 | Board of Visitors minutes January 20, 1846 |  |
At a meeting of the Board of Visitors called to assemble
at the University on Tuesday January 20th 1846 for the purpose
of meeting the legislative Committee appointed to Examine
into the Condition of the University, the following members
attended viz. Joseph C. Cabell (Rector) Wm. C. Rives,
Thomas J. Randolph and Andrew Stevenson. The session continued
for the remainder of the Week, & during it the following
proceedings were had.
January 21st the Rector, by direction of the Board, addressed
a letter to the legislative committee, apprizing them
of the meeting of the Board and of it's desire to facilitate
the enquiries of the Committee by affording all information
in its power; which letter is on file & marked A.
On the same day a reply was received from the Committee
(On file & marked B) propounding certain enquiries which were
answered by the Board as follows & in the order of their numerical
arrangemnt.
1. Answer to the 1st Enquiry.
Considering the great importance of commanding, by adequate
inducements, the highest grade of qualifications &
ability in the several departments of instruction at the University,
the Board of Visitors are of opinion that neither
without detriment to the public interests; but if the
number of Students attending the University should be materially
augmented, as it is hoped will be the case, the Visitors
are of opinion that, in that case, it would be expedient to
make a corresponding abatement in the fees, so as to leave the
aggregate compensation of the professors at about what it now
is,— less than which the Visitors apprehend would not be adequate
to secure that high order of attainment for the several
professorships with which it is so much to be desired, for the
interests of the State & of the University that they should
be filled. In confirmation & illustration of the preceding
views the Board of Visitors beg leave to refer the legislative
Committee to what is said on this subject in the address of
the Society of Alumni to the people of Virginia & which will
be found at page 18 of House document No. 15 of the present
session of the General Assembly.
2. Answer to the 2d Enquiry.
The Board of Visitors at their last meeting, modified
the duties of Proctor & patron & reduced his salary $500.
The Board are of opinion that no other office connected
with the administration of the affairs of the University can
safely be dispensed with. The Salary of the Bursar is only
$100. A small saving would arise from the discontinuance of
his office, but this the Board would consider as detrimental
to the interests of the University.
The financial organization of the University had been
framed somewhat upon the plan of that of the State viz: The
Proctor holding somewhat the position of the Auditor- the Bursar
that of Treasurer; so that the officer who was charged with
the settlement of accounts should not have charge of the Funds,
and he who had charge of the Funds should have nothing to do
with the settlement of the various accounts of the Institution,
a system deemed very important to ensure the safety of its funds.
3. Answer to the 3d Question.
The Board of Visitors are impressed with the belief that
no reduction can, at this time, be made in the charge for the
use of the Library & public rooms consistently with the public
policy & the interests of the University. This charge constitutes
one of the sources of the present revenue of the Institution,
any reduction of which would be incompatible with it's
maintenance upon it's present scale of utility, & the timely
payment of the debt now amounting to $17,000 & originally contracted
for the Buildings of the University.
4. Answer to the 4th Enquiry.
In reply to this enquiry, the Board of Visitors are of
opinion that it would be advantageous to educate a limited
number of State pupils free of charge at the University, and
to state that a proposition was made by the University thro'
the late committee of colleges at Richmond to the Legislature,
to educate free 32 Boys to be selected one from each of the
Senatorial districts of the State in such manner as the
free of expense a charge upon the University of $3136 would
be made; thus educating free of charge nearly 1/4 of the
whole number of Students now in the Institution.
In relation to the additional charge of Board, the Visitors
are of opinion that the present financial revenues of the
University would not allow that to be done without injury to
the Institution.
5. Answer to the 5th Enquiry.
In relation to the fifth Enquiry relative to the causes
of the frequent breaches of discipline by Students of the University
& especially of the late riots, the Board of Visitors
would remark that it would be extremely difficult to form an
opinion as to all the causes of the aforesaid disturbances;
but they feel justified in expressing the opinion that the
riots which occured in April last were mainly attributable
to the insubordination of the parties implicated urged on by
disorderly and dissipated Students who remained in the neighbourhood
after having been dismissed from the University and
who themselves were believed to have committed the greater
part of the injury done to the buildings, as appears by evidence
collected by the Court of Justices which met to enquire
into the said riots.
In relation to the latter clause of the enquiry as to the
inability of the Authorities of the University to enforce the
regulations, the Board would respectfully invite the attention
passed in July last and directing that in the annual report
of the Rector & Visitors it is strongly represented to the
General Assembly that the Interests of the University imperatively
require such legislation as will enable the Faculty
to give effect to those enactments interdicting students
who are dismissed, expelled, or suspended from remaining within
five miles of the University.
To the above answer to the 5th enquiry adopted by the
Board Mr. Rives offered a substitute which, being rejected
was at his request directed by the Board to be spread upon
it's records in the following words: to wit:
In answer to the 5th enquiry of the Committee, to wit:
"whether the frequent breaches of discipline by the Students
of the University, and especially the late riots are attributable
to the insubordination of the students,- a defect in
the system of regulations,- or the inability of the Authorities
of the University to enforce them"- the Board of Visitors
are of opinion that the breaches of discipline, & especially
the late riots alluded to by the Committee, are attributable
to the combined operation of all the causes indicated in the
above enquiry. In the origin & progress of the late riots,
a very reprehensible spirit of insubordination was manifested
on the part of a certain number of the Students; but the
Board of Visitors feel constrained, in the impartiality of
the high of ice with which they are charged, to state that,
were committed by the Executive authority of the University
in the manner of proceeding in regard to those disturbances,
which contributed both to prolong & to aggravate them, and
finally to involve in the censures & penalties inflicted by
the Faculty many young men of unexceptionable general deportment
& guiltless of any participation in the disorderly occurrences
complained of. But the Board of Visitors believing
that the breaches of discipline referred to by the committee
are, in great part to be traced to a deeper and more lasting
source in a fundamental defect in the government of the University,
are of opinion, that a new organization of its authorities
is greatly to be desired which would assign to the
Executive administration a permanent and responsible head in
a President, charged with the moral discipline, supervision
and general management of the University, standing in loco
parentis to the Students and having his own character, by the
singleness & elevation of his position, indissolubly identified
with the character and good order of the Institution.
Such an organization the Visitors are persuaded, would furnish
by far the best, if not the only, remedy for the breaches of
discipline which have hitherto occurred in the University;
and as some doubts have been expressed as to the competency
of the Board of Visitors, of their own authority, to institute
the proposed change, they strongly recommend that provision
be made for it by Law.
6. Answer to the 6th Enquiry.
In answer to the sixth enquiry by the Legislative Committee
the Board of Visitors would beg leave to refer the
Committee to the printed enactments of the Visitors at page
30 par: 3 in the folowing words viz: "No Student shall be
admitted into the mathematical school or that of Natural philosophy
who is not an adept in"all the Branches of numerical
Arithmetic; and none into the school of Antient languages,
unless qualified, in the judgment of the professor, to commence
reading the higher Latin classics; nor to receive instruction
in Greek, unless qualified in the same degree in
that Language."
7. Answer to the 7th Enquiry.
Over and above the professors Salaries the following disbursements
were made in the last fiscal year: viz.
| Officers' Salaries | $2,778.10 |
| Labour | 609.81 |
| Repairs & Improvements | 3,683.45 |
| Library and apparatus | 406.85 |
| Advertising & printing | 236.00 |
| Appropriations for 2 years | |
| To the school of Anatomy & Surgery | 246.21 |
| To the school of Natural Philosophy | 35.00 |
| Diplomas | 18.12 |
| Clock & Bell | 25.00 |
| Contingent Expenses | 309.03 |
| Assessment against Dr. Kraitzer refunded |
54.00 |
| Sinking fund | 2,581.25 |
| 19,197.82 |
For more particular details see page 14 of House document
No. 15 of the present session of the General Assembly.
The preceeding replies were transmitted on the 22d January
to the committee accompanied by a letter from the Rector which
On the Evening of the 21st Jany: a letter was received
from the Committee filed & marked D.
To this letter the Committee returned answer marked E.
On the 21st Jany: the Rector, by direction of the Board
addressed a letter to the Chairman of the Faculty accompanied
by a request for information on the following subjects. Letter
marked F.
TOPICS OF ENQUIRY.
1. Finances.
1. Original cost of erecting the University.
2. The cost of Library and apparatus.
3. The cost of alterations & repairs.
4. The present condition of the Buildings & other property
of the Institution.
5. The annual expense of maintaining the Institution.
In respect of professors' salaries.
- - - - Officers' ditto.
- - - - Repairs.
- - - - Appropriation to Library & apparatus.
- - - - Miscellaneous objects.
6. Comparison of annual revenues with that of other colleges;
and particularly with those of Harvard, Yale, Wm. & Mary
& S. Carolina College.
7. The necessity of extrinsic sources of revenue from all
Colleges.
2. The Organization.
1. The Board of Visitors. 2. The Faculty: their duties, &
what additional professorships.
2. Proctor & Patron. Police duties & his duty as an accounting
officer.
3. Chairman of Faculty. His functions as Executive head of
the University.
4. Other Officers. Librarian & Secretary to the Faculty.
Secretary to the Board of Visitors. Bursar. Janitor.
3. Instruction.
1. Plan of Instruction. Lectures. Examinations, daily, semiannual
& degrees.
2. Extent of Instruction. 1. As compared with what it formerly
was in Virginia. 2. As compared with what it was elsewhere-
& what it now is.
3. Success of Instruction.
As inferred from increasing number of graduates,
As inferred from Character of Alumni.
As inferred from no. of Alumni Teachers.
Prof.s in colleges.
Teachers in private schools.
As inferred from average annual no. of new Students.
As inferred from average total number of Students annually.
4. System of collegiate Honors.
5. Professional Departments.
In respect to combining academic & professional education.
Thoroughness of teaching.
Extent of course of Study.
Cheapness of professional education.
4. Expenses of Students.
1. Board, 2. Tuition. 3. Room rent. 4. Use of Library & public
rooms. 5. Aggregate Expenses,
As proved by individual examples.
Relatively with other institutions, & more expecially
with Harvard, Yale, Princeton & Wm. & Mary.
The following resolutions were then adopted.
1. Resolved that the Proctor, for the payment of small
expenditures of the University shall be authorised to draw on
the Bursar in warrants not exceeding fifty dollars at a time,
nor in the aggregate of the session exceeding two hundred
dollars & the Bursar is directed to pay the same.
2. Resolved that the patron be required to deposit in his
name as Patron the funds belonging to Students in the Branch
of the Farmers' Bank at Charlot esville & to draw checks for
the payment of all sums exceeding five dollars payable to the
order of the parties to whom payment is made and that for the
purpose of meeting claims amounting to sums less than five
dollars the patron is further authorised to draw weekly such
checks as will enable him to keep on hand at all times a balance
not exceeding twenty five dollars.
3. Resolved, that with a view to effect the arrangement
contemplated in the preceeding resolution, the patron is
balance now standing to his credit on the Books of the
Farmers' Bank.
The Board adjourned, Saturday January 24th, sine die.
| Board of Visitors minutes January 20, 1846 | |