VICTORIA COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 9

VICTORIA COLLEGE

COURT OF CONVOCATION

DEGREE STATUTES DISCUSSED

The annual meeting of the Court oE Convocation of Victoria University College was held last night. About fifteen graduates woro present, including Professor Kirk, Professor -Hunter, and Mr. F. P. AVilson, of the College teaching staff. Mr. T. It. Fleming presided.

Mr. T. R'. Fleming was re-elected chairman.

Before proceeding with the business before the meeting, tho chairman made somo reference to the part borne by students aud ex-students of the College in the war. Ho aaidi that the officers of tho different associations connected with the College were doing tlieir best to compile a roll of honour, and he hoped members of Convocation would assist in this work. He 'understood that some 200 men of Victoria College had enlisted for active service, and it was, he thought,-a matter for congratulation that tho Collego had provided such a number of men for such a service. He aßked the meeting to record a vote of sympathy with the relatives of those who had fallen or suffered wounds or sickness. The motion was affirmed in the usual manner. The meeting then discussed for two hours the recommendations of the Board of Studies of the University for amendments in the statutes of the B.A. arid B.Sc. degrees. , - , The meeting approved without much discussion the proposal that for the B.Sc. degree the fresh section should consist of four subjects of intermediate grado, and that the second and final section should comprise two "repeat" subjects, or one "repeat" and two other intermediate subjects. There was not the 6ame acquiescence in the suggestions of the Board of Studies regarding the pass degree in Arts. The board recommended that the first sect/ion should 1 consist oi five intermediate subjects, and the second of two "repeat" subjects or ono "repeat" and two intermediate subjects. Professor Hunter -urged that these proposals were unfair in that they favoured unduly those students intending to specialise and t'ako honours in languages, and he feared that the board's decision on this point ' might'have been influenced by the fact that the great majority' of the members of the Board of Studies happened to be languages men'. The inan' who specialised ill languages, say Latin and French,- Dr. lunter' contended,' would' as a matter of course repeat Latin and French for the final of nis 9 pa'ss, and continue with them for honours, so .that having once got rid of his extra siibjects in tho first section, he would not again be trammelled with any subjects, outside of those in which he. specialised 1 , for the remainder of his college career. On the other hand, the student, who would specialise in, say, economics, would take economics along with four other subjects for his first section, but when he repeated it for his final ne would .have to take two other intermediate subjeots, aud would he embafassed by them seriously. ■ . . After discussion, it was decided to recommend to tho board that the first section of .the board degree compriso four intermediate subjects. Dr. Hunter then moved that-.Convooa- . tion recommend that "the second section comprise either two repeat subjects, or one repeat and one intermediate. He urgod. this. for. reasons stated—that .unless a student was going for honours in languages or metheniatics —"double-bar-i relied" subjects—he would be at a gravo disadvantage under the proposed new statutes. • ,Mi'. G. Hogben feared that this would have little chance of adoption for tho reason that it'seemed arithmetically to , be reducing the ;woight - of tho Arts '• degree by comparison with the Science degree. He realised that mere number , of subjects was not a proper guide, aud 1 the 1 difficulty would not bo solved-unless groups of subjects' for - specialisation were fixed, and their relative weight • defined. He moved as an amendment that the second 1 half, of the B.A. degree be two languages/up to the "repeat" standard (which is two., years above intermediate standard), or tho equivalent in work-in some other group of subjects such as philosophy, economics, mathematics, or history. This amendment was accepted by Dr. . Hunter and agreed to. The only ob- ■ jection raised to the rocommendations 3 generally was by Professor Kirk, who s contended that if .they were adopted tlic > Science .degree would be much heaviei " than the Arts degree. . The recommendation of the Board ol j Studies to abolish outside examinations ; for the Science and Arts degrees were adopted without any opposition. '. There was a brief discussion on the rating assigned to eduoation as a subject in a University course. It was re solved, on the motion of Mr. Hogben Hi at this subject' should be put on ar 8 ' equal footing with other subjects in th< degree course. It was decide,d that a vote of thanki bo accorded to the Hon. A. L. Herdmai - for his services as a representative o k Convocation on tho College Council.