Evening star., 1909-06-21

segregate the work done in engineering
and architecture from the liberal arts
college. The college of engineering and
the division of architecture were estab-
lished. This involved some increase in
the expenses. but II has added fine
body of over 200 students to the univer
sity. thus increasing the income from
students fees. Additional work was pro-
vfded in purely technical courses. and
through the generous gifts of apparatus
by friends a good laboratory in eectri
cal engineering was created and a be-
ginning made in mechanical engineer
ing laboratory. In esta ablishing the col
lege of engineering it was not intended
to make a complete polytechnic school.
but simply 10 put in technical courses
and allow the students to take about
half of their work in the liberal arts
college.
The moving cause for this change was
TO give to the young men of Washington
an opportunity within their means to pre-
pare themselves for skilled service in the
great professions of engineering and
architecture Washington, with few in
dustrial Or commercial openings offers
few opportunities of high grade skilled
employment to the rising generation.
without university training in these lines
young men stand little chance of sue
ceeding in the states. where the great
state universities and privately endowed
institutions are training thousands of
young men In these lines. That the sit
uation demanded the establishment of
these schools is demonstrated by the
large body of students from this city
who are taking the courses
Seventh-in the act Of Congress provid-
ing for the organiZa ton and d salary
scheme for teachers of the public schools
in the District of Columbia 1t was pro-
vided that new appointees to certain posi-
tions in the high schools should have a
college education. including the subjects
OF psychology and pedagogy. These re-
quiremens shut the doors of these posi-
tlons to young people in the Dist rict who
were financially unable to go to colleges
outside the District This prompted us
to put in the division of education. In
this division We have professor of
psychology professor Of education and
two lectures upon school administration.
Gives the Required Course.
1t is not claimed that this is rounded
teachers college: but it does give. by
very competent teachers. the course re
quired by the act of Congress which.
taken in connection with the course, for
the bachelor of arts degree in the col
lege of liberal arts, enables the graduate
and holder of a teachers diploma to
cure the highest positions in the public
school system. These technical courses
are substantially taken care of by the
tuition fees of the students taking the
courses. These fees do not cover the
whole expense of the education of the
student, for the great body of the work
is taken in the college of liberal arts.
We assumed that if the tuitions would
meet the expenses of the technical work
we should add to the number taking the
liberal arts course. meet a pressing de-
mand and serve our city in the advanced
education of teachers for the public
schools.
Eighth-The College of the Political Sci
ences Is the ourgrowth of the old school
of Jurisprudence and diplomacy. Every
scholar in this field recognizes that there
are peculiar advantages for carrying on
this work in the city of Washington, and
that this effect upon students living for
a time In this city and observing the
powers of the federal government in ac-
ton is most beneficial to the country at
large. This college has received special
contributions toward its current expenses.
During the present year 1t received
$4,000 and has between 5000 and $1,000
pledged for next year. We have limited
the scope of the work to two years of
UNDERGRADUATE and two of graduate
study. making the entrance requirement
two years of college work. This brings
all students. for the first two years. into
the liberal arts college. but allows them
free election of the courses in the po-
litical sciences in the third and fourth
Done to Secure Contributions.
The object in making it separate or
ganiZation was to secure contributions
and endowment for the work which
could not be done successfully If 1t was
merged in college of the liberal arts
Experience in other institutions has
shown that faculty of the political sci
ences is more successful when conduct
irDC ha -l< witt hi ito ALL
Ninth-It will be observed that all Of
these small branches that have put out
| from the main college are confined en-
tirely to technical courses. and are in
tended to furnish the minimum amount
of such courses required to meet existing
demands in the District Of Columbia. The
center of it all is the college of liberal
arts. and in each of these special
branches the new students have increa sed
the numbers in the liberal arts college
while their tuition fees have nearly paid
the salaries of the technical teachers, ex-
cept in the college of the political sci
ences. and there the deficiency has been
made up by special contributions
Tenth-1n order to carry out these plans
and do the work on the lines proposed
1t has been necessary to fit up and main
tain new laboratories and to increase the
library facilities. In 1902 we had five or
six thousand volumes Of books in the
whole institution: today we have about
forty thousand volumes.
These advances in standards of ad-
mission and work, together with the
change to a non-sectarian basis admitted
the university to the benefit of the Car
negie Foundation for the Advancement
of Teaching. 1t would have been impos-
s.ble for the old university to have Sc
cured this recognition. Out of the many
hundred institutions in the country only
siXty-two have been placed on its ac-
credited list by the foundation.
No Serious Criticism Heretofore.
Reports have been made to the founda-
ton by the university. and its agents
have examined the law and medical
schools within the present year. No
serious criticisms had been made by the
foundation until its hurried and unex-
pected action June I.
Eleventh-The foregoing constitutes all
the policies of the present administra-
ton which have been criticised or con-
demned by members of the college fac
ulty, and put them forth without argu-
ment, in order that the people of Wash
ington may determine whether these
plans have been educationally sound
and whether or not a university serving
the community in all of its needs is
worthy of their confidence and support
Professors who opposed these educational
advances. finding that there was call
for heroic efforts to maintain the uni
verSitv, went to the trustees and pro-