UNIVERSITY STAFF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 6

UNIVERSITY STAFF

NEW APPOINTMENTS ACCOMMODATION FOUND The problem of finding accommodation for newly-appointed members of the staff of the University of Otago has been causing concern to the council for some time past. That it has been practically solved was revealed by Mr M. Joel in a brief report to the council at its monthly meeting yesterday. The meeting was attended by the Chancellor, the Very Rev. D. C. Herron, Sir Charles Hercus, Messrs J. C. H. Somerville, E. Partridge, I. G. Garden, M. Joel, A. Steel, D. C. Cameron. G. R. Ritchie, H. P. Kidson, W. R. Brugii, T. K. S. Sidey, Dr F. G. Soper, Dr C. M. Focken, and the Rev. H. J. Ryburn. “In the past six months or so we have appointed 16 professors and lecturers to the staff from outside Dunedin —11 from Great Britain, one from Australia, and four from other parts of New Zealand,” Mr Joel said. “Accommodation of various types had been found for all the appointees from Britain. There was sufficient accommodation in prospect to accommodate all the other appointees, except for two appointed just the other day and who come from- other parts of New Zealand. Judging by past results these two should be fixed up very soon.

The need for .further accommodation was still very great, Mr Joel said. Other appointments still had' to be made, and some of the accommodation was arranged fairly temporarily and some of it should be improved on. In one or two cases it was necessary to give undertakings to vacate at the end of next year properties which had been taken on short lease. Fortunately, the University was better placed than the private individual in that it could, if necessary, ensure that such undertakings were duly honoured. He therefore expected that people who are proposing to leave Dunedin for nine months or a year, or a shorter period, would continue to come forward and offer their flats or homes to the council during their absence. - . “So far the committee had not involved the University in any substantial expense,” he said, “ but there may be some cost, probably not very great, in the way of payment of rent between the time houses are available and the time people arrive to use them.”

On behalf of the council, Mr Herron thanked Mr Joel for his report and for the work he had done.