THE UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 6

THE UNIVERSITY.

■: DEiGEEES.; ' : ,Trfeeraph.-Pre'^ i *Asaopiation.) ;' ; -.ii/'itsi '•..■■Mx-.iy^ p,unedin,.V.Jannary. 21.';.' \ ; v\TteS'.]D[niyersiiy,;iSeiaiei:''teday : :-'reßomed cbnsidbratipn of i .the : Chancellor's -address; beginning I-at the 'paragraph .dealing, with .the. reports-of pi;ofessorial..;',boards.; on questions remitted from :hist :meeting:.of tjie':' Spnate."';'■;.;;...;/■',. ;•■■:■;■';■;;■;. :/■•:/■ -\ !'.-Professpr' -Brown '•. (Aacklarid) '■:said i the question More.. , the Senate' resolved 'itself iutp,. this: ;Whether r it■i.was desirable -to rbgard.avstudonV.as; being'possessed of a general'educatibn on;lea^'ng'a.secondary achobi ':■ (br after leaving), and causing liini to. devote himself wholly to '■;■ specialisatipn,'-; 6r;' t ,whether ( lie;: should conlijiue'his , . general' education during his university, course,' , :'and .'sp'ecialiso only at the .end ■of • it?: He; thought that it , would be far- better; to ;work 'gradually towards specialisation', by'-introducing' "repeated" into , ''the."course ■ than .by ing the- revolutionary course' , advocated .by .the.;Hecess'.'Committee'KVHa,moved: '"That; nb'. further..'action;: be taken in .the matter; sb; , far': as .Changes■; in: .the- courses for 'the BJI. and- degrees were, concerned.''' ■ ■.-'■;>■-■'•:'■ *:-'■' ! :v' .'■:■:-}!''< -.'. : ,:'.V:,..-'' ..•"■■

:>*ln h seconding;,the...motion, :'Dr."'.■ Shand. •said' that the;Ne'wZ6aland University'was' •a:.'copy, of :np: : university ; in:,'the :world. .Its. curriculum.ihad'beeri,;, framed/to m&t the. special; needs ■.'■and .'conditions, of" New Zealand:'' '.vAs''.' to, :^^specialisation:': or V.other:wise, 'the\whple";qnestion •was/which ideal ;Was : '.best;..suited.-to.,us; •■; He''maintained that the-broad .'and comprehensive ideal was suited .tb'.lfew:Zealand.- -There : ,was very,little;use;hVro. : for.;.specialists : in any department of jedncation.'; The Dominion could ■'••'not "absorb .them.'". 'He entirely agreed' witli'::Sir J.: Thomson, the highbst living': authority :Von;.;the. subject;'"' that thero;was : a,;gi'eatideal..:in, the/London Univorsity:' system-: which '"New Zealand had- been Trae-nbt, to imitate; -One of these-was 'early'.ind excessive'-:Bpecialisa-■tipn,-which, -Sir.; J;', J. .Thomson.'said;'.injured,.the. student.by;, depriving'him.'of adequate;;literary,:"culture,,and,\ : tf special-, ■i!sabon.'.,were made, in one .or, two branches 01; science,.: it tended to. isolate 'one 'science ■ from'^another;V/'.;/'''■;.„ ;;:- v,; ■-V---' , ,;- ';; i^lA?- thought::that-Prbfessor rShand Wmisiinderstobd;Sir J.' J; .Thorn-, son,. whbse'.'criticißni'.'qf ferred. 'J to ■. tbo" narrow speciaiisatibnT-iar .more ;-narrbwTthan'the'• Eecess-Committee All;,;, that .;;• the,;; : committee .wished:;.was'.ite;.-;enable'.;the .'student •to carry^bn; study :,in'fpne br : . ; .two' : .subjccte to '.'a point .wHicH '..vrbuld, yield the i particu--lar "benefit i'dorivable , ; ;froin' subject. ■He;' : snggested : :«thatj:,!'in :,;;the ; - students' : ;oourse, : , r it.'shouldvbe ; ; pedtvono': jjiib ject.S,'lt.'should.also :be...'al-lbwable':-toj repeat'.' y two' : \gubjecte,Aand. they should,';; iieist" (."tfiat'-S every;"'' "candidate's .gr'pup.'pb'subjbcts.;'sfidjildKbe,-)i. well-cpn- . sidered ; "eiid< connected igifonp r'\This could' .bei'dbne'reiffiefjtbyi'regulatibri'-'bf'.ithe Semitev. of/ ■bjiii'making ■:■ the V Profossorial B.oard's.>-'approval -~leach choice.iofisubjects reguisito;.-,;. -J.; ~',..'.: . . i ■J.Df.'iChilton J (Canterbury,.;.-'CoUege).,said that.3heVwas;;not;;ratisned:;; , m :preseni • There; should: be '■■ some: , miitriculatibnS. aid' fiinl , . examination ■ for :th«i .bachelor's'idegreeiiii.' arts\or science; L irhich->'finai;--:althonglir-teken'^in : ;two ■ sec-l.tijonß,';'really..-wa3 ;ono •■'. examination;' ■Such fanit'int&mediato-v examination -would .;' be fa ..testj/as' to .'.whether';-the student ; .had a. *snffipie'ntly.'-;brpad ; basis •■•to build,. oju'S'.'At ■ipre^t' ; a ; -B;t;'degree. ! c'ould.be.;obtßiiied by; .&)': stiidentl Hayiiig'-'no;;knowledge ■,'of ejther/ .p experunontal^;'■;;;; or- ; : ;eobs6ryiitional. science^CTEo : .;B.Sc.;sdegree'Vwuld/Jie ~'bb-. tained,by. 'specialisatiottSin'fsciiince .and iifS.tptal' negl^ : : : ■o'f4;lit&afee : ]i l :science. &ti^? A £i : .&■:>s ;'• .! .M'BowellJ('Auckland);; thought', that lit j i^^p^β^a , turβ''t.o?into itib'n!. jnsW'afJor.i'i-niatriijilation.,-.,.. Thoj should vgoT slowly si&§ regard to' altering bonlses : ;.of' which Hitherto proved.^^-so ysahsfactory.'-:'■Specialisation j.h' Am?rkay'. ; where . Hhe"•:student /'.was I'-pur^iunivorsity.:was ■ modelled.- .oni'Scotch, .universities , more;; than; on . any;;- other.; 'i ..th'eir;- : courses "wbuld.'all go the jScptcbj:;unjversities" ; would:, ..rang'el.themselves aloigside'the.i.mqdelrn :English uni-versities."'-">lf they ;did;'-npt-;6eribiisly '-cpn■sider; bf'''lagging!:bchmd:.': other, uniyersities'byreason .of.; their ;haphazard system. ■" Pro-' per'-Sconises.-'"! of .".co-prdinabed ;.subjscis should be - drawn .."up,' and; this. would: be;- '&'.-, difficult matter.' ■-,;,-.There ;had been" separntp :reports , ;tfrom: the,'professorial , '.bqards i; of* tho; ; :i ourfcolleges, ybut ■ these,, ; Senate was, np; further ■■fprward.:>'lf. the .various-pro-' feswrial: boards .had-"■been.;able : to • confer; !together ', i a? valuable; report..would: prob.-.' ably have, been .the;, outcome. : .He. euggesfcedri ■ that.-,the"; atimei, had.' .come',-. when theluniversity.'shpuld.-itakfe!;' Steps'to bring sbbardejinto; con>, iiecHon'.with: the governing, of -the university,-as.was-the;case;in;other unir yersities:';;;^5 •;.■ -J'- '■•'*'-'- : --f- y: ! 'X '■<'■ '•"■■\J- ";"' i '-

!/.The'/-Eey. ! i:i- f Cameron J moved•; to ; remit, the', question ■■ , of.■ the BJl;; and••'the. B..Sc" degree': courses'toi the; EeoessiiCommittee to:i;eportito::ii€xti;year's/senlitoV' iv \'i<'- y ■r/i^Cmember:': , \'Vhy-not;.a. conferenoe, of professbrialAboards? , ','":.:■::'.:'::/;■:,:[■.: : ,: •;> : Mr./; Cameron '■■, replied, .that.' he'-, had. no objection;'to ithat,.course, ' provided-.:.that; the : : had : power,; to. call: such, 'cpn-ference-.tb "Becess-Committeo conferring ■with, i'representatiyesl.of .'.the...professorial bdatds;-, '.'/'•; : . : ''.-' ''--'.'■■:' ;, ':'. " : c-,- '.. : ;-'- : '-; Professor'' Salmpid ''said that '"■ he' : was. gkd , ' to see that':-_Mr.: Hdgben: and' those, associated with -him -.in'.-. lie /advocacy ■; of specialisatioE .had.'greatly;inddined : ;their •proposals'.' /?/. The ".university',/'began :• with a- B.A', 'degree oi .traditional .lines,-,and instituted-.a;:.B.Sc.' : degree -later': to , meet tho'demand '; for more-(modern .-requiremehts.;:v-.-:/;'.■'''.;.'■:;.■/'.':; /XJ-V 1' , ,;."'-'-;.'■"■■■•' ■'■•'.'i:-K'-'Mrv r.yon ;.Haast. said that ■the intermediate. ■ examination; would, be -; : step in'a'refqrm 'which;.-was.;Ußdoubtedly/re-quired' in - the; university.'-. Another'needed";refbrm;':was',the.;'raising of the,;stand-ard''of:,"matriculation^!-:;At. presentvffle student did not •receive a,general culture ■ j-fhevgdt' a'-emattering/pf;-many..subjects, I 'which • I led ; 'him:. nowhere.';/■ Our'Vstandard of : degrees;had ■ fallen, ,was ■ falling,-.; and would:fall-'spiiong-jas:,the greater' part' of pur students, oh account: of earning their own devoted //only ..their' eyenings to': study; • 'Every '■ candidate- .for examination should be reauired. to present a certificate,;;that he 'had/attended., a.'course 'of , :'lectures'of not.less;' than; α-certain number, of; honrsl;,! Those -students who ,cduld not/devote their, .whole .time ; .to study should/.takeVa ;year.,or•■ two, longer. over, th"eir, oonrse. ";/A-' 'defiiiite'vj'.csurse .should'be.' liid. :dpwn leading '•from', one. subjeot. to; others'; related to it,, and then a .specialisation in some'subject. /There should' als6' : ibe three standardsf-a' .pass etaiidard,. a• grade •higher.: than^,pass: and lower/ than''-honours; and;. the: honours, .standard ."/for"those /who.''."desired /to. specialise. The professorial: bPards should. be./"eree.ted;/into .something. like the/ congregation/at Oxford, and should be given a:definite. standing: in the university.;.-. , ■ After'. fnrther •■■ discussion, the ; original proposal /was withdrawn;'.' 'and-, the' .follo.w-: ing motion by. the Eey. A. Cameron'.was the ■ whft'le. question/of courses .for- degrees bo •remitted; to. : a. BeoegsivCpmjnittee for consideration, ■'■the../committee," to have power tp. .consult - representaKyee o f . the professorial. .boaTds,-'rand,. 'fbr-'.,this, purr to call 'a-oonferenco'of■ professorial-boards.''