Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-06
UNIVERSITY CONSTITUTION.
Plan Devised by President James o.
Illinois.

Plan Devised by President James of
Illinois.
DR.. Edmund J. James, president Of the
University Of Illinois, has devised and
put into operation a unique plan for work
ing out an ideal constitution for the mod
ern university. European universities rest
as a rule upon ancient charters carefully
drawn up and promulgated by king OF
pope, under which elaborate codes OF uni
versity statutes have been developed BY
the members of the faculty or by the
alumni Of the university, or by a system
Of cooperation between these bodies such
statutes having been often repealed or
modified by executive order or govern
mental statute.
In this country, while such institutions
have usually been chartered by the state,
the charter has contained simply a gem
erRi grant Of power and under this a
scheme has been worked out usually by
board Of trustees under which power
has been distributed, often in a very
formal way, among the trustees. faculties,
students, alumni, etc, without in any case
having resulted In as careful university
codes as are found in the older countries.
The wonderfully rapid growth OF the
modern university has burst the bonds
of these ancient charters. the outcome re-
sembling in its results the pouring OF new
wine into old bottles. The result has
been that the university machinery, grown
somewhat rusty, never perhaps equal to
its new task, has ereaked and groaned at
times in a very marked way. Much dis
/ satisfaction has shown itself among
academic men. among trustees, on the
part Of the public and on the part OF the
legislatures. with the outcome OF the uni
versity organization. Many articles and
some books have been written on the sub
ject in the last few years. without really
! having advanced very much the. general
| cause.
President James has asked the senate
OF the University OF Illinois, q body com
posed Of all the professors Of the uni
versity, to appoint committee to draft q
university constitution, setting forth ia
detail the constitution OF the university
and marking off the legitimate authority
which should be given to such an institu
ton by the legislature, defining the rela,
lions between the legislature and the stat,
administration on the one hand and the
university on the other, and dividinl
up and marking off the functions Of trus
tees. faculties. students and alumni
Among the questions which would hav,
to be considered by such a committee an,
find a formulation in the constitution O
bylaws Of the institution would be tn,
powers OF the trustees of the university
the function and power Of the presiden
OF the university. the duties Of the deans
the general division of the university IT
! self into faculties the authority OF tn
individual faculties over against eacl
other, and toward the entire university or
ganization. The authority Of the profes
/ sor in his own department his tenure o
office, his independence Of investigation
and teaching. freedom OF speech, pensio
system. salary schedule. etc, method o
determining the budget powers OF discip
/ line OF faculties over their own member
{ and over their students. are all subject
; which would can for consideration in sue
university constitutional convention.
1t is proposed to submit this constitu
ton, after it Is drafted by the committe,
10 a fun discussion first in the senat,
and then in the entire university facuit,
and finally, after working It out in deta
20 submit IL 10 the board Of trustees, an
after their modification 20 put Il up
= the legislature for enactment into positiy
4 law.
The experiment is unique and il wi
be followed with much interest.