r a n s f e r s n o t in good s t a n d i n g ; b y u r g i n g all w h o h a v e n o t lived a t l e a s t a full y e a r upon a f a r m to d r o p out n o t l a t e r t h a n t h e s o p h o m o r e y e a r a n d get t h i s experience before c o m p l e t i n g t h e i r c o u r s e ; and b y f r a n k l y a d v i s i n g m a n y i n d i v i d u a l s of mediocre a c a d e m i c a b i l i t y n o t to continue in college, b u t to stop w i t h one y e a r a n d go a t once to w o r k .