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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 919 



outline the functions of the university as a 

 whole. 



Tour suggestion (1) seems to me a good 

 one, in that it would restrict the powers of the 

 board of trustees to those affairs of the uni- 

 versity which are non-educational and at the 

 same time dignify leadership in that very im- 

 portant department of university administra- 

 tion. I am not sure that I should like to see 

 a university faculty, as a whole, take part in 

 the election of the president, but it seems to 

 me that the faculty should have influential 

 representation by a committee composed of 

 its most influential men, possibly elected by 

 the faculty as a whole, on the appointing 

 body. The division of the interior adminis- 

 tration of a university into parts seems to me 

 essential to economy, and I think that the as- 

 sociation of a committee or member of the 

 board of trustees with each of the partial 

 faculties would tend to a better understanding 

 between those interested in the educational 

 and the other work of administration. The 

 question of appointments and promotions 

 seems to be a difficult one. Tour plan seems 

 to me well suited to insure good new appoint- 

 ments but I am not so sure about appoint- 

 ments which are also promotions. In either 

 case it seems to me that the department con- 

 cerned should be well represented by an 

 elected committee, and the final appointive 

 power should be vested in a number of men 

 rather than a single one. I do not believe 

 that any two men holding the same kind of 

 position do the same amount of work, and 

 think that the salary should be adjusted ac- 

 cordingly, possibly between limits specified 

 for the particular office in question. Many 

 good men are lost and others lose ambition 

 when a salary schedule is rigid. I like the 

 idea of a university senate working in co- 

 ordination with the trustees, and the ideas 

 expressed in your section (5) for bringing 

 the trustees and faculty into closer touch with 

 each other. 



The plan you propose seems to me to be ex- 

 cellent for an institution that is given over 



largely to teaching. In smaller colleges the 

 various members of the faculty see each other 

 frequently and each keeps in touch with the 

 work of the institution. Tour plan, as I 

 understand it, contemplates similar intimacy 

 among groups in the larger organization. 

 While I believe that your plan would work 

 well and be a great improvement in an insti- 

 tution given over to teaching and in which 

 the proper care of the students and of their 

 problems was of first importance, it seems to 

 me that a university that attempts to make 

 research its highest aim, would have diffi- 

 culty in carrying out your plan. At present, 

 with the autocratic form of government which 

 we have here, the research men complain bit- 

 terly of the amount of time required for com- 

 mittee work, faculty meetings, etc. Tour 

 plan would increase the demands on them in 

 this respect. Since my main interest is in the 

 teaching side and in research in education, I 

 would like to see your plan tried, but I feel 

 certain that the men interested in research in 

 science will object to it for the reason stated. 

 (1) This paragraph seems to me good, 

 though the plan referred to in the footnote o£ 

 deriving income from fees from members of 

 the corporation is bad. Either the income so 

 derived would be small or else the financial 

 burden on the trustees would be such as to 

 encourage the selection of trustees on the 

 basis of their financial rating. (2) The presi- 

 dent should be elected by the faculty, but the 

 office of president, like that of professor, 

 should be a permanent one for the sake of 

 continuity and stability of administrative 

 policy and the precise localization of re- 

 sponsibility. The salary should be adequate 

 to get the best available administrator re- 

 gardless of salaries paid to other officers. 

 Much more important than the president's 

 salary is the control of the university budget, 

 which should be taken out of the president's 

 control and lodged with the faculties or sen- 

 ate. (3) Good. (4) This I approve, save that 

 I think it unnecessary that the professors' sal- 

 aries should be uniform. Footnote 8 seems to 

 me especially sound and important. (5) This 

 commends itself to me as good. In general, I 



