DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 1^3 



of Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, in which he was serving 

 for his second year as assistant professor of English. His appointment 

 to his present instrnctorship was made in May, 1916. Mr. Weaver has 

 the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Carroll College, Waukesha, Wiscon- 

 sin, and the degree of Master of Arts from the University of Chicago. 

 Members of the faculty of both institutions very strongly supported Mr. 

 Weaver's candidacy for his present position. Mr. Weaver had served 

 for one year as professor of public speaking and instructor in English 

 in the College of Emporia, Emporia, Kansas. He was appointed to 

 his present instructorship in July, 1916. Mr. Burkett is a graduate 

 of Ohio State University with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and 

 Juris Doctor and has had successful experience in the practice of law. 

 He made an exceptional record in Ohio State University and was un- 

 reservedly commended to us by members of the faculty. He was ap- 

 pointed to his present instructorship in August, 1916. 



I regret to report that three members of the teaching force given 

 above have resigned. Early in the fall Assistant Professor Fischer 

 announced that tlie condition of his eyes would necessitate his retiring 

 from teaching for a time at the close of the year. Mr. Owen resigned 

 early in April. Mr. Burkett, who holds a commission as first lieutenant 

 in the Keserve Officers' Training Corps, is now at Fort Sheridan. His 

 position in the college will be held for him, and it is the hope of his 

 colleagues in the department and in the college as a whole that, when 

 his country no longer requires his services in war or in preparation for 

 war, he may return to his work here. 



The most important change in our course of study is the addition 

 of one hour a week throughout the year to the work in composition 

 required of freshmen students in agriculture. Heretofore we have had 

 but two hours a week for this very important subject. The change from 

 a two-hour to a three-hour course was made possible by the action of 

 tlie Departments of Chemistry, of Mathematics, and of Botany, each of 

 these departments generously consenting to sacrifice to the English de- 

 partment one hour for one term. The three hours thus gained will not 

 only add fifty per cent to the classroom work in freshmen English 

 for agricultural students; they should add more than fifty per cent to 

 the students' interest in the subject. The fact that the class has up 

 to the present time met but twice a week has strongly tended to hinder 

 that progressive growth of interest which is essential to good work in 

 any subject. With three hours a week the interest should be cumulative, 

 rather than intermittent, and the results should be manifestly better. 

 In order that no time might be lost in adjusting our plans to the 

 change, members of the department spent many hours during June in 

 thoroughly revising the outline of work for the twelve sections of this 

 class. 



Each year it has been a pleasure to include in my annual report 

 the names of students representing the College in intercollegiate debate. 

 This year the question for our tristate debate with Iowa State College 

 and Purdue University, was, Resolved, That the government should 

 provide by federal enactment for the compulsory arbitration of all 

 labor disputes involving public utilities, constitutionality conceded. 

 The M. A. C. team which supported the affinnative of this question 

 consisted of H. B. King, B. W. Bellinger, and Howard C. Rather. These 



