The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-25
BOARDS AND FACULTIES.

UNIVERSITY BOARDS AND FACULTIES.
There has been much feeling and bad blood
shown at Lafayette and Chauncey because
the trustees Of Purdue University thought it
wise to dispense with the services of one of
the faculty. Wherever this action is thought
necessary, the judicious thing to do is to give
the professor notice at least year in advance.
1t is no light thing to turn man out of a col
lege just at the close of school year. If he
has taught half score of years the probable
ity is he will pull through another year with
out detriment to the school he is with If he
does not get place and resign at first notice,
he has the opportunity of hunting place for
a year, and can draw off in good order. Ger
tainly no college teacher will care to stay
longer than year where it is known his
services are not desired by the board. Upon
the other hand, the boards of trustees of col
leges are supposed to know what is best for
continue men in place when it simply makes
the college an intellectual poor-house, OF
when, for any good reason, change is inn
perative.
Our Indiana colleges are making rapid and
substantial progress. Hanover, Wabash, De
Paw and Franklin are past their first half
century, and their affairs rest mainly with
their alumni, who constitute good part of
the college boards. They will take care of
themselves and judicial action with their
boards is modified by affection and true love.
The same is true of Butler, Earlham and the
State University; the boards are, in part, com
posed of graduates of the college.
All Of these schools are established They
have passed through the pioneer stage, and are
done with all youthful squabbes. The action
oftheir trustees is final and is accepted in good
faith by faculty, students patrons and alum
nj Purdue has been pulled over some rough
seas in the past, and has had ups and downs.
But it now has one hundred alumni, one of
the best college plants in the State, is turning
out classes of a score annually, and IS work
ing in line laid down by the national Con-
gress, by the Legislature of Indiana, and one
that meets the approval of the people and the
demands of the times The Journal regrets
exceedingly that the special school which was
organized to aid in developing Indiana agri-
culture and manufactures, should become
embroiled in a teapot tempest about the chair
Of English literature. The local papers had
better by far let the matter alone and trust
the Judgment of Purdue's trustees in the mat
ter Of teachers, even if it could be shown that
they had made mistake. The latter. as we'll
as the officers of the college, have certainly
shown good Judgment in not answering back.
They have made no charges against any pro-
fessor, but have simply done what almost
every college board in Indiana does nearly
every year-have made such changes in the
teaching and governing force as they thought
in the interests of the college. There is
nothing to show that the matter has any po-
litical bearing No successful institution can
have two heads. Purdue University has
grown to be more than its entire faculty. 1t
is pledged to its alumni, to the State of Indi-
ana, and to the national government to be
school of science, agriculture and the mechan-
ic arts free to the youth of the Common
wealth. 1t gives good evidence of redeeming
its pledge, has done so in the past, and no
doubt will do so in the future, regardless of
local factions in the city that receives its di-
rectest benefit and should be first and sturdi-
est for its defense and progress.