Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-04-08
A. C. TROUBLES
GIVEN AIRING
New Board Investigates College
Conditions.

Fargo, April with the trans
fer of Professor Sheppard, dean of
the department of agriculture, who'll
ly to the experiment station, and an
informal expression of confidence in
President Worst, the board of trus-
tees of the Agricultural college, yes
terday undertook to correct the al
legged unsatisfactory conditions exist
ing at the school. This action fol-
lowed the statement by President
Worst of the state of affairs from his
viewpoint, and the concurrence Of
Dean Sheppard in the presidents
suggestion to transfer him to the sta
ton.
President Worst's Statement.
President Worst requested that the
issue as to whether or not he was
president Of the institution with pow
er to act for the best interests of the
school as he saw fit, be settled by
the board. For 20 years." he said,
things have gone harmoniously, but
some of the faculty have thought
that did not have the support of the
board. If they are going to spread
dynamite and create discomfort, !
want the authority to fire them"
There's whole lot of defy going
on-you may as we'll face it. When
this matter came out l called a num-
ber of the strongest, most manly stu
dents into my office, one at time,
and asked them if it was true that
there was such widespread discOn-
tent among the students. They all
said that it was so. Then l asked
each one to tell me frankly what was
the trouble. Each one stated that
the teachers in the agricultural de-
partments were not giving them any,
thing; that they were going out from
the school not knowing their sub
|ject.
"The students complained that
when a division was made, the sta
ton got the big men with the big sal
aries and the college took the rest.
II did not discuss members. of the
faculty with them; l defended the
faculty. But Professor Sheppard has
given me weak men and a weak de-
partment, after having large latitude
lin the selection of his men. l can
produce harmony if given the au-
thority, but the whole department
must be revised, and made strong
and adequate and balanced.
As to Professor Chase.
'I had previously told Professor
Chase that he was not making good
and told him what to expect. He had
flair warning which he did not heed.
Thomas was teaching a class in ag-
ricultural economics for which he
was not especially fitted. talked
with him about it, and we agreed
that it had best be given to Professor
Trimble, a very strong man in econ
omics, who could make the subject
of deep value to the students. When
the registrar notified Mr.. Thomas, he
referred to Dean Sheppard and the
latter countermanded my order in
my absence.
eve cannot expect much mercy at
the hands of the board of regents, if
they find within a department dupli-
cation of effort. Dean Sheppard has
tried to make the agricultural de-
partment complete in itself. There
lis agricultural engineering there in
stead of in the engineering depart
ment, with two sets of apparatus.
The same is true of the economics
classes under discussion. A specialist
can certainly give deeper and
broader meaning to subject, and
then the readjustment of viewpoint
to meet the demands Of agricultural
economics or agricultural engineer
ling is simple"
Mr.. Worst stated that Professor
Sheppard and he had worked har-
|moniously twenty years, but when
the division between the college and
the experiment station was made,
Sheppard seemed to 60 squarely
against him.
Sheppard Talks.
Professor Sheppard when asked
by the board concerning the Chase
difficulty said it was between the
president and Mr.. Chase except as to
a change in the department without
consulting him. He contended that
the agricultural viewpoint was an es-
sential part of the work in engineer
ing and economics, and that the lat
ter was too closely associated with
farm management to be separated
and put under . man not q farmer.
The. department. he said. was doing