The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-02-16
Cary Writes Another Letter.
Office of State Superintendent

Madison, Wis, Feb. II, 1912.
To Teachers and the General Public.
Why does the university cost so
much money?
l. Because it is a big institution
and is doing work that requires large
equipment and the service of many
teachers
2. Because a large amount of build
ing is in progress-eight buildings, in
struction
3. Because Of expensive purchases
of land. One of these purchases was
made by special appropriation of
the last legislature and comprised
some 156 acres of farm land ON the
ridge two miles west of the university
at something over $500 an acre, in
Guiding interest, a total of $235, 900
SAT, 900 of which is to be paid every
year for five years.
A. Because the administration, in
Guiding officers, clerks, stenographers
and other employees not engaged in
teaching costs large sum-approach-
ing S25O,O00, while $4,000 is paid
for teachers salaries.
5. Because of miscellaneous ex-
penses.
g. Because of a goodly sum for
travelling expenses, say $4,000 year,
including extension.
Why is it not more efficient?
The faculty of the university is
large. The hours a week devoted tC
teaching on the part of the faculty
members range from, say, to IA
The average number of hours taught
per day is approximately 2, or II
hours week Those who teach the
larger number of hours per week, ex
Guiding student teachers, are usually
those receiving the lower salaries.
nave figured out as nearly as | could
from the time table of the second
semester and the budget the facts
concerning one department in which
there are II teachers. Tn total mum
Der of recitations per week is TIA
| Of these >recitations, 65 are conducted
| by the seven men who receive over
$500 a year; Sc recitations are con
Quoted by the four men who receive
salaries from $1,100 up to $1,400 &
| year, and SO recitatiOnS are conducted
| by the six men who receive $500 6
| year Or less. Those who receive $500
year or less are graduate students
| that is, students who have credit fol
| four years of college work and are
carrying on advanced studies.
| 1t will be observed that between {
| quarter and third of the teaching
| in this department is done by mer
who are graduates of colleges and are
here in this university for the pur
pose of carrying on advanced study
| incidentally teaching for the purpose
Of earning money to pay their way
| The highest salary paid in this de
| partment is $1,000, and the man who
receives it teaches nine hours week
In another department there are two
men who receive $4,000 each. Las
| semester one of them had a total O.
| 20 pupils and the other 40, making
total for the two of rs; thus these
70 students were taught last semester
at a cost O $4,000, at the rate o
about $45 apiece for the semester, o.
$50 a year each in this one subject
! Two other men who were students IL
the department, young and inexperl
enced, taught some 81 pupils at cos
of about 81 each 1t will thus be oh
served that the cost per student, owe
which there was a good deal of con
| troversy last year, is an elusive sor
of thing, but it probably increases
| rapidly in amount as students go for
ward 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 ge
scarcely a living salary. Leaving Out
the two lowest $500 each) and the
| two highest (S3,5 each1 in one de
partment, l find that there remain
| twelve men, and these men average
$1,45S. In another department out OF
twenty-four teachers, four get over
| So 900, fourteen get $500 or less, while
six get salaries somewhere between
$500 and $4,000.
There are some excellent teachers