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CONTENTS.

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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BUREAU OF EDUCATION,
Washington, June 8, 1923.

SIR: In recent years it has become clear that one of the most valuable and direct services which the Bureau of Education can render to the several States is to respond to invitations to conduct educational surveys. Through the medium of these surveys the State authorities are able to secure unprejudiced and sympathetic study of educational conditions, together with suggestions and recommendations for improvement.

In accordance with this policy the Bureau of Education accepted an invitation from the State board of administration in Kansas to make a survey of the higher educational institutions under its control. The survey was carried out by a commission under the direction of Dr. George F. Zook, the bureau's specialist in higher education. In the field of higher education particularly there has of late years been an increasing demand for studies of this nature. In each of these surveys the bureau finds problems awaiting solution which exist in other States. For this reason it seems appropriate that the bureau should from time to time publish the results of surveys which are known to have a bearing on similar situations in other States. Inasmuch as the report of the commission which made a survey of the Kansas State institutions of higher education deals with a number of subjects of considerable interest to other States, it is believed that the full report should be made available for distribution generally to the universities and colleges of the country. I recommend, therefore, that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of Education.

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN J. TIGERT, Commissioner.

The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

V

LETTER TO THE STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION.

Hon. HARVEY J. PENNEY,

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BUREAU OF EDUCATION, Washington, November 25, 1922.

Board of Administration, Topeka, Kans.

DEAR SIR: In accordance with the arrangements entered into by the Bureau of Education with your board, I have caused a survey to be made of the five State institutions of higher learning in Kansas. The survey commission has completed its report, which fully meets my approval. I am, therefore, submitting it herewith to your board.

The report shows clearly that the basis of the higher institutions in the State is fundamentally sound. The number of instances of undesirable duplication of work between and among the higher institutions is unusually small. On the other hand, the commission has made a number of recommendations concerning the conduct of the institutions which I trust will enable them to develop into that position of leadership in higher education toward which the State should strive.

In submitting this report I wish to convey to you, and through you to the officers and faculties of the higher institutions, the thanks of the bureau for the cordial cooperation which the commission at all times received from your board and the institutions. I desire also to express to President Coffman, Dean Mann, and Mr. Christensen my deep appreciation of the invaluable services which they have rendered the bureau in helping to make the survey.

Yours very sincerely,

JOHN J. TIGERT, Commissioner.

VI

INTRODUCTION.

Under date of September 20, 1921, Mr. H. J. Penney, representing the Kansas State Board of Administration, in a letter to the United States Commissioner of Education stated that it was the desire of the board to have a comprehensive survey made of the five State institutions of higher learning in Kansas, and requested information concerning the terms under which the Bureau of Education would be willing to conduct such a survey. In response to this request, a statement containing these conditions, together with some recommendations as to the manner of conducting the survey, was sent to the board. On December 23, 1921, the board accepted these conditions and recommendations. Subsequently Dr. W. T. Bawden, Assistant to the Commissioner of Education, held a conference with the board of administration in Topeka, Kans.

According to the plans agreed upon by correspondence and conference, the Commissioner of Education appointed the following members of the survey commission, who were approved by the board of administration, February 17, 1922: Dr. George F. Zook, specialist in higher education, United States Bureau of Education, as director of the survey; Dr. Lotus D. Coffman, president of the University of Minnesota; and Dean A. R. Mann, of the College of Agriculture, Cornell University. The commission also had the assistance of Mr. J. C. Christensen, assistant secretary and purchasing agent of the University of Michigan, who made the study of the financial and purchasing organization of the board of administration so far as it relates to the higher institutions of learning. By agreement with the board of administration, Dean E. P. Lyon, of the University of Minnesota, made an independent study of the medical school of the University of Kansas. For the convenience of the board, Dean Lyon's report is appended to the report made by the survey commission, which, with the exception of certain generalizations on the value of medical education in Kansas, confined its attention and recommendations to the remainder of the higher educational situation in Kansas. The expenses of the survey were borne by the five higher institutions according to the time necessary for the consideration of the problems relating to each institution. It was agreed with the board that this proportion should be as follows: University of Kansas, 27.5 per cent; Kansas State Agricultural College, 27.5 per cent; Kansas

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