r.
&y
THE HESPERIAN.
Vol. XXVIII.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 27, 1899.
No. 17.
The Regents' Report.
The fourteenth bierinial report of the regents of our Uni
versity develop Bome interesting facts. In 1898 the total
number of students registered was 1,915. 872 of these are
women. Tho graduate Bchool has 312 enrolled against 1G9
students for the' preceding biennium.
There are scholars present from seventy-five counties out of
a possible ninety and more,. Tho average ago of students is
given as 22.4 years.
1,915 students, it would appear, have registered for work
at the University. There has been a good registration in the
school of Mechanic Arts and for this we are very thankful.
Every man who does work in this University will be benefitted
thereby. No preparatory students are included in tho num
bers given. A glance at the records of that school showing
tho numbers that have completed work there leaves no room
to doubt that the Two Thousand Mark will soon be reached in
this University 2,000 students doing honest work here.
Eight hundred and seventy-two of our students are women,
over 45 per cent. Nebraska University is recognized as one
of the great co-educational institutions of tho United States.
In tho oast, the efforts to put women on tho same footing with
men educationally have met with a very decided resistance.
Tho deep-rooted conservatism, prevalent in tho older institu
tions there has made progress along the line in colleges almost
impossible. It is only in the west which men and women
alike have been instrumental in building up, that tho truest
sort of equality exists between tho sexes. What other western
college of standing can boast of a greater percentage of women
students?
What have wo done for these women who are doing half
the work of making this University? Well, one thing that tho
regents did was to create tho office "Dean of Women." The
position is an honorable one and nbly filled by Mrs- Emma
Parkea Wilson. It is proper and creditable that tho report on
this oilico occupied so prominent a place in the report of the
regents. A new school of "Domestic Science" has been added
to our college system. This goes hand in hand with tho
School of Mechanic Arts. But is this all that the University
authorities intend to do for our women? Are they going to
invito the people of this stato to send their daughters to school
, and then refuse to employ women instructors to meet them?
Do they intend to encourage tho real co-educational spirit
hero as the people of this state have a right to expect? or do
they propose to call this a co-education institution and offer to
women inferior positions on our faculty, or pay for their work
in the clasB-room tho meagre salary of a shop clerk.
The report shows that tho average age of students is 22.4
years, and that there are more students of 20 years than
there are of any other age. Two years ago there were more
students of 19 than any other ago. No doubt tho quality of
work done and the present standard of requirement accounts
for this. And it is well.
The University of Ohio.
A report of tho Board of Trustees of the Ohio University
has lately been received and shows n flourishing state of affairs
in that institution. Tho number of students in tho University
is not so great as in ours, there being but 1,052 to our 1,915.
Still the gain has been large, 1G per cent over tho preceeding
year, and 25 per cent in two years. Chancellor Canfiold says:
"The changes in the faculty have been few and not such as
to seriously cripple the work of the University." In judging
of tho merits of persons for filling vacancies and in appointing
to now chairs, worth and character iB a consideration prior to
scholarship. The defense is tho words of Arnold, "I prefer
activity of mind and interest in his work to high scholarship;
for one may be acquired far more easily than the other.
"The men and tho women and of the latter there ought to
be more than wo at present number brought into our faculty,
ought to be measured by these standards."
Chancellor Canfield further says:
"It is noteworthy that tho theory of co-education has boon
bo generally accepted as settled and practically beyond
dispute that tho index of current literrture for ten years
contains not more than a dozen references to this question;
and an examination of these shows but three or four
articles of special length or value. No educator of high stand
ing, well read in psychology or pedagogy longer questions the
fundamental propositions that women desire, deserve, appre
ciate and are strengthened by higher education; that it is un
questionably to tho advantage of the whole race, and to their
half of it that women havo tho best education obtainable; that
there is less nervous strain upon women under co-education,
and therefore better health and wiser and more natural physi
cal conditions; that tho groat mass of those who havo been co
educated believe in co-education and prefer it for their own
children; that as men and women are intended for mutual ser
vice, tho best and most natural training is that in which they
11