DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 87 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND MODERN 



LANGUAGES. 



President J. L. Snyder, East Lansing, Michigan : 



My Dear Sir: — During the college year just closed the work in this 

 department has developed in various ways. The change in all the 

 courses of study, although it has decreased the required amount of work 

 in English and modern languages, has increased the amount required 

 during the freshmen and sophomore years. This increase, together with 

 the large number in the classes entering last fall, made necessary the 

 securing of additional instructors in the department. During the fall 

 term Mr, Frank G. Tompkins and Mr. Wm. A Robinson were secured to 

 give their whole time to the teaching of English. Miss Helen Michaelides 

 was added to the department, to her being entrusted the teaching of 

 French. Mrs. Minnie Hendricks, an instructor in the history depart- 

 ment, devoted part of her time to classes in English. 



At the opening of the winter term Mm. Hendricks was needed for 

 full time in the history department. This fact, together with the very 

 large increase in the number of students studying German, necessitated 

 the hiring of Mr. J. C. Paltridge and Mr. I^slie N. Cullom, both of 

 whom remained with the department throughout the rest of the year. 

 The exigencies of the program made necessary more sections in the 

 sub-freshmen, freshmen, and sophomore classes, with the result that 

 the numbers in the various sections were somewhat less than last year. 

 This made possible in the department more individual attention to 

 students than has heretofore been given. 



The endeavor has been to have all students who were somewhat slow 

 in their work interview their respective instructors regularly. Tliis 

 attempt has not met with the response from the students which we 

 desired, their time being so occupied that it is all but impossible for 

 them to And opportunity to interview the instructors outside of class 

 hours. Further, the traditions of the college have made this indivi- 

 dual work with the students somewhat irksome to instructors, as in 

 the past but little of it has been done, at least in this department. 

 I sincerely hope that next year this work will be developed still further, 

 as I feel that this personal touch between student and instructor is 

 more vital than any other part of college training. 



The completion of the Engineering Hall and the consequent removal 

 from College Hall of the office of the department of mathematics, made 

 possible an office for the instructors in this department, something 

 which they had not previously had. Reom No. 4 was set apart for this 

 work. It has been supplied with desks, and continually during the 

 year it has been in use by instructors in legitimate office work. With- 

 out the facilities thus afforded the individual work of which I have 

 spoken would not have been possible. Both the instructors and the 

 head of the department wish to express to the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture their appreciation of the appropriation which made this possible. 



During the fall term 1,()128 students were registered in Ihe study of 



