ÀҾ˹éÒ˹ѧÊ×Í
PDF
ePub

the question involved both the Board of Trustees and the University Faculty in regard to the questions of equity and educational policy, the case was referred to a joint committee of the Board of Trustees and of the University Faculty, and upon the recommendation of this committee the University Faculty recommended to the Board of Trustees the conferring of the degree as in previous cases.

Ever since the organization of the University Faculty it has held its meetings on the first Friday of each month at 5:00 P. M., immediately after the meeting of the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences held in the same place at 4:00 P. M. As the majority of the members of the University Faculty are also members of the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences, this arrangement has been convenient in many respects. Often, however, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has been unable to complete its business within the hour between 4:00 and 5:00, and the University Faculty has frequently been unable to transact its business within an hour. It is difficult to find a convenient hour for special meetings, and the business of the Faculty has suffered from want of time for leisurely and thorough discussion. In view of these facts, the University Faculty voted on the 3rd of May, 1907, that, beginning with the next academic year, the regular meetings of the University Faculty be held on the second Friday in each month at 4:00 P. M.

Respectfully submitted,

T. F. CRANE,

Dean of the University Faculty

APPENDIX III

REPORT OF THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF

ARTS AND SCIENCES

To the President of the University :

SIR-I have the honor to submit herewith my fifth report as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences covering the academic year 1906-1907.

In my last report it was stated that "the functions of the Dean are in a process of rapid modification" and that "the opening of Goldwin Smith Hall marks a most important stage in that process." A year's experience confirms the convictions thus expressed and shows more clearly the nature and tendency of these modifications. Placing the Dean in charge of Goldwin Smith Hall has increased the administrative and supervisory duties of the position, but has not entailed a material or significant increase in the contact between the office and the teachers or departments housed in the building. In this respect the modification has been less than was anticipated. Whether the equipment of the proposed reading room with books, the change of persons in the Dean's office, or other developments now unforeseen will modify this conclusion, it is impossible yet to say.

On the other hand the transfer to Goldwin Smith Hall has greatly increased the amount and changed the character of the intercourse between the Dean and the students in the College, especially those who do much or all of their work in this building. Hitherto it has been usual and easy for the office hours of the Dean, except during the first week or two of each term, to be limited to one hour a day for five days in the week and probably not more than half of this time has been occupied by interviews with students. Most of the routine administrative business of the College has been transacted through the Registrar's office, which has been easily accessible from the Dean's office. The Registrar's office contained the only set of records for each student in the College and the large majority of

questions asked by students require reference to those records. But with the transfer of the Dean's office to Goldwin Smith Hall it became necessary for this College, like the other Colleges of the University, to maintain a set of College records apart from the University records. Thereupon it became possible to answer at the Dean's office most of the questioners who had previously been referred to the Registrar. Not a little of the correspondence relating to students already admitted to the College has been transferred likewise to the Dean's office. The amount of change in this direction is best measured perhaps by a comparison of the expenditures for clerical help last year and this year. From September 1st, 1905, to July 1st, 1906, those expenditures were $67.25; from September 1st, 1906, to July 1st, 1907, they were $247.72, an increase of nearly four times. My impression is that the increase in the amount of my own time given to such duties has been even greater. Certainly much more than half of my time has been given to the Dean's work. The tendency has been to make the Dean's office a bureau of information for students in the College of Arts and Sciences. This change I believe to be beneficial to the College. It contributes to develop in the minds of the students the idea that there is a common center where their interests are considered, their work followed, and their inquiries answered. It is a great help to the Dean in the proper performance of his duties as chairman of the committees of the Faculty. But it is also very time consuming. The increase of this administrative work, when there is no corresponding increase in the other and in my judgment more significant duties of the position, tends to decrease the attractiveness of the office by assimilating its duties to those of the Registrar. Perhaps this tendency can be checked and the advantages of the change secured without the disadvantages. I hope my successor may find a way to secure that result.

In my last annual report I ventured to propose that the scope of the Dean's Report be widened so as to make it an annual resume of the history of the College of Arts and Sciences as a whole and in all its branches. In your discussion of the general question2 you suggested the possibility of having "a head of the combined Arts departments." After further thought and an experience of several weeks in our new quarters in Goldwin Smith Hall I renewed my suggestion in a modified form by means of the following letter:

I. Cornell University-the President's Report, 1905-1906, Appendix, pages

[blocks in formation]

NOVEMBER 23rd, 1906

President J. G. Schurman,

Campus.

DEAR PRESIDENT SCHURMAN:

Regarding the suggestion in my last report as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, that the scope of future reports shall be widened and made to cover all aspects of the work of the College of Arts and Sciences, allow me to state that since our conversation on the subject I have given it further consideration and desire to modify the suggestion as follows:

I. There is no statutory authorization, I believe, for my annual report and consequently no statutory definition of its nature and scope.

2.

In default of such definition and of any quotable warrant for a change I do not feel at liberty to deviate materially from the scope established by uniform practice since the creation of the position of Dean.

3. The University statutes do contain provision for the annual report of the Deans and Directors of each of the professional Colleges, except that of the Professor in charge of the College of Architecture and that of the Secretary of the Ithaca Division of the Medical College.

4: The statutory provisions for these reports are substantially identical in terms. That regarding the annual report of the Dean of the College of Law may be quoted as an example. "It shall be the duty of the Dean . to make. an annual report to the President on the condition and needs of the school."

[ocr errors]

5. Under the circumstances it seems to me that the wisest procedure would be for the Trustees to amend the statutes by inserting a provision for the annual report of the Dean of the University Faculty and for the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

6. As a basis for discussion I propose the amendment of paragraph 5, "Directors and Deans," in the Statute of May 26th, 1896, reorganizing the faculties of Cornell University, so that it should read as follows, the italicized words constituting the amendment which I submit:

"5. Directors and Deans.-Every College has a Director and every Faculty has a Dean. The powers and functions of Directors are fixed at the time of their appointment. Directors are also Deans

of their respective Faculties. The Dean of the University Faculty and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are each appointed by the Board of Trustees on the nomination of the President and with the concurrence of his Faculty. It is the function of the Dean to preside at the meetings of his Faculty in the absence of the President; to receive and act upon such applications of students as may be referred to him by his Faculty; to prepare and conduct the business of the several committees of which he may be made by his Faculty the chairman; to make an annual report to the President on the condition and needs of that division of the University over which his Faculty has immediate charge; and, in general, except as otherwise provided, to act as the executive officer of his Faculty."

7. Arranged in order of my preference I would give the course of procedure outlined in this letter the first place, that suggested in my printed report of a written authorization from you the second, and that of attempting to secure a recommendation on the subject from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences the third.

8. It seems to me that the suggestion in your Report regarding a possible "head of the combined arts departments" is not an alternative to my proposal, and that each should be judged on its own merits and apart from any possible bearing it may have on the other.

Perhaps I should add that I have conferred with Dean Crane regarding this letter, and that the suggestions it contains have his

concurrence.

Yours respectfully,

W. F. WILLCOX, Dean

From the passage in your report already referred to and from my conversation with you regarding the proposal in the foregoing letter I drew the inference that you deemed it unwise to advocate or propose such a change unless or until it was clear that it would be acceptable to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. As a preparatory step to ascertaining the judgment of that body the following resolutions were introduced at a meeting of the Committee on Educational Policy held December 17th, 1906:

"I. Resolved, That the nature and scope of the duties of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences should be more specifically defined."

« ¡è͹˹éÒ´Óà¹Ô¹¡ÒõèÍ
 »