St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-22
MINNESOTA'S UNIVERSITY.
It's Affairs Discussed Before the State
Board of Regents.
President Northrop's Views on. Some
Departments of the College.

The state board of regents were at the
capitol yesterday morning at 1890 a. H.,
the full board being present. President
NorthrOp made report which showed an
increase in students. an enlarged force of
teachers. an addition to the library and
apparatus, the erection of a commodius
building for the college of mechanical arts
and the physical laboratory, the reorganiza-
ton of the college of agriculture, and the
organization and successful working of
past graduate department. The high
schools are increasing in their support of
the university, and soon the preparatory
department will be abandoned. The num-
Der of graduates in 'S5 we re 10. in '86. %.
The total number of graduates since '73 is
243. The number of students admitted in
1915, 70; registered, rs. Admitted in
1856. 143; registered, so. High school
certificates presented in 1915, 161; in 1876,
$50. President Northrop reported the gen.
eral plan of the new science hall, the speci-
fications of which will be presented at the
next meeting. The body then adjourned
till Thursday, Sept. 80, at 10 a. m.
The report of President Northrop, which
was lengthy one, says that since the last
biennial report no change has been made in
the membership of the board at the uni
versity, in the faculty, however. number
of changes have occurred. Since the last
report forty-one degrees have been con-
ferred.
Seventy-two women have graduated with
honor dnring the past two years. There
was slight increase in the attendance in
'S4-'S5 over the year 1884, and in the
year of 'S5 and '86 the attendance had in
creased nearly hundred. In the
year 1886 there were 143 ap-
plcants admitted and so rejected. An
observatory is needed, and it is recon-
mended that it be built as soon as possible;
a library building is also badly needed. The
president said in his report that he was
sure the sta63 Of Minnesota would not be
behind Wisconsin. Iowa, Kansas and Ne
braska in providing the necessary build
ings for the accommodation of it's state
university. 1t was recommended that there
be
PROFESSOR OF VETERINARY
science and a professor of botany pro-
vided for at an early day. The college of
agriculture, as now organized, offers all OPP
pOrtunity to the sons of farmers, with good
common school education. to begin at once
the work of securing not only scientific
knowledge of agriculture, but a general ed
ucation which will be of the greatest serv-
ice in fitting them for the duties of citizen
ship. The agricultural course, as now
prescribed, happily combines the two pro-
cesses- discipline and the acquisition of
technical knowledge. If the college shall
receive the generous support of the people
it will amply meet the wants of the people
for agricultural education. In regard to
the college of medicine, he said:
| ain not satisfied with the present condi-
Of Of I
fault to find with the faculty. They are gen.
tlemen of learning in their profession, and
well fitted, have no doubt, to give instruc-
lions in their several branches of learning.
But they do not give instruction, and under
the present plan of organization they cannot.
Year by year we announce for the edif1eaton
of all students who may be thinking of enter
ing our college of medicine, mo instruction is
offered in this college. The faculty is an ex-
aiming body solely l am clearly of the
opinion that the college of medicine should
either be made more, or be made less. 1t is
to be hoped that some plan may be devised
by which the university may be able to give
instructions in medical science and do some
thing, as [ think it ought, to elevate that
science in the state. Whatever plan may be
devised, l should hope it would be one that
would unite in it's support the medi-
ical profession in the state and
would secure the hearty cooperation of
the professors in the various medical colleges
of the state, who are already engaged in Civ
ing instructions in the science of medicine.
In connection with this subject, 1 desire to
put on record my very decided opinion that
when such college is established, fees should
be charged to the students. fees large enough
to pay the salaries of the professors, and thus
the state would be relieved in large degree
of the expense for what, though serviceable
to the state is yet in the main a matter of
personal advantage TO the students and pros
ment in the character of the high schools of
the state, the manifest desire of school boards
and principals to improve the standing of
their schools and to make them frst-class,
and the fact that a respectable number of
students now enter the university as fresh
men, all give the assurance that the necessity
for maintaining in the university a sub-fresh-
man or preparatory class is passing away.