April 14, 1919

To the Members of the Board of Regents

The accompanying discussion of the proposed reorganization in this University of Nebraska is intended to reflect the spirit of the meeting of the Committee on Organization and is respectfully submitted to the Regents for their consideration. Yours very Sincerely,

Proposed Reorganization in the University of Nebraska.

During the war the University bent every energy towards serving the national government and the cause of civilization. During such a period some internal demoralization must of necessity take place and some necessary reorganization be postponed until the return of peace. With the return of peace nearly all progressive institutions in the country are looking towards a more or less thorough international reorganiza tion order to put into effect the lessons of the war and to meet changed conditions. The Regents of the University have long felt that Nebraska should not be in the rear when other institutions of the first rank like Yale are making changes which to the conservative professor and alumnus seem almost revolutionary. Without setting any time as to when these changes will be effected the Committee on Organization submits to the Regents some of the changes which seem desirable. A University Auditor. The appointment of an efficiency agent resulted in improving the business system of the institution. His work resulted in a better accounting on the part of departments such as some of the Farm depart ments and other which of necessity have business relations with the public. It is not believed by the Regents that his presence here actually resulted in the saving of money but it did result in making the system of accounting more intelligible. He further introduced several safeguards to prevent leaks which might have occurred were it not for the honesty of the men employed by the institution. It is now proposed to have an official to be designated by some such term as auditor who shall be directly responsible to the Regents through the Chancellor's office. It would be his duty to scrutinize all businesss affairs in order to see that the regularly constituted officials are not slack in the performance of their duties. Like a railroad auditor he would have power to go into any office at the central plant or at the detached plants, take charge of any cash without warning and check the business conditions of the office at the moment he enters. He will be expected independently of the Purchasing Department to inspect coal deliveries for quality and weight, to scrutinise whether any University automobiles are used for private purposes, to report whether the Department of Grounds & Buildings is exercising due care in regard to the hosting and lighting of rooms when not actually in use; whether the various dpartments employing labor are receiving value received for the expenditure and in every other possible way keep the Board informed as to the buiness efficiency of the institution. It is believed that such services would be valuable in helping them to discover and to correct weak spots in the organization. The purpose of having him detached from any of the other offices would be to have his relations with the various employees as impersonal as possible so that in the interests of efficiency he may be in position to recommend such changes as are necessary unswayed by the feelings of friendship and of sympathy which frequently partially paralyze otherwise competent heads in carrying out the operation of their departments in a way most advantageous to the public. A Teaching Auditor The supervision of the business affairs of the institution is simple in comparison with the supervision of the educational activities. With a very large number of professors instructors readers and scholar with deans having radically different standards with the spirit of freedom which must exist in a great modern university the Regents and Chancellor find it exceedingly difficult to determine the relative value of the different teachers on the payroll as well as to form a just estimate of both the quantity and quality of services rendered. Yet the most important function of the University is to instruct properly the youth of the state. Yale University proposes to appoint a provost to exercise the functions outlined in this paragraph. In the present plan the exact name of this official has not been determined. Hence the term "teaching auditor" will be used tentatively. It will be the teaching auditor's duty to determine and reprot to faculties of the University the Chancellor and the Regents in regard to the efficiency of the work given by the different instructors. If it is believed that such and such a professor is neglecting his classes and turning his work over to assistant the matter should be investigated. It may well happen that the professor is rendering work of great services to the state and should be relieved of teaching work. In such an event however the assistant actually doing the work should be given credit for the teaching performed. The teaching auditor should know as to the relative amount of time required by the average normal student in preparing for a given lesson in order that the deans the faculties the Chancellor and Regents may have a just idea of what is going on and to correct inequalities. The work of the teaching auditor should tend to do away with excessively severe courses on the one hand and snap courses on the other. His recommendations to the governing board will be of great assistance when the members wish to know the actual teaching value of individuals. In all institutions it is a well known fact that deans and heads of departments in their recommentdations for promotion cannot entirely detach themselves from feelings of sympathy friendship and obligation towards their subordinates. The independent report of the auditor in regard to the value of different men to the institution and the amount and equality of the work they are doing will be it is believed in the interests of both efficiency and justice. Consolidation of Departments. In all the universities of the country subdivision is taking place not only through the development of certain subjects thereby justifying the subdivision but also on account of personal considera tions. In those institutions where heads are paid considerably more than others in the department no matter how valuable and talented the latter may be there is naturally a struggle on the part of every pro fessor to become recognized as the head of an independent department. Because of the precedent that the better salaries should go in depart mental headships the governing authorities have frequently created departments out of small divisions of a given subject in order to find a way of retaining in the institution an especially desired professor. This has frequently caused in the University formation of departments out of harmony with the classification of the subjects under consideration elsewhere. Let us give an illustration. The University makes a distinction between English and Rhetoric. Neither the high schools of the state nor the universities of the world generally make any such distinction. The result of confusion and lack of efficiency. In the case of the ancient language Sanskrit Hebrew Latin and Greek are still studied by excellent students and are subjects which must be kept alive in the great universities but the number of students actually taking these subjects has become relatively small and a single departmental organization can amply care for their needs. The University of Nebraska now recognizes a department of Romance Languages including French Italian and Spanish a department of German to which is attached in a somewhat nebulous way Swedish Danish and Hebrew a Slavonic Department most of whose students are engaged in a study of Bohemian culture using the English language as a medium and some courses in Russian. It is very generally believed that the teaching of foreign languages in the University has been too much influenced by propaganda and too little influenced by desire for sound scholarship and business efficiency. We will never again become a party to the glorification of German culture. There is then no reason why we should introduce French Italian Spanish or Bohemian propaganda. Let us study these languages just as far as it is for the cultural and business advantage of loyal Americans to know them. We want however no alliance with the foreign language press and the foreign language school. It is believed therefore that the formation of a single foreign language department would be an important step in the direction of economy efficiency and true Americanism. The work of the technical colleges. The idea that departments should exist as water tight compartments has originated in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences where there is some reason for this condition and has spread to some of the technical and professional colleges where less cause exists. In the law colleges however we have practically colleges of one department with the dean in charge as the real head of the department. In other words the college and department is practiacally identical. The same is true in some of the colleges of pharmacy and dentistry. The best engineering thought is beginning to recognize that departmentla subdivision has gone too far in engineering. The new College of Business Administration as authorized by the present Legislature should be very slow in demanding departmental subdivision of work now done in the Department of Economics. The best agricultural colleges of the country such as the University of Illinois have relatively few departments. At Illinois there are only four or five subdivisions recognized as full departments in the Agricultural College.

Departmental hardships should not be a measure of salary or standing. There may be relatively unimportant subjects which we are frank to say are not to be strongly developed here. The heads of such departments unless men of extraordinary talent should not expect to receive the same salary or have the same influence as those connected with the larger fundamental departments. It is even quite just and fair that in some of the larger departments those in charge of certain important subdivisions should in every way receive recognition far in advance of the men in charge of some of the smaller departments which cannot or should not be highly developed in this environment. It is believed further that the time has come when the Regents should seriously consider abolishing all heads of the department in the Arts College and designating one member of each department to not as chairman of the department. The chairman should not of necessity be the best paid or the most distinguished professor but should be the one best fitted to lead in the work of organisation for efficiency. Such a situation however has been found to be satisfactory in other institutions only when a strong dean with ample power presides over the college of liberal arts. The increase of prestige of the University. The increased funds for salaries made available through the action of the present Legislature should be used not only to ameliorate living conditions on the part of professors who have suffered greatly through the increased cost of living during the war period but also to bring to the institution some men of national reputation. A start

has already been made in securing an investigator of animal diseases a man who has a reputation of being on the foremost specialists in the country. This policy should be extended. Without any reflection on the ability and high character of the younger men it will perhaps desirable to endeavor to bring the University of Nebraska a botanist of the highest reputation even if the salary required is considerably higher than any that have been paid for previous work in the institution. Other instances of the need of outside talent might be mentioned. Conclusion It is not to be understood that any of the above means that any action will be taken tending to standardize the work of the professors in such a way as to stifle thought and investigation. It may well be that out of the scheme will come certain chairs devoted primarily to research. It is believed further that the plans outlined will work to the advantage not only of the institution as a whole but to that of every worthy person connected with the teaching and administrative staff. It should be understood that all of the above is tentative and is merely transmitted to the Regents to stimulate thought and for a basis for a discussion and possible action at the next Board meeting.