Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-14
President of the University Ex-
plains the Slight Decrease
In Attendance
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS HIGH
Among Other Reasons Assigned For
Slight Decrease Is the Increasingly
Strong Competition for Students
Report of Dean Of Women Is Most
Encouraging.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Iowa City, June 14.---Dr. George e.
MacLean, president of the State Uni
versity of Iowa; In his annual report
to the board OF regents, in session here.
said:
"rhe total attendance for the year
Is 1898, q decrease of forty-nine stu
dents as compared with the proceed
ing year The dean Of the college of
liberal arts and the university exam
iner, Independently of each other, gave
me the following reasons for the slight
decrease:
The causes which suggest them
selves to me are, first gradual In
crease in the entrance requirements;
second, the competition for students,
which grows stronger every year. and
which Il am sorry to say). is not al
ways scrupulons as to means; third,
Z failure ON the part of the college to
Impress the state with its worth.
been brought to our attention is due
20 the fact that during the past three
years the requirements in four of the
colleges have been raised. from one
to two years for admission. The pre-
ceedtng three years upon the lower
standards OF admission and Of gradua-
ton showed the largest attendance at
the university. In view of the higher
Requirements in every way, a tenn
porary stationary attendance is to be
expected. AS the records of the de-
partments show we now have bet
ter prepared class OF students and we
can look in the future for healthy
growth. We are now at the turning Of
the tide.
sThe dean of women reports that the
attendance Of women at the university
has increased one hundred within the
last three years and this showing is
more than pleasing, iflasmuch as the
university has hardly had its share of
the women students. The college OF,
medicine despite its losses by fire an,
by the death of members of the facul-
~, has held its own, with exactly the
6anle attendance. The college of Home
Opathic medicine, has changed from
u gradually decreasing attendance dur
Ing the past three years to slightly
increasing attendance. The decrease
OF nine in the college OF liberal arts,
and OF five in the college of pharmacy.
are too slight to merit attention. The
loss of twenty in the college of law and
of forty-four In the college of dentistry
Us accounted for by the lengthening
of the time, increase of the entrance
requirements and the increase of the
cost OF the tuition. Other colleges of
"a similar character, doing the same
grade of work. show a similar condi-
tion for the past year"
DR.. MacLean Endorsed the report Of
Dean Currier who asked that the board
of regents should do what it could
toward the providing of better rooms
and better board for the young women
lin attendance The president recon-
mended that the board devote to this
purpose some of the private property
which they intend to buy In the i'm
mediate future or some that Is already
under their control. DR.. MacLean said,
In referring to the question, why
should the support fund be doubled as
III has In the past ten years while the
attendance has remained with an in
crease OF one third. as follows:
A real modern university, in ac-
cordance with the plans of the pioneers
is coming to fr1Iition, and an emerging
university is at the most costly as wen
as the most important stage Of its de-
velopment"
Answering more specifically what
the university has to show for the
money given it by the last two general
assemblies, enabling it to take higher
rank among the competing UNIVERSE
ties. the following facts are brought
out: Attendance in 1884. 1927, and
In 1904, 1442. The six colleges of ten
years ago have increased to seven:
there are eight other modern organiza-
tions typical; Of university life, two hos
pitfalls, two nurses training schools,
school OF social and political science,
university extension department. a IL
brary school and a school of applied
science.
Great fire losses added to deficits In
different departments due to the small
appropriations OF earlier legislatures,
and the opening Of the college of lib
eral arts building, increa sing the fxei
charges. have not allowed the finances
of the university to catch up.
A new and modern system of book
keeping has been Introduced, and the
work in the secretary's office, a thor
ough checking proves, is in excellent
shape. Ills books and accounts are
correct. / would further advise that
your committee should, at the earliest
possible moment. visit the different en-
cheering buildings in order that the
plans for the best of its kind may be
speedily prepared. 1t also seems nee
essary that consulting engineer
should be secured to assist in the To-
cation and the building of the new pow
er dam. The $4,000 which has been
appropriated for the purchase of new
land about the university should be
used as soon as possible, remembering
that technical triangle will be estab-
lished.
I'm our athletics we have been fortu-
nate In securing as director John G.
Chalmers. who has caused them 70 re-
gain the former high plane, both in
records made and in manliness.
University extension has moved fer
ward under the guidance of Drs. L. II.
Macbride and w. G. Wilcox.
THE general good order and high
scholarship of the student body deserve
mention; they have worked well and
are enthusiastic. The natural history
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