ONE STEP FORWARD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1345, 24 January 1912, Page 6

ONE STEP FORWARD.

UNIVERSITY REFORM. PROFESSORIAL CONFERENCE. ". ; '/' SENATE'S DECISION; ..'■-. After a debate which lasted all the morning nnd well 'iiito 'the afternoon, the. University-; Semit- adopted the suggestion of Mr. .Tas. Allen, M.P., that.representatives' of- tho professorial boards of the 'α-fbiiatal colleges should meet in annual -conference for the. purpose of discussing questions referred .to them by the Senate. ' . Professors and Senate. Mr; Allen's proposal read as follow:— 1. "That the :benato arrange- for an annual conferenco c-f representatives from the professorial boards of affiliated institutions to, bo held-in turn .. ..in Auckland, ..Wellington, Cliristf.hurch, and Duuediu, at times to bo ■•. fixed • by• the.Semite. .--.. : ■'i."Thiit six re-preseTitatives be appoint- '., ed annually; by., .'each of the i'rpfes- . serial ,Boards to attend the' c'onfer- ., '.eac*.;,. .. ...'. . . -..,-, ... }. ."Thnt .a't tho firSt 'meeting of the con- ." fcKmco-. a' chairman he. appointed, . ~'nh'd ,flia.t.he hayo. a-deliberative and ...a.ciiiti'ug Vote. '.- 1.-'"Th«'t the oonfe.rcncfl be empowered .to oonsidorf-(a)' Any .m'attoi- referred to .".it by .the Senate,'(h) tho courses of .instruction for tho. degrees' diplomas, ' .'l'a'fid certificates of the, University, nnd the. various examinations conducted , by..tho University,land to report, the results of ijKir deliberations to tho 'Senate for'-.its' consideration, f,"That tho Senate be'authorised to in- . vitc any of themembers of the staffs " of the affiliated institutions to give ' evidence when the conference deems this "necessary ..for' the profcer cluci- ' ;datiou' of. the subject under consideration. ' ■■■ . '".■''

IS..''That expense of. the conference, including the cost of witnesses sumtnon- '. Ed under section 5, bo paid out oi' the '.• ■ funds, of the University of New Zea- ■ . land." v, . ■:■' l ' ■ '

•'•■.The--'motion was seconded ,by Sir Charles Bo'weu (Vice-Chancellor of the University).' .... '.'. SpeaTain?' to his motion, Mr. Allen said I hat experience had shown that the reference of'questions': to the separate' college'- professorial boards was Unsatisfactory. . .Tho -University" ' had already agreed with tho' principlo of joint conferences v of'representatives of the four colleges, and it,was'clear that such conferences tended to'-promote -a closer relationship -between' the professoTiiil boards and the Senate. • If these conferences ' were to be constituted on a permanent basis, legislation would, of course, be required: ■ He did not think that that - course- was -necessary at present— the'Seuute could convene such'conferences as ho proposed, from year .to ■• year, and these would encourage tho professorial element to take a more intimate interest in the affairs of tho University. The expense, which would be borne by the Senate-; would not exceed .S2GO.: It -was a stop that tho.Senate hail to faoe,. for it was becoming more and more necessary-every year to apply to the professors for opinions on important questions. He hoped the Senate would adopt tiro proposal. ■ •■■'■•■ The Voice of Opposition. / ■Profesjoi: J Macmijlan Brown (Canterbury) opposed tlie motion. Tho. experience : of'a. previSus professorial conference had- shown, in his opinion, that the work of the Somite'was c6:np'liKitp;l.rather than fac'ilitiite.crßy such- a; system. They wiqu'ld have enHlera" tfpjbj'e.'. ••'•■•'• "-\ . - "Why.■"■"queried 'M*/- Allen. ' ' '" ' \ "On tho last occasion they sent in recommendations which had. to be drafted into proper form," explained Professor Macmi|lan Brown. "That'was beoaaso you referred them baok'to the separate colleges," said Mr. G. Hogben (Inspeitor-Genrn-al of Schools).

Continuing,' Professor Macn'illan Brown suggested that Mr. Allo.i's propyls betrayed fomn confusion of mind. He htvd hoard.it .said of the.Senate that it was merely a lay body. "\ didn't say it," sail Mr. Allen. "It is sin exMllent phrase," said Pro- / fesor Maomillan Browii, "and I accept ' it." Tho lay mind, \w continued, was at least froo f-r-jin , bias. Tho classical mind was moved by heaven-born inspirations. Would tho Senate, in the event of , Mr. Allen's proposals being adopted, be allowed to send representative!? who would be able to hear the* reasons which prompted the resolutions which such a conference might adopt? Th-ero was no reference to that in-the proposals. It had been said that tho Senate was a conservative body. To his mind, the Senate hadgiven .-.evidence-of being quite, revolutionary in its ideas. Again, what of the graduates of tho University.'. ,Mr. Allen's motion ignored not only the. graduates, but the Government, two of the most important elements' in the [fniversity's oonstiti;- , ency. Tho constitutional'course was fo Tefer academic, questions to the.-export professors in the respective subjects npon which information or advice was desired, and the question then was reviewed by tho general body .'elected by the constituency of tho University'. • An Amendment. Re.moved the following amendment:— •"(1) That on important questions relating to the dofinHion of any subjects or examination or ■ curriculum, the members of the College' staffs that teach it be asked their advice, and if this shows conflict) that a conferenco of these teachers bo. arranged. "(2)'That oil. all questions of principle reiliiHng to' the constitutions degrees, or methods of the Univer.-ity where the opinion is. equally, or nearly equally, divided, a referendum of the members <if tho staffs of the governing bodies and'of tbn convocations of the colleges l>o taken." The adoption of his mbtion, said Professor Macmillan'Brown, would enahjc tlin, Senate to' avoid this everlasting, Bcethiiig, perennial agitation. A conference of the kind suggested was one. of the purest ways" of diddling away the funds of the, university. The 'amendment was seconded by tho Hon. J. A. Tolci who saw no necessity for Ihe'establishihenVof a fixed body-such an was implied by tho motion. Ho had lately,, perceived on (ho part of certain members.a-disposition to insert now the thin. end of (ho wedgo with regard to an extension of the authority of the prqfcs'soriativ ' He- regarded " " the professoriate'. ~:oi'.' the. ■ university as the repository-of, technical subjects ;-'an~d with'.respect. : tp. thf-so the, University Senate',naturally, deferred ;ip the judgment.of its experts. But tho. actual result of' tho ado'p.tidn.by the' Senate of Mr. .Allen's proposals'with regard to an annual, conference" of representatives 'of tho professoriate would |je to render the Seriate "functiis .oHicio"—they were asked to. set. lip a body stronger than themselves. "Expeftus,' Exportior,' Expertissimus." Professor J. Kankine Brown (Wellington) prefaced his remarks with an interesting definition of the expert, as lie ■regarded it.. It was desirable, he said, tha't.tho confusion of thought which appeared to prevail with regard to this point should bo dispelled beforo- the ground could be cleared for a proper survey of the position. As a simple comparison, he placed himself in the position of an expert, as distinct froiu a lay member of tho Senate. . A? Professor ' of Classics at Victoria College, lie might'be regarded in a- superlative sense as "expertissiuiris," -in that ho possessed.an expert, knowledge of Latin and Greek. Jsy the same, reasoning he might be regarded, in-a comparative, sense, as "e*ppftior"M> far. as thp value of .his opinion -ton any linguistic subject, was concerned, in tho eiirao degree as, for example, a professor of .chemistry might legitimately claim to comparative expertitude . in a . cognate science.such.a-s botany. Then, by reason of his long association with the univ.ee? sity.hc might .be regarded as/'expcrtiis" in 'questions of university organisation. On these three points, then—and, this without any intention of insisting other members—ln; might be regarded as more of an expert than the, lay members of tho Senate. ' -. •. ■ . "Oil —ho I Ha! Fla!" ejaculated ProtcsBOr Macmillau Brown. An "Abominable System." Continuing, Professor Kankine Brown remarked 'that, from what had boon said by. Professor' Macmillau Brown and the lion. Mr. Tole, it would appwir that they were opposed to every university in the world 'except the Now Zoiiliiml University. In all other uiiiversitiee the .professors

took a predominant pail; in tho settlement oF academic..questions; Uic Senate ,\va> a profe.-ioiial body.. Only in' A T r-.w ;Zealand was the Semite the Jiiy body, fu the most recently-constituted JJritish Uni- . versity, that of Bristol, the professoriate had the. power even of 'appointing and .dismissing examiners. LIo emphasised that point. "1 should like to. reiterate ; .what .1- said yesterday." he said. "J'ro'fessors in New Zealand are treated in a way that they are treated nowhere else in .the world." . M'hy: wax it, he asked warmly, that, the professoi.-! in Xew Zealand were not regarded as heinjf competent to advise on mutters-of university organisation nnd administration? That whatever advisory functions as -had hren extended to'Micin wertt extended ex'gratia, and llotiis a matter of right? 'llhe abominable system suggested liy the Commissioners for tho Scotch Universities in 183!), and vory properly rejected I>y these institutions, was similar to the antiquated system which iii New Zealand had .placed tho professors in'such an invidious ]>osttion ami-inspired the recent movement for reform. , . ' -._■'■■ A Threat! He was satisfied that if' the New Zealand University constitution were abolished, and a commission appointed to reorganise it, tho reconstructed institution would be designed roughly on tho lines of.the best' Homo universities, haling ieennl,; of course, to local circumstances. .Keferring to the. reform movement, Professor Rankine Brown, explained that- he 1 had not previously identified himself lrith tho University Reform Association, and he had on. that account been credited with being in opposition to tho- movemertt. That was not so. He was earnestly desirous of reform, but believing -himself that-the university was slowly moving in the desired direction, he had' preferred to let events lake their.course, being satistied then ] that the 'indications were favourable. ,If, however,—he did hot Wish those - present to construe what he was about to fay into a threat—the Senate persisted in its refusal to recognise the justice of the -professors' claims to a larger voice in academic questions, public opinion would compel-it-to-abandon its conservatism in that respect. Hβ would throw himself heart ami'soul into tho reform' movement. (Laughter.) ■ "A. threat!" exclaimed a senator. (Laughter.) - ; ' The Work of Busybodies, Professor I'. 'D. Brown (Auckland) said that Under its : original constitution tho Senate-of the New Zealand University was an expert body. ' But that constitution had since been modified by the' interference of certain busybodies, anil tho Senate was now representative of various electoral bodies. TMs was wrong.- If the Senato had fallen away from its orig-inal-form and character it was the fault of its constituents in electing tho wrong people to represent them. He himself thought that a conference would be ii vory goad thing. 'As for the cost of this conference—the last meeting of the Senate cost .£500;- Would.tho proposed conference be beyond tho control of the Senate,? However, he would not object to that, even. (Laughter.) It could be abolished if it w-ere not satisfactory. (Laughter.) , .

Mr. 6. Hogben (Inspector-General of Schools), referring to the professorial conference' held last year, said that the professors conferred for two days, and brought'.down valuable suggestions. The work of the professors -was by no means improved when the Recess Committee of the University took tho report in hand. Tho most definite report the Senate ever had presented to it was thereport of that conference on the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees, and that report was afterwards clouded over, by the Kcc&ss-Committee. -Had the Senate'been more definite in its reference, and'asked tlie conference to state its -suggestions in.- the form of statutes, there would have been no ground for Professor Macinillan- Brown's, contention that these conferences, would increase the work .of the Senate." Ho kiiew.of no other bedy where the first order of reference was not to the teachers. "London University," suggested the Chancellor (Sirißobert Stout). , "Tho position of London University is unique—"peculiar to Xondon. There is no other place like London," declared Mr. Hogben. "Hear, hear!" said several senators. The Expert Fetish, As for Professor Macmillan ' Brown's argument that the constitutional course for , the Senate to follow with Tespect to academic questions was to submit these to the respective experts in. the professoriats and not the general body of professors, Mr. Hogben pointed out that this course would inevitably be followed, iind with far greater advantage to the Senate, by the Professorial Confer- , enoe. To accept the dicta of selected specialists in a particular subject without reference to the relationship of that subject to cognate subjects was to outrage the principles of true education. "You "can't do it" he declared. ' "Oh, yes-" asserted Professor Macmillan Browii. , •

"You can't," insisted the InspectorGeneral. As for the referendum proposed by Professor Macmillan Brown, He asked tb,fr»Senate to imagine the' difficulty of framing questions for referenda when the Sen.jiro iteelf was divided. Who would frame them ? "A committee consisting of yourself," suggested Professor Macmillian Brown, to the accompaniment of some laughter. Mr. Hogben remarked that innocent levity of this kind was rather refreshing in a dry debate. "Bulldozed by Outsiders." Tho Chancellor (Sir Robert Stout) sajd that the Senate had no power under the statutes to constitute a confereuce of the kind suggested. He thought that the motion might be amended in the direction of recommending Parliament to grant the necessary legislation. The Chancellor denied th« suggestion that, thp. New Zealand University was unique in its constitution, end instanced the -constitution of the Sydney University. It was nonsense to suggest.otherwise. . Mr. llogben protested against the use of tho word "nonsense." It. was unparliamentary.

"Well," said the Chancellor, "if tho honourable- member objects—(laughter)— I'll withdraw the word 'nonsense' and substitute the word 'absurd.'" (Laughter.) Keferring to the representation of tho proposed conference, the speaker contended that, tho basis was unfair. "If wn are going to have a rpnl senatus academiciis, we' must have-till the professors ot all the colleges." (Hear, hear.) . He would vote- against the motion and tho amendment. "I hope," he concluded; "that the Senato will not allow itself to bo bull-dozed by- outsiders with threats of compulsion. If our present coustitutiou is to ho destroyed, let Parliament take Ihc'responiibilit-yi' , - ■■■■' '-.

Dr.Fitc.hett siiid ho-would support the motion. It was u step in the right .direction,- and would bring" t.ho'. professors actually'and officially into ii correct relationship with tho university./' The Key. A. Cameron thought that (ho Senate.might agree to a preliminary conference, which -would draft suggestions for a permanent one. ■

Mr. 11, I , '. Von Haast agreed wil.h tho Chancellor that the conference should be legally constituted. There would then bo the Senate, convocation, and the academic body. At present the statutes provided only'for- tho Senate and the Courts of Convocation. Ho was in favour of a quinqiicnpial . conference; that would permit of a legislative rest in thp, intervals, and preclude unsettling agitations. Mr. Allen then replied, "lie scouted the Chancellor's suggestion, that legal authority was necessary. They had had already one conference. Why not another? lie advised the Senate to use considerable, caution lyitli regard to appeals to the Legislature. I'rofesjw Macmillan Brown's suggested referendum- whs-100 absurd to merit, serious consideration. Proposals Carried. i The questions were then submitted to the. vote.. The first clause of Mr- Allen's motion wns carried before the lunehtibn adjournment. After lunch various amendment; not affecting the general purpose of tho proposals,were made t.o the.remaining clauses which finally emerged from snccssive .divisions a= follows:'— . I. Original clause carried.• '2. Amended to read:—-"Tho (irsl conference to consiil of seven representatives from each• college, with Ihe iiddilion ot the heads of special schools iii medicine, mining, engineering, and dentistry." I). Original clause,curried; ~ .. 4. Amended to read.:—"That (he cotifen.'iicc be empowered to consider any mutter referred .to-it-by the Semite, and to report the results of its deliberations to- the Senate for its consideration." .1. Deleted. ■ ■ ■ . ••■-■•■ IS.-Amended to rcad:'-"Thiit the ex, penie of'ihe conicruuee be paid out of the funds-of tho University of New iiealand,'-