TABLE 1.-State universities and State colleges-Organization of boards of control-Continued. the dominant political party. Not over 3 from The president of the college is secretary of the board without a vote. West Virginia has created two boards, one to control finances, the other to control instructional affairs. Do. Yes PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSITY CONTROL. The first of these relates to the number of members. Experience has shown that public administrative boards,' consisting of from 7 to 15 persons have usually been most successful. The main reasons are perhaps clear, but the committee ventures to restate them. They are: (1) Business is conducted most expeditiously and efficiently by a group small enough to sit around a single table and to discuss without formal parliamentary tactics; (2) the group should be large enough, however, to represent different elements and opinions in the body politic. Many successful administrative boards, educational and other, consist of 5 members, as does the present board of regents of the University of Nevada. The committee is quite ready to concede that the difference in efficiency and representative character between a board of 5 and one of 7 members may be very slight or in given cases nonexistent. The criticisms and recommendations which it is about to offer concerning the Nevada board are based primarily on shortcomings in the constitution of that body which have no reference to its size. But the committee feels that, as it is going to urge a complete reorganization of the Nevada board of regents, the question of numbers should not be overlooked. A board of 5 members is more easily dominated by an influential personality than a board consisting of 7 persons. It is considerably easier to get a majority of 3 than a majority of 4. The second principle to which allusion has been made concerns the method of selecting board members. Reference to the tabular presentation on pages 16-23 will reveal the fact that State boards of regents are in the majority of cases either elected by popular vote or appointed by the governor. The larger number of boards are appointed. The committee unhesitatingly indorses the appointment of university regents by the governor, with confirmation by the senate, as against popular election. The weaknesses of popular election must already be painfully apparent to the intelligent citizens of Nevada. The drawback which overshadows all others is that the university is thus drawn unavoidably into the turmoil of partisan politics. The university is not on such occasions a major political issue, however. As far as its management is an issue at all, it is distinctly a minor issue. It is the tail of the political kite. Candidates for the board of regents are frequently men to whom the party has refused what are 1 This refers to boards which exercise legislative functions only. Executive boards whose members devote their whole time to the work of administration (such as the Kansas State board of administration) are not taken into account in this statement of principles. Advocates of the election of members of city school boards are strenuously opposed to having board members chosen at regular political elections. School issues are then lost sight of. Special elections for school directors are regarded as essential. |