Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-31
We for the university Of the future.
Duplication of Equipment.


tive for the university OF the future
Duplication of Equipment.
Two-The duplication of equipment and
instruction is a policy which leads not
only to economic waste. but what Is moro
important, to lack Of highest efficiency in
teaching and investigation. The whole
trend OF university organization is toward
strong unified departments which eiye
instruction through different units or or
ganization. For example, it would be most
unfortunate to have two departments OF
home economies. The only way to insure
the best work in home economies is To
have single department.
1t must not he forgotten that one of
the issues is whether the present city
site should be retained and enlarged and
the Agricultural college continued at the
present location on the farm and such
work as now given at the university 10
agricultural students be transferred 10
the AGRICULTURAL college, or whether me
city site should be abandoned and the
future university developed upon the
present site OF the College of Agriculture.
In other words, shall two institutions be
buih up under one management, one in
the city and the other on the college
farm. or shall they be consolidated ON
the present site of the College Of Agrl-
culture If, therefore, two separate insti-
tutions shall be maintained the duplica-
ton OF departments becomes inevitable,
This means mediocrity I'm both and rela,
lively high cost. Two departments OF
English will not attract and hold men of
equally high rank, nor will such division
OF forces with larger and costly duplica-
ton of Libraries tend to develop efficiency.
1t should not be forgotten that the time
VIII come when there will be a limit to
the funds available for the university.
This will come before there is a limit in
the demands made upon the University
by the needs Of the students. Every un-
necessary duplication, therefore. means
not only high cost OF maintenance and
operation, but most unfortunate COM
petition between departments for funds.
NebrasIa's Opportunity Open.
Even at the present state Of develop
ment, while institutions are rapidly grow
ing, there are states where this question
has become very acute, due to competition
between departments. In Nebraska, where
the opportunity is open II would seem
the counsel of wisdom to stop such ten
denotes once and for all, and present 10
the state single unified university where
research, experiment. teaching ami
demonstration in all type of education
should be maintained economically and
In keeping with the dignity Of the state.
"Three-American education is changing
rapidly. New fields of study are being
.1aNFa
being organized, and these new demands
can best be met by an institution which
is closely unified and in which men and
materials may be most effectively ad-
justed to meet changing needs.
Farms and the University.
In Nebraska there are 129,67s farms
Census 1870. II one student should enroll
from each fifty farms there would be
an enrolment of 2.593 students from the
rural districts alone. Add to this the in
creasing number who will enroll from the
cities and the villages and one cannot
fail to believe that the university will be
called upon for a very large service I'm the
near future. The most striking phe-
in higher education In the pres
ent generation is the rapid development
every reason 10 believe this growth will
continue. commonwealth like Ne
braska cannot fail to be the home of a
large and prosperous population. Educa-
ton Will develop even more rapidly than
the wealth. a university 20 meet these
needs cannot be built In decade. UNI
are built through decades for
the century. Tho people OF Nebraska
should take the long look at the greatness
Of the future and the relatively increas,
ing importance OF the university. No cir
plans will provide an adequate
for the next fifty years-much
less for the century. The determining
factors now that the whole issue is be-
fore the people should not be the imme-
diate present. but the call OF the not
distant future. Wisdom, economy. and
statesmanship in education demand that
the clearly outlined vision OF the future
shall not be disregarded.
Social Effect of UnifIcatton.
'FouT-The social effect Of unificatlon
Is OF fundamental Importance. \ great
university cannot be built up without an
esprit dc corps. and this cannot be se-
cured when students and faculty ami
buildings are scattered over a wide
area and there il no opportunity for de-
Neloping a coherent community life
The institutions founded under the
Morrill, act Of 1862. are by the terms n
that act. committed 20 the liberal edu-
cation Of the industrial classes" The
states OF the middle west supporting
"a