The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-12-31
TO INCREASE IT'S USEFULNESS.
Some Needed Legislation for the State
UnIyersIty-A Letter from Acting-Presi.
dent Reynolds.

III lNChEaSE lis OSbrO hNEoo'
Some Needed Liquidation for the State
UnIyersIty-A Letter from Acting-Presi.
dent Reynolds.
| To The Editor OF he IntElgeHceL
SIR:..Our State University has reached
a point in its development at which 1t
must have the benefit Of some adj.
tional and special legislation, if it is to
make the further progress that it
make, and that i. must make in order
to realize fully tue facilities it has and
to do the work for the state that it
ought to do, and can do, and justify
fully the outlay already made for it,
and that which must still be made to
maintain it. With the plant that the
university now has, the resources pro-
yided for it BY tho national government,
and the plan OF work laid out for It, q
little timely and judicious legislation
will enable it to enter upon new era IN
its life and to go forward at a rate and
to degree that will increase its intiu.
ence and efficiency tenfold in few
! years. The legislature eau, at the com.
ing session, easiiy put the university
upon footing that will insure its rapid
progress and indefinite growth. and
make it an institution oil which any
state might be proud.
In the frat place, the school law
should be so amended as TO make the
university an organic part OF tue state
school system-not q separate aud dis-
tinct institution, but a part OF the pub
lie school organization the highest
branch or department Of it, with which
all other branches and departments
should be organically connected, and
for which they should prepare, aud to
which they should lend, and under
which and with reference TO which they
should he organized, graded and con-
du .od. do not mean that the lower
departments are to exist for the univer-
sity, but that the organization oil the
school work OF the state, should be such
that the university shall grow natur-
ally and successfully upon, or out OF.
the lower departments. The whole
school work, finishing with the univer-
stv, should be- kept in view when pro-
viding for or conducting any depart
mont Of it. The true State University
function is to complete the work OF tue
whole state school system. II this
function is to be performed in our
state, the law must be so amended and
extended as to secure unity in the or
ganzation OF the system.
Iu the second place, the university,
no matter how well organized aud
equipped in itseh, cannot do its proper
work without better facilities through
| out the state for preparing students to
take university courses. Without such
facilities it is impossible to fill up the
university classes as they ought to be.
| Thousands who ought to attend the
university, and who could and would
attend it il such facilities existed. will
never do 80. II ia impossible for the
university to get into its preparatory
department all who ought to be pre-
pared ior university courses. aud who
might be prepared IL the above named
facilitie. existed. Besides, 1t is bad pol
icy to require the university to DO work
that can be done 80 much more eco
nomically and extensively aud ado.
auately elsewhere. Tho law should
provide that the work in all the schools
below the university shall be, in Ger.
tain sense and to certain extent, pre-
nnratorv for its classes. This would
give the schools a better course than
thew now have, and would mako every
grade a step towards the university.
| No. only would this unity the work OF
tho schools and insure the necessary
preparation for the university, but it
would dignity the schools and their
work. encourage both teachers md pu-
pills and give an impetus aud direction
TO our state education that would result
in great growth and progress. When
such a course is provided for in the
lower schools, the university eau adjust
| its courses accordingly, and tue true
state university idea, namely, the state
uniyerAity proper is the whole state
school system can DO realized.
In order TO secure the foregoing onds,
and others nearly or quite as impor-
tnnt. which cannot be discussed here, it
seems to me that some such action on
tho part OF the Legislature as tho follow
ing would be wise:
/. To provide for and require the
graded course for the primary schools
recommended by the state superinten'
dent. L
2. To require ana enable towns tnaI
have high schools to give course pre-
| paratory to tue courses in tho unlver.
sitv-sOme towns to maintain a school
with a course equal to both the junior
md senior sections of the preparatory
department oil the university, and other
towns, course equal to the junior Sec
ton OF this department
3. To make the normal schools
branches oil tho preparatory depart
ment OF the unversitv-giving, n addi-
ton to their technical or normal course
proper, a course identical with the
course Of the preparatory department OF
the university, making their principals
members Of tho university faculty, and
publishing tnolr catalogues with the
university catalogues.
4. To put tho high school system. the
normal schools aud tho university under
ono management, by q state board Of
education, II general board OF regents, or
in some other way that will secure