HIGHER EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 3

HIGHER EDUCATION.

♦- VICTORIA COLLEGE IN FINANCIAL STRAITS. APPEAL FOR GOVERNMENT AID. MINISTER FOR EDUCATION SYMPATHETIC. . Tho embarrassed financial stato of Victoiia College was brought officially uniler tlio notice of the Hon. James Allen (Minister for Education) on Saturday by a deputation consisting of members ol' tlio College Council and of tbo Professorial .Board, when nil appeal lor financial aid, and a number or other requests, wero addressed to the Minis-tor by Mr. H. H. Ostler (chairman of tlio College Council). Mr. Ostler informed tho Minister that tho College Council had recently decided, by a largo majority, to grant representation to the Professorial Hoard upon the council, as in Auckland and Otago. They desired that the Victoria College Act should bo amended to alter the namo of the College to the Victoria University College. It was also sought to amend the Act by increasing the number of councillors from sixteen to seventeen, so that the chairman of tho Professorial Board should be ex-oiiicio a member of the council; and that tho profossors.be given tho right to recommend one of their number as another member of the council, instead of the indirect representation they now possessed. No professor on' tho council should be entitled, it was asked, to vote on any question relating to salaries of the stalf. They asked that tile Act should be amended deleting tho provision that a chairman of the Proletaorial Board or tho council should bo elected every two years, and that tho council should be given power to say whether lecturers, when should become members of the Professorial Board. In connection with a plea for Government assistance, it was pointed out to tho Minister that the chairman of tho Professorial Board had to do his own secretarial work, such as writing up minutes in tho same old way as when tlio college started. At present, Mr. Ostler went on to state, professors could bo appointed to Victoria College only for a term of five years, whereas in the other university colleges of the Dominion professors were appointed permanently. They desired that tho Victoria College Act ishould be amended this session, to provide for the permanent appointment of professors. Tho point was raised, Mr. Ostler explained, in connection with the superannuation scheme for professors which was approved by Parliament last year. 1 Inadequate Fees. On the subject of fees, Mr. Ostler stated j that' though the college had been granted [ power to increase fees, as from the beginning of the year, it was on .condition that, so far as students now on the books of the college were concerned, fees should, not be raised until 1915. This meant that there wero two classes of students at the collego paying different fees. It was calculated that this year alone, because of the .restriction, tho collego had lost something like in fees. Power was also asked to levy a. college fee of, 6ay, J2l per student per year. The Minister: I thought you had that power now. .' Mr. Ostler: No; the Education Department decided that wo had. not tho power. The Minister: It is a common practice elsewhere. . The superannuation scheme for professors, Mr. Ostler continued, contained cortain anomalies which should bo romoved. Under the Act the professors had to elect to come under the scheme by July, 1, or not at all. The professors wero in this quandary: If they elected now to come under the Act nnd they were not reappointed at tho end of tho fivo years' term, then all they got_ in return was their contributions, without interest". They''asked for on extension of timo in which to decido whether or not they should como under the Act. It was thought that, to make tho schemo more attractive, the professors should bo ablo to draw more than JC3OO on retirement. A Subsidy Suggested. Mr. Ostler went on to stato that the College 'was in serious financial straits. It wanted something like JEUOO to enable it to carry on and the provision of this sum would not enable it to increase tho scope of its educational work. "If tho Government does not oome to onr assistance straight away," Mr. Ostler declared, "we will have to practically close the doors. At any rate, we shall liavo to reduce the staff, and wo must give our staff a certain amount of notice before we start reducing." Concluding, tho speaker emphasised tlio groat public work : being carried out at the college, and claimed that the council, not only should not lw put in tho present position, but was entitled to the assurance of its position in the future. The least tho Government could do was to subsidise donations to tho oollege as it did those to secondary schools. THE MINISTER'S REPLY. WHAT THE WELLINGTON PUBLIC MIGHT DO. The Minister, in replying, reminded members of the deputation of his own personal interest in university education and assured them that he was conversant with their wants. Ho considered that the Victoria College Council had acted wisely in deciding to permit direct professorial representation. Ho thought it unnecessary to make provision in tlio Act restricting professors from voting on questions of salaries, but agreed that the Act might lie altered to provide against lecturers becoming members of the professorial board. In Otago, they were only admitted after what wa3 practically a probationary period. Tho Minister further agreed that tlio better principle with regard to the appointment of. professors was tho method adopted in Otago of appointing for five years, and reappointment at the end of that term permanently. Regarding fees tho Minister stated that he would not give a definite answer that day. Ho would like to consult his colleagues as to why tho increase should not be charged until 1915. After ascertaining why such a provision had been made he would notify them on the subject. As for an amendment of tho Act, with regard to superannuation, ho was afraid that could not bo done this year. Amendments proposed for the year wero so nnmerous that he hesitated to touch the superannuation measure this session. Referring to.tho general difficulties of the college, as outlined by the chairman of tlio council, the Minister stated he was well awaro of them. Tlio Inspector-General had investigated and reported on tho finances of tho four University Colleges—they intended to deal with the lot. "For instance, there are very gravo difficulties with regard to Auckland," observed Mr. Allen, "and that college is probably tlio worst off. There are a lot of old buildwhich can scarcely bp called a university Tho Auckland demands would certainly have to bo mot soon, os the needs there were very pressing. 110 would not give them any further ossuranco than that at present. As for tho idea of Victoria College having to rednco its staff ho would give them an assurance that the Government would not allow. tho council tcr be put in that position tin's year, at any rate. The position of the four colleges was being gone into. As for subsidising donations, he was quite prepared to recommend the Government favourably to consider tho question of subsidising public donations, provided they wero not too large. He instanoed recent cases wlioro the Government had supplied a -E for £ subsidy. "I do think," said the Minister, "that the Wellington public owes .something to its university college. (Hear, hcor.) If tlio public of Wellington will put their [ hands in their pockets, the Minister for Education, too, will do something in a practical way. My sympathies are entirely with you." Generally, (lie Minister promised investigation of tlio points raised.