NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 14

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

CAMBRIDGE AND REFORM. (Bt "Socbatis.") Of sigmfioant importance axe the eesriea of recommendations whioh were embodied in the report, recently issued by the Council of the Senate, on the constitution and. government of Cambridge University, drawn . up as the result of a memorial from members of the Senate in the EasteT. terra of 1909. The questions dealt with are largely those of internal economy, but of considerable moment in view of the expressed undertaking by the Senate to consider the question of the relation of the colleges to the university and to one another, at an' early date. The recommendations referred to will be di* cussed on April 28. Briefly, they relate to.:-(a). Composition of the Senate; (b) roconsiatution of the , electoral roll to form a House of Residents; (o) distribution of powers between the Senate and the House of ResMents; : (d).the constitution and powers of, (1). the Council of the Senate, (2) the Financial Board, (3) the General Board of Studies. .

The occasion of the. proposals dealing with the composition of- the Senate is the. fact thai a large number of, graduates remove their names from the boards when they have taken their first or second degree. The Senate is in consequence far from, including all the graduate members of the university; and, in the opinion of the council, the university suffers by the loss of connection with its past members. The council believes that this defect may be to a large degree remedied by a. rearrangenwnt of the charges made to members of the university, by way of degree fees and quarterly dues, and proposes to reduce the fees for the B.A. aiid M.A. degrees, to abolish, the capitation tax now levied upon graduate members of the university, and to meet by an increise of.the capitation tax levied on members of the university who have not taken their ■ first ■ degree the loss which would be thus incurred. They propose al th« same time that this tax should bo levied terminally instead of quarterly as at! present. The council is of opinion that it is desirable to form a House of Residents; which should havo control of a large part of the, current administration of the university, and consist of the principal offi; cials of the university and all bona fido resident members of • the Senate engaged in the worj?,qf teaching, research, or administration in. the university and the colleges, as follows:— (a) Lecturers or teachers in the university appointed by the Senate, or by a I board with the approval of the vicechancellor. '■• - '• . ' Lecturers recognised by the- General Board of Studies or by Special Boards of Studies. • Superintendents,, directors, and curators provided for in • the ordinances. ' Demonstrators and assistants to professors provided for in the ordinances._ Assistant and departmental librarians provided for in the ordinances. ■ The assistant registrary. The, deputy proctors. ■ .' ■■< The chairmen, secretaries, assistant secretaries, and' members of . permanent syndicates and boards. Examiners appointed by grace to conduct examinations in the university or to adjudicate scholarships and prizes. (b) Heads ,of public hdstels, the censor of non-collegiate students, tutors, and : assistant tutors, deans, praelcctors; lecturers/ directors of studies, bursars, treasurers, stewards,': chaplains, librarians, and organists of colleges and public hostels and under the Non-Collegiate Students' Board. As regards tho distribution of powers between the Senate and the House of .Residents,' the council proposes to reserve to tho Senate the final decision as to enactments of new statutes and changes of statutes, including all the matters at present regulated by. statute, and also ; certain matters of ordinance, including regulations affecting residenco and admission to degrees, and regulations affecting certain privileges .of members of the Senate; that the enactment of statutes and changes statutes should come in .the -first instance before the Kesidont House, and that tho Resident House should have the power of making all regulations which affe-st telching, research, discipline, and administration, .saving such matters , as are expressly reserved to the Senate; that, with the exreption of appointments of delegates to represent,the university on various occasions, all.'- appointments., now made by graco of the Senate should be made by the Resident House.' As regards sued regulations and appointments, tin council lia* • 'adopted (bo principle that tho Resident Houso should have the final decision.. h ' - .

Then follow corhiii ■' rficnmmendntinns dealing with the constitution and powers of the. university. Thj mai.l points of interest, however, lie in the foregcing.