Mabcu 25, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



44:^ 



14. " Satisfactory in all respects. Depends en- 

 tirely on his individual ability." " As to general 

 policies, all assistant professors have a vote, as 

 well as professors and deans, in the council." 



15. " Left to heads of departments." " Inci- 

 dental [share] only." " Should be given full vote 

 on questions pertaining to institution policy." 

 " The assistant professors are members of the 

 general faculties in which they teach." 



10. " Should have a vote in all matters sub- 

 mitted to members of the institution." " I am in 

 the council which determines the policy. Am 

 elected by confreres below rank of clinical pro- 

 fessor. Other assistant professors are members of 

 the ' faculty,' which is without power of initia- 

 tive." { Less than three replies. ) 



IT. '' My share is as large as that of the aver- 

 age full professor." " In my case I can see no 

 difference between assistant and full professors in 

 this respect." " We enjoy all the privileges of 

 full professors, but receive smaller salaries. It 

 seems to me that is about the only distinction 

 here." 



18. " Depends upon personality and attainments 

 of the assistant professor." " They have a great 

 deal of influence here with us, and vote in faculty 

 and committee meetings just as full professors 

 do." " Perfectly satisfactory." 



19. " An appropriate share." " Have votes on 

 all questions in faculty meetings and serve on 

 many important committees." 



20. " No influence." " CTcneral policies are de- 

 termined entirely by the full professors." 



The foregoing replies show considerable 

 range of institutional policy. Taken with 

 their contexts (necessarily omitted here) 

 they also disclose a prevailing conception 

 of a faculty, as a body scarcely so impor- 

 tant and influential in its functions as the 

 ideal quoted from President Eliot at the 

 beginning of this section. In this light, 

 such apparently discrepant answers as, for 

 instance, those grouped under institution 

 5, fall into harmony, and so interpreted 

 would mean that the faculty, as a whole, 

 bears but small part in shaping policies, 

 but in that part the assistant professors 

 have nearly the influence of the full pro- 

 fessors. 



Our next query is directed at one of the 



most sensitive points in the present-day 

 universitj'' organizations — the status of the 

 assistant professor in sharing in the de- 

 termination of departmental policy, cur- 

 riculum and assignment of courses. The 

 replies are grouped by institutions, al- 

 though, under the prevailing system of 

 departmental organization with permanent 

 heads possessing ill-defined powers, it is 

 natural to expect greater variations within 

 the individual institutions, according to 

 the interpretation of their duties by the 

 various department heads. 

 Query 18&, replies: 



1. ''The head has absolute power." "According 

 to the disposition of the head of the department." 

 ■' Departments vary in this universitj. In some it 

 is done by conference and general meetings. In 

 some ( e. g.) we are called upon occasion- 

 ally for suggestions in writing, all decisions rest- 

 ing with the head of the department. We have 

 had about three department meetings in fifteen 

 years. We get in writing our assignment of 

 courses and hours from the head of the depart- 

 ment." " Departmental policy ( depart- 

 ment) very democratic. Majority of questions 

 determined by vote of entire department. Indi- 

 vidual wishes consulted wherever feasible." 



2. " Is consulted about only his own courses." 

 (Less than three replies.) 



3. " Fairly satisfactory." 



4. " Satisfactory in my department." " Very 

 pleasant relations with the head of department." 

 (Less than three replies.) 



5. "Considerable, but (in general) insuflicient 

 share." " They have little to do with it. The 

 system of departmental headship is to blame for 

 this. This is the most detrimental arrangement 

 within our universities at present." " Unsatisfac- 

 tory. Too much power is centered in the head of 

 the department. The assistant professor given 

 little chance to influence departmental policy." . 

 ■' Have been practically full professor except in 

 salary." 



6. " No difi'erence [between assistant and full 



professors] in these matters at ." " Should 



have an advisory capacity, but determination of 

 course of conduct should be in hands of heads of 

 departments." (Less than three replies.) 



7. " Not much share." " He is usually eon- 



