60 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL FIGURES FOR 15 YEARS. 



From 1907 to 1918, 1851 men enrollerl as fresilimen in engineering and 

 from 1910 to 1921, 687 enrolled as seniors, the ratio of the latter to the 

 former number is 37 per cent and measures approximately the average 

 persistence of the entrants. The variation is from 18 to 58 per cent; the 

 former due to the war "slump" and the latter to tlie after- war ''come-back." 



COURSES OF STUDY. 



t 



At 3"0ur suggestion there has been established a course in Engineermg 

 Administration- designed to meet the requirements of students who, in 

 addition to a natural aptitude and liking for engineering careers, feel that 

 the business phases of the engineering industries have a stronger appeal 

 than the technical j^hases, and who sense in themselves tbe business, ex- 

 ecutive or administrative ability which could be developed by a college 

 course not so severely technical as the usual tj'pe of engineering course. 



It is believed that the trend of industrial development Avarrants the 

 instruction of a portion of engineering students in the principles of eco- 

 nomics, accounting, banking, business law, transportation, statistics, in- 

 dustrial management, relations and histor}-, corporation finance, contracts 

 and specifications, and business cycles. 



In the new course about 20 per cent of the credits required for gradu- 

 ation will be devoted to the (subjects listed in the preceding paragraph. 



The technical courses will be modified so as to provide for all engineer- 

 ing students the instruction in elements of economics, in the sophomore 

 year, before they choose between the technical and engineering adminis- 

 tration groups, 



A special bulletin, supplementing the college catalog has been pub- 

 lished for the information of prospective students in the new course. 



UNDER DISCUSSION. 



On May 19, 1922, I attended a conference of representatives of the 

 engineering schools of Iowa State College, Michigan Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Northwestern University, Obio State University, Purdue Univer- 

 sity, Universities of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minuesota, Ne- 

 braska, North Dakota, Wisconsin and AVashington, to discuss the question 

 of the desirability of five and six-year engineering courses. 



The unanimous opinion of those present was that it is desirable, "in 



