76 Proceed i II (j.'s of Indiana Acadcvti/ of Science. 



A jiucss lliat is wrong is uiucli l)etter Hum no jiiicss at all — the positive is 

 hotter than tlu' no.iiatix c. There is liojio for thox- who have been trained to 

 think, 'llio usual routini' of lecture. (|uiz. and hilioratory Vi^orli, too often 

 on separate parts of the same course, is not conducive to the best train- 

 inji- in logical thought. The questionini;-. inventive, creative spirit must 

 l)e ai-oused to a greater extent than it lius been in th(> past. To say that 

 we haven't a place in our curriculum foi' >uch training, where the student 

 may find himself, indicates all the greater need for a more fundamental 

 rearrangement of our college courses. The sttident may have been fortu- 

 nate enougli to have found the profession liest suited to his abilities, but 

 very few find themselves in that profession. 



How can we overcome the prevalent view that a college training is a 

 series of disconnected facts? Wouldn't the presentation of a gas engine to 

 a group of freshmen engineers be of value in correlating numerous subse- 

 quent pages of algebra, physics, and theories of dynamics? As most courses 

 are now arranged, we have ample time to forget all l)y the time we are 

 introduced to a concrete example of our profession. Again the realization 

 that few chemical reactions go entirely as represented by the equation re- 

 quires a rearrangement of the mental attitude of the chemist at a time 

 wlien he needs to have his faculties at their best. 



It may be that our point of view errs. We do not aiipreciate all of the 

 complexity existing in our universities, and we therefore do not presume to 

 dictate any policy to otu- schools. We do look for results, however, and in- 

 dustry makes its judgment on that basis — something seems to be lacking in 

 our college trained men. 



After discussing the question of undergraduate research with representa- 

 tives of the schools of Indiana, the Rcientech (Muh adopted the following 

 resolution : 



RESOLVED: That the Scientech Club through its Research 

 Committee exert its influence in promoting and encouraging a re- 

 search atmosphere in the educational institutions of this state. As 

 one means to this end. be it 



FURTHER RESOLVED: That efforts be made through the Re- 

 search Committee for the inclusion, as part of the curriculum in all 

 scientific courses of such institutions, of an approved thesis as a re- 

 quirement for graduation : such thesis to embod.v the results of in- 

 vestigation carried on during the fourth undergraduate year of study 

 under proper faculty direction, and be it 



FURTHER RESOLVED: That in the fulfillment of such retpiire- 

 ment. emphasis be laid upon the training of the student. The investi- 

 gation should be designed to ground the student in the fundamentals 

 of scientific inquiry, irrespective of the application of the study to 

 industrial or other inun(>diate practical uses. 



Before proceeding further, we wi^h to enqdiasize the fact that we realize 

 how essential is the cordial cooperjitinn of the heads and faculties of the 

 educational institutions of Indiana. Witluuit that we cannot hope for 

 pro,gress. 



The spirit of the resolution was favorably received by the schools at our 



