The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-28
NEEDS MORE MONEY
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL CROWDED
WITH STUDENTS.
President Parsons, I'm His biennial
Report, Asks for Money to Complete
Buildings Now Begun.

President W. W.. Parsons. of the State
Normal at Terre Haute, yesterday sub
mitted to the Governor his biennial report
OF the Institution. The amount asked for
Is about $4,000 for the purpose Of complet-
ing the building begun two years ago. when
the plans called for SEQ. 600 and the LIE sisla-
ture appropriated $4,000. The report in
cludes. also. the report of the president
OF the board OF trustees, Murray Briggs,
OF the secretary. L. B. Martin, and of the
treasurer. W.. r. McKeen.
President Briggs. of the board Of trus-
tees says the institution is accomplishing
the purpose for which it was established
preparing teachers for teaching in the COM
mon schools of the Stakeholder than ever
before. THE State Superintendent OF
Schools" he says. sis required by law to
set apart semi-annually sl5.OOO for tuition n
the Normal School. When this act was
an average attendance of 400. During the
past year the total enrolment Of students
was 1.i59 and the number OF instructors
~twenty-four. This increase of teaching
force exhausts the tuition fund and causes
an overdraft. or the use of a portion of
the incidental or library funds. before the
next apportionment is made. Hereafter
further additions TO the faculty will be inn
peratively demanded, and the General As
sembly Is urgently requested TO give an adj
ditional 5000 at each semi-annual appor-
In his report to the board of trustees
President Parsons says: The school has
Inadequate and should be increased at the
earliest possible moment by the addition
of at least six teachers. Many of the classes
struction. To properly divide the classes
not less than six more teachers would be
required. This would be the fact, not
outstanding the professors and assistants
in the Normal School all carry more classes
from day to day than in any other State
Normal School or college OF which have
any knowledge. The various heads OF the
departments are called on to teach so many
classes themselves that they have little
time In which to superintend the work
OF their assistants. Application should be
made to the Legislature for not less than
$4,000 increase in the annual allowance
for tuition purposes" -. o,,.u
better one thar ever before in the history
of the school. The growth in attendance
at the school during the two years has
Oct. 81, 1893, there were enrolled 1,0S4 diff
ferent students, and the average term en-
81, 1894, the total enrolment of different stu
dents was 1.4o9, and the average term en-
rollment was TAI. These figures show a
growth in the average attendance of 80 per
OF different students OF 35 per
cent. over the previous year. But ii is not
so much the increase in numbers, he says,
as the better attachments of those entering
that mark the steady advance OF the insti-
tuition. 1t is noticeable that more persons
Of mature years. of good scholarship and of
experience in teaching are attending the
school than formerly. Within the past two
years there have been in the school twenty
three graduates and undergraduates of col
leges, 169 graduates Of commissioned high
schools. and e3 that held licenses TO teach.
Throughout the history of the school the
number OF students in the spring term has
been much larger than in the fall and win
ter terms. The programme of classes for
the year will hereafter be so made as to
encourage students TO enter in the fall and
remain at least one year. BY this means
the school can probably meet the growing
demands made on it for several years TO
come. The library, consisting Of about H.
600 volumes. has been built up almost en-
tirely by the library fees paid by students.
In the library fund at this time there is
nearly 5000 paid in by students. but which
cannot be expended for books because the
library room is already crowded.