A COSTLY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2682, 31 January 1916, Page 6

A COSTLY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

CAN THE COUNTRY AFFORD IT? (To the Editor.) Sir,—Of the making and multiplying of university boards and bodies, there seems to be no end! Wo Jiavo always bad tlio Senate at tho head of things. Wo have also had four college councils, four professorial boards, and four courts ol' convocation. The college councils, the professorial boards, the courts of convocation had always liad tho right and power to submit their viows and suggestions on things academic to tho Senate, and they have regularly done so. The courts of convocation have, it is true, counted for little moro than mere pawns in the hands of intriguing university politicians; and it is to bo earnestly hoped that tho present Minister of Education will fully investigate the gross abuses that have disclosed themselves in connection with tho ejection of representatives of Convocation to the college councils and to the Senate.

Tlio professorial boards and tlio college councils have always kept I closely ill touch _ with the Senate in, connection with its educa'ijonal legislation. Recent legislation, however, wonderful to relate, has added one more advisory board to this complicated arrangement of courts, councils, ctc.,_ eto. We have now a "Board of Studies," consisting of 20 professors (live from each of the four university colleges). Those 20 professors represent 110 faculties or subjects (officially). They simply represent general professorial politics—and are to meet (is it credible?) every year —as a kind of advance advisory board to tho Senate, which consists of 24 members, all of them of academic standing, and one-third (or thereby) of them university professors! Here, then, we havo (under recent legislation) two university bodies —a Board of Studies, consisting of 20 men, and a Senate, consisiv ing of 24 men, meeting annually to deal with practically tho same work! Now, surely all this is ludicrous—wholly unjustifiable. Think of the absolutely needless cost entailed to tho country.It is clear that on? or tho other of those bodies is to enjoy an annual holiday at the expense of tho already heavily-burdened country! One could readily understand the Senate's being called upon to summon a meeting of each faculty once, say, in every five years or so. The Science faculties might meet one year, the Arts' next year; tlio Law in tho following year, and so on with Commerce and Medicine. Such conferences would enable the faculties, as well as the teachers in each I university subject, to bring things periodically up-to-date (so to speak) in their respective departments by making valuable suggestions to the Senate. But what oil earth a General Board of Studies, miscellaneously assorted, and with no mandate from any particular faculty, is going to get to do annually that could not as efficiently and effectively be done by a competent Senate passes comprehension! If the costly Board of Studies, consisting of 20 miscellaneously assorted professorial experts is to meet annually merely' to suggest to the Senate how things ought to be done, and to keep perpetually tinkering statutes and syllabuses, what can ivo expect but eternal friction and academic chaos? Think of the Senate's predicament! it is sure to he under continual fire! The Board of Studies, the college councils, tho professorial boards, and the courts of convocations have standing orders to open fire upon it at any moment 1 What a legislative pandemonium is in store for us in connection with things academic can he readily "guessed at "! Hore is an example of the sort of thing in store for us : • "Tlio favourite diversion of the younger tutors," said the late Warcfen of Merton Collocr, Oxford, "for the last 40 years and moro has been tinkering examination statutes. During that period hardly one term has elapsed witliout some fresh amendment of them, and since they have'often been tinkered more than once in the same term, it would be safe to estimate that at least 150 alterations havo been made in them since the great (Oxford) reforms of 1850-7. Assuredly 110 tutor could 6tand an examination in the examination statutes themselveß, and I have sometimes heard the legislative imbecility of the University compared with that of a child pulling up plants to see whether they are growing." What can we expect in connection with academic affairs in this Dominion but "legislative imbecility" if our Gov-, eminent is to tolerate such an intolerable condition of affairs in university administration any longer ?—I am, etc., "EILE MIT WEILE."