Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-10-12
METHODS OF UNIVERSITY ADMIN
ISTR ALTON.

It is great achievement in this
age Of hurry and hustle and feeling
OF established conditions to deal with
the general question of college ad-
nlinistration in a way to challenge
national attention. The United States
has institutions of higher education
centuries old. and it might naturally
be assumed that a problem so funda-
mental as this had been permanently
disposed of long ago.
President Benton of the University
Of Vermont has succeeded in demon
stratinE that there IS still ample room
for Improvement in methods Of uni
versity administration. and he has
aroused so representative a champion
of conservatism as tho New York Post;
The Post starts out with the follow
ing paragraph:
With the opening Of the academic
year the question of the university
presidency and the university profess
sorship, what they are and what thev
ought 20 he. again comes 30 the fore.
In accordance with a growing custom
among us. the installation of new
president for the University of Yer
mont has been made the occasion of
a gathering Of educational magnates
from far and wide, and has been in
vested with as much impressiveness
as possible. The new head of tho in
stitution comes out of the West, and
there is in the utteranccs with which
he inaugurates his career in the staid
little old state OF Vermont a certain
naivete and also n certain exuberance
10 which in this longitude we are not
altogether accustomed.
After dealing with President Ben
tons alleged exuberance over col
lege sports and the college yell. as a
result OF which. by the way. the New
York Sun believes "Dr. Benton is go
ing to be popular with the students"
he Post continues
We 1nd in the newspaper report Of the
address only one passage that bears
pointedlv on the question Of the profess
sor's place in the universe-that question
which has, in recent years, been so con-
etantly on the minds OF American un!Vor-
sty presidents personally says Pres
idcnt Benton. II should rather have an
institution with Ave oig men in It as lead
ers IN instruction thsn to have an inSti-
tuition with MY little men on It's stan'
The sentiment chat seems 20 he conveyed
in this dtteranCe sc most heartily APP
prove: II looks away from the mechanical
notions OF university Organization that
have la telY been - much 70 the fore ana
that have become crystalli7cd even In
.hc hsbitual forms of speech OF many
university presidents. We constantly
hear OF measures being taken 20 Insure
tho efficiency OF the Teaching forco. IN
language precisely modelled upon that
which the foreman Of nlschine shoT
might use in regard to ;he workmen un
der his ordera. 1t would be 4 pleasure r.
note, even In the Of a minor !nstitu
ton like tho University Of Vermont, ar
utterance from its administrative head
that indicates Intelligent protest against
such an attitude
But in spite OF DR. Bcntons npnTecla
ton Of big men for professorships, va
are constrained 20 deny ourselves this
pleasure. Indeed. the particular motiv,
for giving TO his address such eXtende|
notice lies IN tho Instructive nature o
TIE incongi7ity bctWton this desire t.
have big men In ;l'c 9rofossorships anc
tie methods Ot university "organizati ion
ard management" wh!ch are laid down
IN the now president program. a.
Civcn 3, his address ~ tho faculty 81 tn
or.n.ug OF tho academic year fort
night ago. From mis- We see tina, tn
ro~ president has Instituted a "coInmltte
on nft,c:-t q" which IL to ascertain jus
io~ mucn ~Hrh each member Of the edu
cntt,us, F;'N IS cor& IN tho matter o
iatt,-i~'icn, V bat he IL PRODUCING in cor
n~s ion w;th the literature 81 his chose
l.rc of specialization and--in ahort-t
dot,rInno hi" N'lua 90 tho institution a
coIipssoj with thst Of his colleagues.