Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-27
personal contact possible only In such
institution as ours.
IMMORTALITY OF LAZINESS.

There is among certain college
professors an immortality of lazi-
ness. 1t is conceivable that a certain
man in college faculty teaching five
hours "A week may be immensely more
valuable to the institution than he who
teaches 10 or % hours a week. The man
who Is rendering a service outside the
classroom that accentuates the value Of
what he does in the classroom
Is a better teacher by far than the
one who is teaching more hours week
without doing anything to stimulate his
own Individual growth. In some Ameri-
can colleges there are men teaching o or 10 |
hours week who do nothing by way Of
research or extended outside reading |
When their lectures are ended, their work |
is done These men. hiding behind the
few who do research wrok OF real value |
are positive menace to the academic !
life Of our country. There are some per-
sons who are fitted primarily for the work
of teaching. II does not follow, because |
- man does not write books or appear on
the lecture platform that he is
"a poor teacher. It does fol-
low. however. If he uses those
who are doing this outside work to excuse
himself from teaching an adequate num-
her of hours Of compromising value. he Is
taking that which does not belong to him.
There are some men who owe 1t to the
institution to teach 20 hours a week. and
II they grow by reading and study. they
may be even more valuable to their STU
dents than some who are engaged in re-
search work or in the service Of society
and the State.
/ \ positively vicious method Of regulat
| ing the number Of hours taught by pro-
fessors has grown UP in the American
| colleges Boards of trustees and college
presidents have tendency to fix the
maximum number of hours for professors
and Instructors without regard to differ
ences in work within and without the
classroom.
Last June this board of trustees ap-
pointed joint committee on
efficiency consistin Of the presi-
dent of the university and members
OF the faculties and the board Of trus-
tees. This committee has accomplished
something. but believe a more intensive
study Of the service rendered by each IN
| dividual member of the educational staff
will enable the committee to make recon-
mendations for a distribution of work
that will result in wiser economy and a
larger efficiency than now obtains. |
therefore recommend a continuation OF
this committee on efficiency for the en-
suing year.
NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSITY.
AS intmated at the outset of this re-
port, / have felt that my chiefest duty
} this year was to study the needs Of the
university. There have, therefore. been
very few changes made in our organiza-
ton With your permission. have recog-
nized as the basis Of our university sys-
TEN the following four colleges. namely.
the College of Arts and Sciences. the Col
} lege Of Medicine, the College of
Agriculture, and the College of En-
gineering and Mechanic Arts. To my re-
gret. this has worked to the unhappiness
of some. Hitherto these colleges have
been known as departments and the
department. of chemistry has hereto
fore been of equal rank with the depart
ments called by the names of the col
leges Just mentioned There was no prec-
edent for creating a College Of Chemistry
and as my conviction was strong tina,
; chemistry should be department. rather
2 than n college. with the approval Of the
3 committee on efficiency and the executive
l committee, chemistry was made depart
e ment of the College of Arts and Sciences
t This action has occasioned deep sorrow tc
:, Or. Nathon Frederick Merrill, for sc
n many years the distinguished and vel
e beloved head of the department of chem
d istry
: AS the year has grown old and | have
e been privileged to know DR.. Merrill more
:. intimately, | have come to share witt
$ him the bitterness of the disappontmen
g he has felt in having his department
y merged with college that he had pre-
" viousiy recognized as a Coordinate de
" partment My convictions have no
g changed. however. I still believe tina
o chemistry has to do with a single suhjec
: and is properly a department rather thai
g college, Indeed. l have a feeling tina
t the work of chemistry should be broker
n up somewhat more than it Is. Instead o
y having four or five men teaching chemis
d try In the College OF Arts and Sciences,
II believe that two would be sufficient to d
y the work of pure chemistry in that col
y lege. and that one of those now teachin
/ the work Of agricultural chemistry an
y chemistry In connection with the Colleg
IS of Medicine and Engineering. l do no
l. make this recommended ton at this time
however I feel that so long as Or. Mer
ril remains as the head of this depart
ment we should have regard for tn
lie great service he has rendered. and, asid
d from the merger already effected. his de
= partment should remain under his d.rec
, ton exactly as II Is to-day. The fin
/, spirit he has shown, the fraternal co-Or
- Grafton he has given me, and the respeC
- he enjoys at the hands of trustees, alumr
-, and students should guarantee to him tn
=, largest consideration consistent with tn
/, general plan of REORGANIZATION. II ID
:. Merrill Will give his consent. recommen
that he be restored to the title of Dean c
. the Department of Chemistry. with tn
!, understanding that chemistry shall be r,
lated for faculty and administrative pu,
poses to the College Of Arts and Sciences
In any event. whether Professor Merri
is given the title of Dean or not. urg
IF that he be granted the same public recol
10 ton that Is accorded to those who hol
~, office of dean in their respective college
. None know him but to love him. and
-, Is my earnest personal and official hor
T.. that he shall remain young In the servi,
-, of the University of Vermont for man
years to come.
IA There IS much further reorganizatio
- that should he accomplished but II Is II,
me conviction that We should do nothir