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Title: William Polk's Summary of a Meeting of the Trustees, August 27, 1805: Electronic Edition.
Author: Polk, William, 1758-1834
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Bari Helms
Images scanned by Bari Helms
Text encoded by Risa Mulligan
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 19K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-12-14, Risa Mulligan finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: University of North Carolina Papers (#40005), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: William Polk's Summary of a Meeting of the Trustees, August 27, 1805
Author: William Polk
Description: 8 pages, 8 page images
Note: Call number 40005 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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William Polk's Summary of a Meeting of the Board of Trustees, August 27, 1805
Polk, William, 1758-1834



Page 1
At a called meeting of the Trustees of the University of North Carolina in the city of Raleigh on Tuesday the 27 day of August 1805, the President of the board laid before this meeting letters of the 17 and 24 current from the Revd Joseph Caldwell , president of the University suggesting the advisability of reconsidering and revising certain ordinances of the trustees passed at their meeting in July last providing for the appointment of monitors &c, &c. Whereupon the said ordinances being accordingly read and considered, it was resolved that their further operation be suspended from and after the end of the present month until the close of the annual meeting of the trustees in November next, and that in the mean time the following be substituted in place thereof, viz.
An ordinance to suspend for a limited time therein mentioned the further operation of certain ordinances or regulations of the trustees of the University of North Carolina passed at their meeting in July last providing for the appointment of monitors, the better arrangement of the public dining room, &c, &c, and to substitute others in their place.
Be it ordained by the trustees of the University of North Carolina, and it is hereby ordained accordingly that from and after the first day of September next and from thence to the end of the present year, the

Page 2
operation of the ordinances above mentioned and of every part thereof be and the same is hereby suspended.
And be it further ordained that on the first day of September next and on the first day of every month thereafter following, each class in the University shall appoint two monitors, to be chosen by lot from the whole of the members of the classes respectively, and in presence of some one or more of the faculty; and the monitors so chosen before entering upon the duties of their appointment shall in presence of the faculty and students repeat and subscribe the following promise; which shall be engrossed in a large character in a book to be procured and kept for that purpose — to wit.
I A. B. monitor of the senior class (or other as the case may be) on the establishment of the University of North Carolina do promise and pledge myself to the faculty and students thereof, that for and during the time for which I am appointed monitor, I will endeavor by a faithful and impartial discharge of the duties of that appointment, to prove my respect and veneration for a moral and religious conduct — my patriotism and love of order — my attachment to the interests of literature and science — and my filial regard for the character and happiness of this University. And the monitors so appointed shall be held bound to serve, and shall continue in office for and during

Page 3
the term of one month.
Provided no student shall be compelled to serve twice in any one year except in consequence of a deficiency in the numbers of his class; and that the year in this point of view shall be considered as commencing with the second session in each and every year.
And be it further ordained that it shall be the duty of each monitor so to be appointed under this ordinance to endeavor to preserve a decent and orderly demeanor among the students generally, and especially among those of his own class as well in the college and dining room as elsewhere and to this end they will hold it particularly incumbent on them to forbid all immoral and irreligious conduct and conversations — all breaches of the laws of the institution and to report the same — And they will likewise consider it their duty to forbid every other irregularity or indecency whatever, and to report the same if persisted in.
And be it further ordained, that should it at any time unfortunately so happen, that any one or more of the students on being commanded by a monitor in the exercise of his duty to desist from any improper act or misdeed whatever, shall instead of so desisting insult or otherwise misbehave towards such monitor the student or students so offending, proving himself or themselves then unworthy and wanting in

Page 4
the respect due to himself or themselves, his or their fellow students, and to the laws of the institution, shall be punished by a private or public admonition, by suspension or otherwise as the nature of the offence shall be judged by the faculty to deserve.
And be it further ordained that the students of each class shall sit at separate tables in the dining room, at which the monitors of the respective classes shall preside — except at the table of the senior class at which the tutor of the college with the monitors shall preside. And it shall be the duty of the monitors to endeavor to preserve decency and decorum at their respective tables — to forbid loud talking, laughing, or other improper behavior — and all waste and abuse of the provisions furnished by the steward: none of which shall be taken or carried at any time from the table but with his express permission and consent. And in every case of misbehavior at table, it shall be the duty of the monitor or monitors presiding thereat to order the student or students so misbehaving to arise and depart from the room, who shall immediately arise and depart accordingly on pain of being publicly admonished or suspended; or admonished and suspended for such length of time, as the Faculty shall judge proper.

Page 5
And be it further ordained, that it shall be the duty of the monitors to make weekly reports to the Faculty in which they shall minutely and particularly state such breaches of the laws of the institution, and such other immoralities, irregularities, or instances of innocent behavior as they shall know to have been committed or practiced by any of the members of their classes particularly, or by any of the students of the University inclusively, and which they are required in the foregoing part of these ordinances to report: naming the student or students charged and adding such remarks and observations as when considered in connection with other circumstances in their opinion tend to aggravate or extenuate the offence; and the said monitors shall especially consider the public buildings and public property as claiming their peculiar care & superintendence, and shall faithfully report all injuries done to either, together with the name or names of the persons committing the same.
And be it further ordained that any student appointed monitor under this ordinance who shall willfully fail or neglect to discharge any of the duties enjoined as aforesaid, he or they on being thereof convicted and judged guilty by the faculty, shall for the first offence be admonished or suspended or admonished and suspended for a term not exceeding three months; and for the second offence shall be suspended indefinitely

Page 6
and reported to the trustees as unworthy of a standing in the University, and shall be by them expelled accordingly.
And be it further ordained that each and every student who shall be adjudged guilty of willfully injuring the public buildings or public property of the University in any manner whatever shall in addition to his liability to make good the damages for the first offence be suspended by the faculty for a term not exceeding three months; and for the second offence he shall be suspended indefinitely, reported by the faculty to the trustees, and shall be by them expelled.
And be it further ordained that at the ringing of the bell for breakfast, dinner, and supper the students shall immediately repair to the door of the dining room, where they shall arrange themselves according to the order of their classes, on each side of the door, with their monitors at their head, and in that order shall follow the tutor into the dining room.
And be it further ordained that each class shall sit by itself and apart from the other students or classes, with their monitors at their head, at all times when they shall be assembled in the public hall; and it shall be considered the duty of the tutor and monitors for the time being, to ensure that the formalities prescribed and directed by this ordinance shall be strictly observed and in no instance omitted or departed from.

Page 7
And be it further ordained, that it shall be a part of the duty of the monitors of the junior and sophomore classes, under the direction of the president of the university and at the charge of the institution to cause that the proper arrangements be made preparatory to each and every commencement, by public hall in order for public speaking, providing for the lighting of candles — preparing and placing seats in order for the accommodation of the trustees, the faculty, the students, and others.
And be it further ordained that the tutor of the preparatory school shall by himself or his assistant at least three times in each and every week visit by night the rooms in which the students of the preparatory school shall reside; and any student who shall be absent from his room after the hours fixed by the laws of the university for the students on the establishment without sufficient excuse shall be punished at the direction of the president of the university and the tutor of the preparatory school.
And be it lastly ordained that in addition to his liability to make good the damages every student in the preparatory school who shall be adjudged by the president of the university, and by the tutor of the said school to be guilty of willfully injuring the buildings or any of the property belonging to the university being under sixteen years of age shall for every such offence be publicly punished with not less than five

Page 8
nor more than ten stripes; and every student of the said school, being sixteen years of age or upwards who shall in like manner be convicted of so offending shall for the first offence be publicly admonished and suspended for a term discretionary with the president of the university, and for the second offence such student shall be expelled by the president without reference to the trustees.

William Polk
President