82 
Another evil that sometimes besets the faculty meeting is that one aggressive 
member, or a few, usurp leadership and control business. If these were always the 
wisest, it would be an advantage ; but they are more likely to be the hasty and 
impulsive, or those who have their own ends in view. 
Heated discussions may occur. Severe remarks may be made which leave a sting. 
They may sometimes produce deep resentment, and even lead to open dissension. 
Some of these difficulties may be avoided, and the chance of the occurrence of 
others may be greatly diminished in several ways. 
It goes without saying that faculty meetings should be subject to parliamentary 
law. A good manual should be adopted as the standard of authority; and, though 
some latitude may be allowed on ordinary occasions, the remedy which it offers for 
parliamentary difficulties ought to be promptly applied whenever it may be neces- 
sary. A great deal of the business that is transacted in some faculty meetings had 
better be transferred to individuals. Much should be left to the professor. Let him 
rule his own department, subject to such general rules as may be necessary to secure 
a proper degree of uniformity in the administration of the several departments. 
Much more should bo delegated, either by the trustees or by the faculty, either 
formally or by tacit consent, to the chief executive of the college. In the larger 
colleges the president should be nearly or entirely free from the duty of instruction, 
so that he can devote his attention to matters of administration. Power commen- 
surate with such a position should be placed in his hands, and he should be held 
responsible for its exercise. 
A great means of relief is a system of standing committees or subfaculties. Each 
of these committees should have jurisdiction over the studies of a certain section 
of students, the members of the committee being selected because they have charge 
of classes to which these students belong. The committee may have regular times 
for meeting, but it will usually be found more convenient to meet at the call of the 
chairman. These smaller bodies can meet oftener than the full faculty can be 
brought together, and thus business will suffer less delay. There being but few 
persons to be informed or to be brought to agreement, less time will be consumed in 
discussion and conclusions will be reached more rapidly. And as those present are 
already familiar with the students and the work under their special charge, their 
conclusions will be more intelligent and more just. 
The general government of the institution, so far as it is not exercised by the 
president, might be committed to a small governing body, consisting of the president 
and a select number nominated by him. The same arguments of promptness and 
efficiency, economy of time, and sound conclusions which have been given to show 
the value of subfaculties apply here. The administration would also be more uni- 
form, as the same persons, or nearly the same, would deal with all like cases. Aline 
of well-defined precedents would be established, rendering the government settled, 
well understood, and easily managed. 
While all these advantages of improved method and result would be obtained, 
there would be at the same time the removal of an unwelcome burden from the 
majority of the faculty, and the prevention of a great and needless loss of time. 
What good reason can be given why twenty or thirty or more men should leave their 
work, perhaps depriving ten times that number of students of instruction to which 
they are entitled, in Order to decide what shall be done with some boy who has copied 
from his neighbor's paper during an examination ? 
Such a plan of organization would leave for the general faculty only those busi- 
ness affairs which are of the first importance. These would hardly include more 
than general legislation for the guidance of the subordinate bodies and the most 
serious cases of discipline. With this class of its duties so much reduced, it would 
have time for more frequent and careful consideration of the second kind that I 
named — those of conference. 
Tnere are many topics on which a free consultation together by members of a 
faculty may be fruitful of excellent results. Though less urgent from a lower point 
