Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-13
EDUCATORS
HEADS OF STATE INSTITUTIONS
Z OF LEARNING MEET WITH
SENATE COMMITTEE
FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSS
ING DUPLICATION COURSES +
OF STUDY

OF STUDY
Responding to an invitation issued a
week or two ago by the senate COM
,mittee ON education the heads of the:
several. educational institutions of the
state met with that committee yesterday.
And the whole of the day was occupied
with the conference except for the hour
during the Lincoln memorial services.
The educators present were President
Merrifield of the university, Worst of
the agricultural college, MacFarland
of the normal school at Valley City,
Carhart Of the normal school at May
vile, Kern of the manual training school
at Glendale, Burch of the school of sci
ence at Wahpeton, Kemp of the school
of forestry at Bottineau s
The conference was for the purpose
of consultation on the question of
courses of study and to consider the
elimination of any duplication of work
if it existed and to clearly define the
work of the different institutions. Each
institution head addressed the commit
tee and the members Of the latter were
exceedingly free in the asking of ques-
tions designed to enlighten the members
or the committee along this and that
line. The sessions proved highly in
structive, and it seemed to the ordi-
nary observer that what duplication does
exist is what may be termed justifable
and the work is done to meet peculiar
demands. ..T.
One thing which was, plainly demon
strated to the committee was the fact
that three out of the seven institutions
Of the state exist without any set or
definite purpose and they are the SCI
ence school at Wahpeton, the manual
training school at Glendale and the
school of forestry. They are what were
termed wanderers in the states educa-
tional system and pleas were made by
the heads of those schools that the COM
1nittee would accomplish much good if
legislation could be secured to secure
for those schools some definite work so
that graduation from them might mean
something to the young men and wo-
men availing themselves of the advan-
tages offered.
Each Of the presidents gave full
explanations of the work which was be-
ing done in their respective institutions.
The mention of the teachers training
college, designed to train teachers for
high school work and the commercial
department at the university by Pres1-
dent Merrifield, precipitated consider
able questioning as to whether they
were not Entertainments upon the work
of the normal school, 1t did not take
Mr.. Mortified long to dispense any
such ideas which may have existed. He
contended that the university all along
had been catering to the public wants
and subscribing the public needs. He
fortified his position with the citing of
what was done at other universities.
He explained the necessity for the in
lection OF some kind of a commercial
course, the several environments of the
state demanded it. He was hoping now
that the state would develop so rapidly
that the university would be able to
confne itself to strictly college work.
He thought the state should not delay
in giving the university a model high
school building to be used for practice
work in the training of high school
teachers
Mr. Cashel asked if the commercial
work, preparatory work and teachers
college work could be eliminated NOW.
Mr.. Mortified contended that teachers
being trained for high school work
ought to know something of the grades.
Once the teachers training school is
established the normal department could
be GU. off.
u Mr.. Merrifeh contended that the diff
ferent lines Of work being done at Grand
Forks were just as much a part of the
required course under the section Of the /
law which defined their work, Sec 1859,
as are the liberal arts.
President Worst was the next to adj
dress the committee. He did not be-
lievetfe agricultural college was we'll
understood BY the educators Of the