Health School Stresses Need for Salary Boost

A concentrated effort to raise additional endowment for faculty salaries will be undertaken by the School of Public Health in the coming year, Dean John C. Snyder emphasized in his annual report for 1954-55.

He also proposed two other highly-important projects: 1) an international student union near the School where foreign students and their families could live with American students, and 2) a new seven-story building to bring together the present scattered teaching and research activities of the School.

Explaining the need for additional endowment, Snyder pointed out that not one full-time associate or assistant professorship is available from the School's own endowment income. They depend instead on the continuance of temporary grants and gifts.

Since the gifts can be terminated at any time, the School has had difficulty holding key professors. "Outstanding scholars and scientists want more assurance that the continuity of their work won't be interrupted," Snyder explained. "Several scientists have accepted positions at other institutions because we can't offer them long-term commitments."

Lack of Housing

Although the hiring of a permanent faculty takes to priority, Snyder also cited the critical lack of housing facilities available to Public Health students. Theoretically they are entitled to a certain number of rooms in the Medical School dorms, but overcrowding and the fact that they are older men, often with families, have combined to keep them out.

The lack of housing falls particularly hard on the foreign students, who comprise 30-40% of the student body, Snyder said, for they may not speak fluent English, and are apt to know few people. Consequently, they often end up living in dirty, crowded flats, and may be subjected to the racial prejudices of some of Boston's landlords.

The School feels it must eliminate this potential source of international ill-will. Snyder said, because most of these students are important citizens in their own countries and it would be unfortunate if they formed their impressions of America from a Boston flat. The proposed student center would provide a respectable place for them to stay.

To solve the need for 55,000 square feet of space, Snyder's report proposed that a seven-story wing be constructed adjacent to the present main building at 55 Shattuck St. in Boston.

The building would serve to centralize the widespread activities of the School which are currently located in eight different buildings, only two of which are owned by the School. "We are even using the third floor of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital's laundry," Snyder said.

Besides the three concrete proposals, the report also suggested that the School's educational policies be reappraised. Since recent surveys have shown that 20 percent of the School's graduates go into teaching or research, Snyder felt that the School should offer more advanced-level instruction for potential leaders in these two fields.

The School has not yet definitely received funds for carrying out any of these proposals, however