The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-02-22
SUPT. CARY'S THIRD SHOT.

first two letters OF State Superntend'
ent Cary on the state university and
) herewith publishes the third, and
Pres. Van Hise's reply. Supt. Cary's
letter follows:
"Why does the university cost SC
much money?
4 81. Because it is a big institution
and is doing work that requires large
equipment and the service of many
teachers.
SO. Because a large amount oi
building is in progress-eight build
ings including annexes, are now under
construction.
SO. Because of expensive purchases
of land. One of these purchases was
made by special appropriation of the
last Legislature and comprised some
1876 acres of farm land on the ridge two
miles west OF the university at some.
thing over 81, 800 an acre, including
interest, total of b235,000. $4,000 OF
which is to be paid every year for five
years.
81. Because the administration, in
cluding officers, clerks stenographers
and other employees not engaged in
teaching, costs n large sum, approach.
ing s250,000, while S750,OOO is paid for
teachers salaries.
''5. Because of miscellaneous ex.
penses.
SO. Because of a goodly sum for
travelling expenses, say $4,000 a year
including extension.
"The total income of the university
is now over 81, 200, 900 year.
"Why is it not more efficient?
"The faculty of the university is
large. The hours week devoted to
teaching on the part of the faculty
members range from, say six to four
teen. The average number of hours
taught per day is approximately two,
or ten hours week. Those who teach
the larger number of hours Per week,
excluding student teachers, are usual.
| ly those receiving the lower salaries.
81 have figured out as nearly as |
could from the time table of the Sec
ond semester and the budget the facts
concerning one department in which
there are seventeen teachers. The
total number of recitations per week is
ia. OF these recitations, sixty-fve
are conducted by seven men who receive
over 81, 800 year: fifty-six recitations
are conducted by the four men who re.
ceive salaries from Sl,l00 VI to Il, ,i0C
a year: and ffty-three recitations are
conducted by the six men who receive
5000 year or less. Those who receive
5000 year or less are graduate stu.
dents, that is, students who have ere.
dit for four years of college work and
are carrying on advanced studies.
SIT will be observed that. between a
quarter and third of the teaching in
this department is done by men who
are graduates of colleges and are here
in this university for the purpose OF
carrying on advanced study, incidentally
teaching for the purpose of earning
money to pay their way. The highest
salary paid in this department is $500
and the man who receives it teaches
nine hours week.
SIN another department there are
two men who receive So, 800 each. Last
twenty-nine pupils and the other forty
nine, making total for the two OF
seventy-eight; thus these seventy-eight
students were taught last semester at a
cost of $500, at the rate of about $45
apiece for the semester, or 800 year
each in this one subject. Two other
men who were students in the depart
ment, young and inexperienced, taught
some eighty-seven pupils at a cost OF
about 81 each. 1t will thus be observ-
ed that the cost per studerC, over which
there was a good deal of controversy
last year, is an elusive sort of thing,
but it probably increases rapidly in
amount as students go forward from
freshmen to graduate classes. 1t is
generally conceded, however, that
freshmen need more care and attention
than advanced students.
"a large share of the teaching in the
university is done by men who get
scarcely living salary. Leaving out
the two lowest 5000 EACH and the two
highest ($3,500) in one department,
find that there remain twelve men, and
these men average 81 ,45S. In another
department out of twenty-four teachers
four teachers get over $1,000, fourteen
get $500 or less, while six get salaries
somewhere between $500 and 81, 900
There are some excellent teachers
in the university who receive low sal
aries, but as rule it is probably true
that the low-priced men are not high
| ly satisfactory. The students who are
teaching are not supposed to be devot.
ing full time to instruction; their
studies get half their time, and prob,
ably for most of them, four-ffths OF
their interest and enthusiasm. Teach
ing is likely to be merely an unpleas.
ant interruption in the days work
"The men who are getting the larg-
er salaries are supposed to be deeply
interested in research work, that is, q
a diligent and persistent effort to find