The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-01-06
THE UNIVERSITY BUDGET

THE UNIVERSITY BUDGET
The budget for the University for
the coming biennium was the subject
of a convocation address delivered by
President 7. F. Kane of the Uni
versty Of North Dakota, at the week
ly University Convocation recently.
AS stated by pr. Kane, the object Of
the University authorities N present
ing this matter to the Student Kody
was that they and thru them, the
people of the State might be familiar
ibed with the facts in reference to the
request to the coming session Of the
State Legislature for an spproi'ria-
ton Of million and MALT dollars
for the two year period ending June
Both, 1928.
Primarily, the budget is r1ade up
to forecast as accurately as possible
the actual needs of the institution for
the period under considerable It is
most accurate estimate pos,lbl. Of the
needs of the institution made by those
in the best position to know what
those needs are. 1t is not merely an
estimate, rather it is a calculation
based on past expenditures at this
University and the probable market
prices for materials necessary in car
rying out the proposed program of
the institution.
Included in this request, is q deficit
Of S76,000.0O for maintenance created
during the past biennium. The re-
mainder of the budget request is
divided among the Public Service Uni
versity Maintenance, and New Build
ings necessary to carry on the work of
the University efficiently. The in
creases asked for in these various de-
partments, range from 16 percent foy
public service, including the State Pub
lie Health Laboratories, to 60 percent
in the maintenance budget.
These increases are based on actual
increases in cost of operation. Chief
among the causes of added expense is
the increased enrolment at the Uni
rersity The enrolment on which the
budget for the present biennilm was
based was 8O3 students. The enroll
ment at the present time on which
the new budget is based is 1856, TAG
ofwhich are actually full time univer.
sity students taking full courses in
residence. With this increase of ~
percent in enrolment, an increase OF
60 percent in estimated operating ex-
pense for the coming two years is: to
say the least, conservative.
In the matter Of buildings, the most
conservative estimate that could be
made to cover a period of not to eX-
coed ten years was eleven buildings.
In the coming biennium, not less than
h,1i1
the University is to operate at all
be building for the Law School. At
present, the Law School has no def
mite place on the Campus. The Law
Library occupies the basement of
Davis Hall, the girls dormitory, re-
sulting in unpleasant crowding for
both the library and the girls. Law
classes are held all over the Campus
wherever vacant room can be found.
In the new building, in addition to
adequate space for the Law School,,
there will be seven rooms that can
be used to take care Of the overflow
from Merrifeld Hall.
In Merrifield Hall, the Oldest build
ing on the Campus, the entire first
floor, with the exception of one room,
is occupied by administration offices.
The building is also occupied by 81 full
time and 5 part time instructors, with
total class attendance of 6,480 stu
dents per week, or an average OF
1,17s students per day. In addition
to this, all classes, with the exception
of two are held on the second and
third floors of the building which is
provided with stairways only three
feet eight inches wide. That the
building is overcrowded is obvious to
even the most optimistic observer.
With the seven rooms made available
by the proposed Law Building, this
Condition will be partially remedied
for the time being.
Next to the need of Law building
the necessity for additional library
space is the most pressing. The
University library consists Of over
60 900 volumes crowded into build
ing two stories high and approximate
w 50 feet square, this leaves practic-
allv no space for reading rooms. In
fact the four reading rooms with the
available space in the stacks can ac-
commodate not tA exceed $50 stu
dents. When one considers the amount