Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-13

out by tho board OF education In con-
ference with a small group OF expert
engineers. who should be wholly un-
connected with either institution.
and each of whom should be men,
Der of one or another OF the four
American Societies OF Civil, Electrical.
Mechanical. and Mining Engineering.
This would mean that certain
branches OF engineering. such as high
way engineering and transportation
engineering would be developed at
Ames. and certain other branches,
such as hydraulic and municipal engi-
| neering, at the university.
Recommendation 4.
The discontnuance of the last Two
years in the liberal arts at the Iowa
state teachers college.
THE commission is disposed to urge
the wisdom Of this proposal on several
tgrounds. In the first place. 1t seems
reasonably clear that the institutions
at Ames and Iowa City are at present
| abundantly able to care for all stu
dents who may be expected to seek the
bachelors degree in state institution
| in Iowa, In the second place, the COM
mission feels certain that at present.
/, tine atmosphere of the Institution at
Cedar Falls Is not unequivocally col
legiate, and that the students who now
receive training there for the bach
elor's degree are likely to miss certain
valuable elements in such training. In
the third place, the amount of work
now offered as of third and fourth year
| college grade is relatively small and
may be regarded as only barely suffi-
cpl1acn
curriculum. Under these circumstance
| es, the commission feels that the eX-
penditure of money and energy repre-
sented in keeping up the last two years
Of collegiate work at Cedar Falls is
probably not to be justified on it's .ner-
| it's. The commission would not be un-
derstood as intending to deprecate, in
any way. the seriousness Of the work
offered, nor the devotion and earnest
ness of the staff. We believe that the
professional work being done here is
credtable to the state and to the au
thorities of the school: but we are dis
posed to believe that a division Of en-
ergy such as we suggest would in the
long run, contribute to the efficiency of
| the state institutions as whole. IL
the board and the people of the state
are disposed on further consideration
of the question to agree with the COM
mission that the appropriate function
of the state teachers college is the
preparation of teachers for rural and
graded schools, and not the preparation
of high school teachers, or the grant
ing of the bachelors degree for cours
es in liberal arts the commission is
strongly OF the opinion that the future
development of the institution on
somewhat different lines is desirable.
| 1t recommends therefore that the
coures for elementary teachers. both
rural and urban. be made three years
| in length substantially one-third of
the time to be devoted to professional
| subjects, and the rest to work dealing
with the subject matter of instruction.
| 1t believes that entrance to these
courses should as soon as possible be
based squarely on high school gradua
! ton. Such courses should not, in its
Judgment. lead to degrees. 1t is per-
suaded that the improvement in the
equipment ot elementary, especially