Professor of Civil and Military Engineering. Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy. Professor of Mathematics. Professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology. Professor of Drawing. Professor of Modern Languages. Professor of Law and History. Professor of Practical Military Engineering, Military Signaling and Telegraphy. Professor of Ordnance and Gunnery. Professor of Military Hygiene. Professor of English and History. Without regard to his rank the Superintendent is the head of the institution, while the other members of the Board take precedence according to rank. These officers have as many assistants detailed from the army as the Secretary of War deems necessary for the proper instruction of the cadets, and the senior assistant in each department of instruction is a member of the Academic Board or of a committee of it, for the purpose of examining cadets, arranging them in order of merit, and determining their proficiency or deficiency in every branch of study in that department; and the instructor of any section under examination or consideration is a member of a department committee of the Academic Board for the purpose of examining the section and arranging it in order of merit. All deliberations of the Academic Board and of its committees, and expressions of opinions and votes, individual or collective, of members thereof are confidential. The decisions of the Board are published in orders. Since 1812 the Course of Study has been four years, except that for the classes entering in 1854, ’55 and ’56 it was five years, and for classes entering in 1908, ’09 and ’10 it was four years and three months, as new cadets were then admitted March 1. Cadets of the Fourth Class found deficient at the January examinations are invariably discharged or permitted to resign, while some of the unfortunates at the June examination are turned back to the next class. By virtue of Section 1331, Revised Statutes of the United States, the supervision and charge of the Academy are in the War Department under such officer or officers as the Secretary of War may assign to that duty.[61] The Act of Congress approved June 23, 1879, provided “That each member of the graduating classes of the Military Academy of 1879 and 1880, after graduation, may elect, with the assent of the Secretary of War, to receive the gross sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars and mileage to his place of residence[62]; and the acceptance of this gross sum shall render him ineligible to appointment in the army, except in the event of war, until two years after his graduation.” And Congress did this when the Military Academy never graduated enough cadets to keep the army supplied with second lieutenants.[63]