1923-12 ----------xxxxx---------- Board of Trustees Minutes - December 1923 - Page 1 ----------xxxxx---------- 99 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DECEMBER 6, 1923. A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on Thursday, December 6, 1923 at 4:00 p.m. in the office of the President. Present: Trustees Walter B. Whitcomb, Dr. W. D. Kirkpatrick, Noah Snakespeare and President C. H. Fisher. EDEN'S HALL REFRIDGERATION PLANT: The President reported that the award for installing the refrigerator plant in Edens hall was made to the York Construction & Supply Company of Seattle. While their price was a little higher than other firms the running expense of their machine was smaller and information was convincing that their machine was the best in its construction and the most efficient in operation. The work on installing the refrigerator plant is underway and will soon be completed. DODGE TOURING CAR PURCHASED: It was reported by the -resident that a Dodge Touring Car had been purchased from John F. Campbell of Bellingham. This car is to be used exclusively by the director of Practice Teaching in Rural Schools. The car is jointly owned by the Bellingham State Normal School and the Director, Miss Orpha McPherson, the school having paid two-thirds of the cost and Miss McPherson one-third. Miss McPherson has agreed to pay for her share of the upkeep of the car according to the number of miles which the car is driven for her personal use. REPORT OF JOINT BOARD OF HIGHER CURRICULA: The resident gave a brief summary of the report of the Joint Board of higher Curricula for the year 1922-23. This report shows that the Bellingham State Normal School has the lowest cost of any of the state institutions on the basis of the student clock hour. The cost per student clock hour at the Bellingham Normal School averaged 23 and 32/l00ths cents, at the Cheney Normal School 24 and l5/l00ths cents, at the Ellensburg Normal School 26 and 6S/100ths cents, at the University of Washington 31 and 80/l00ths cents and at the State College 36 and 19/100ths cents. The average cost per college student at the Bellingham Normal School was $ 169.92, at the Cheney Normal School $ 200.88, at the Ellensburg Normal School $ 216.92, at the University of Washington $ 236.53 and at the State College 321.93/ There are three factors that operate in the low cost of this institution. First - the large number of students keep down the over-head expense Second - the large number of oversized classes which means an understaffed faculty. Third - course of study that does not operate to distribute the load equally in the different departments of the school. SCHOLARSHIP STANDARDS TO BE RAISED: The resident reported that five stops would be taken to improve the scholarship of the students as well as the more efficient use of the school plant. Beginning with next quarter courses, which before were given four and two hours a week, will be organized upon the basis of five, three and two hours per week. This will mean a better schedule of classes and a wider use of the school plant. Theretofore when a class was scheduled four times a week there was always an hour in the week when the class room was idle. The same was true when two two-hour courses were scheduled for the same class room. In the interest of better work on the part of students the student load will be decreased. Students will be allowed to carry sixteen hours of work including Physical Education and only when they have shown their ability will they be allowed to carry a larger number of hours of work. ----------xxxxx---------- Board of Trustees Minutes - December 1923 - Page 2 ----------xxxxx---------- 100 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DECEMBER 6, 1923 An effort will be made to equalize the teacher's load. The problem involved is - that is an equal load in Physical Education, Industrial Arts, Laboratory work and class work in History, Mathematics, English, etc. The teacher's load should be equalized on a basis of a forty-four hours per week, which would include class work, prepraration for class work, correcting papers and committee work. An effort will be made to develop with students a working program of forty-four hours a week including class work and preparation for class work. This has to do not only with scholarship, but with a regulation of the rest, food and recreation of students. Such a program becomes an important part of the health regulations of the school. The fourth step in raising the standard of scholarship has to do with the revision of the courses of study. A committee of the faculty is at work upon the revision of the courses of study. An effort will be made to put the courses of study more consistently on a college level. The results of the intelligence tests, which have been given to every student who entered school this year, show that at least seventy-five per cent of our students are of college Grade. Our students rank higher in ability than in many normal schools of the country. A revision of our courses of study should place the work of the school upon a basis that is equal to the ability of our students. A fifth aspect of the problem is to have students remain longer in the school. This school has practically operated on a one-year basis. There has been such a great turnover of students each year that the student body has been almost entirely new every year. A law recently passed by the legislature requires that after the fall of 1927 that at all teachers in the state must have at least two year's training. An effort has been made this quarter and further effort will be made to have the students accept the idea of remaining here at least two years. If students have a minimum of two year's training they should be encouraged to take work of the third and fourth year. ADDITIONAL HELP IN OFFICE OF REGISTRAR: It was reported by the resident that additional help was needed in the Registrar's office. It was reconnended that Mrs. Claire James be employed temporarily with a view to finding out if she is adapted to the work. It was understood that Mrs. James was not to be employed permanently until it had been demonstrated that there was sufficient need for her services and that she had proved her fitness. CARE OF DETENTION HOSPITAL It was recommended by President Fisher that someone be employed to take care of the Detention Hospital. It is the opinion of Miss Mead, School Nurse, that the hospital suffers by not having someone in charge of the building and what is more she believes that if someone were there to care for students that she could make considerable use of the hospital. Miss Mead believes she has someome who would fill this position very acceptably. The Board agreed that this matter should be left to the President to do as he saw fit. AUDITORIUM STAGE FLOOR NEEDING REPAIRS: It was recommended by the President that something be done to improve the floor of the stage of the school auditorium. The Board agreed that if it were possible to fix up the old floor satisfactorily that this should be done. If not, that a new hardwood floor be laid in place of the old floor. This was left to the judgement of the resident. ----------xxxxx---------- Board of Trustees Minutes - December 1923 - Page 3 ----------xxxxx---------- 101 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD DECEMBER 6, 1923 LIGHTING IN EDENS HALL INADEQUATE: The resident reported that the lighting in the students rooms in Edens Hall was inadequate for study. Tests have been made by an electrician of the foot candle power, which shows that the lights in the center of the ceiling is altogether inadequate. Tests show that what should be done is to lower the present lights and increase the wattage. The Board agreed that the present lights should be lowered and the wattage increased. LIGHTS IN MAIN BUILDING: The President reported that there was considerable trouble with lights in the main bUilding due to an overload of the present lighting system. Electricians who have studied the difficulty recommended that a new service line be put in the gymnasium. Tne Board agreed that the recorrnendation should be carried out. The President also recommended that new lights be installed in the library and in the auditorium, the lights in both of these places being very inadequate. The Board agreed that bids should be received for the lights in the library and in the auditorium and that, all things being equal, the award should be made to the lowest bidder. Bills were audited and allowed as follows: Local Fund Vouchers - No. 2937 to No. 3519 Local Fund Vouchers - No. 100 to No. 316 State Vouchers - No. 1 to No. 111 It was moved that adjournment be taken. Secretary Chairman ----------xxxxx---------- Board of Trustees Minutes - December 1923 ----------xxxxx----------