UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 4032, 23 June 1931, Page 5

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

’ MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the University Council was held on Tuesday afternoon, and was attended by the chancellor, Sir Thomas Sidey (in the chair), Sir James Allen, Sir Lmdo Ferguson, Messrs L. D .Ritchie, James Wallace, J. A. Moore. J. Rennie, J. C. Stephens, W. J MorC 3 G ilr &y. J- W. Dove, F. W. Mitchell, Drs Marshall Macdonald and J. ritzgerald, and Professor Inglis. The chairman welcomed Mr Mitchell to the council as the representative of the City 9 oun cil. On his suggestion, Mr Mitchell was appointed to the Finance and Works Committees. CORRESPONDENCE. Dr W. P. Morrell wrote expressing his willingness to act as the council’s representative at the Anglo-American Confer ence of Historians.—Received. Dr C. C. Anderson wrote resigning ..is position as lecturer in radiology.—The resignation was accepted, the question of his successor to be referred to the Finance and Medical Committees. The dean of the dental faculty recom mended:'—(a) That Mr G. H. Gilbert be appointed to the half-time position of demonstrator for the ensuing year from June 1 in place of Mr C. E. Moller, whose term had been completed. Mr Gilbert had been recommended for the senior scholarship in dentistry. (b) That Mr G. 8. Field be awarded the Leash Silver Medal for operative dentistry, (c) That Mr R. N. Cox be awarded the Burt Medal for orthodontics. The dean stated that the work done during the past year had been of outstanding quality.—Approved. Mr T. Durant (Seacliff) suggested that a suitable Latin inscription for the tablet to be erected alongside the cloeh would be “Ars longa vita brevis,” or if an English inscription were wanted, “ Time is the stuff life is made- of.”—The chancellor said the matter had been referred to Professor Adams.—The letter was received.

Dr, Durward forwarded his resignation from, the position of lecturer in anatomy. —The resignation was accepted, Dr Durward to be thanked for his services. It was also resolved that; Mr Keenan, who is taking his bachelor of-. medical science course, should be appointed to fill the vacancy until the end. of the yeair, and that the Finance and Medical Committees should be asked to report on what was to be done in 1932. \ ; Mr G. W. Reid applied for leave of absence for- the remainder of the current year, as he had been appointed a member of the Railway Board. He recommended that'the work be undertaken as follows:— Mr A. Thomas, book-keeping I; Mr L. M. Satterthwaite, advanced book-keeping; Mr L. D. M‘lver. auditing. '-He further recommended that Mr Hilliker and Mr Titchener be appointed as demonstrators at £l5 and £lO respectively .for the year, and he submitted the proposed remuneration of Messrs Thomas. Satterthwaite. and MTver- — The recommendations were agreed to, and it was decided to congratulate Mr Reid on his appointment. Dr D’Ath, professor of pathology, -wrote asking for leave of absence from January to June of next year, in order to enable him to visit the medical schools in America, Britain, and the Continent.— The matter was referred to the Medical and -Finance Committees.' It .was decided that Mr. J. B. Thomson be appointed as lecturer on jurisprudence at the University during the absence of Mr W. G. Hay. through illness. FINANCE AND MEDICAL COM- . ■ MTTTEES. . The-: Finance and Medical Committees reported having considered a request from Dr Malcolm for leave of absence during 1932. —It was resolved that the council be recommended to grant leave as requested. The Director-general of Health wrote on May 16 stating that the department was recommending provision for a grant of £175 for the current year for half salary of research work.—’Qie letter was received. The question of arranging for the carrying on of Dr Malcolm’s work during his absence was referred to the Medical and Finance Committees to bring in a report. These committees were also instructed to bring down a general recommendation regarding filling positions on the staff under similar circumstances.,,

The report was then adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee reported having considered a letter from Victoria College requesting the council’s co-operation in approaching the Minister of Finance with regard to the 10 per cent. cut. and with regard to the withdrawal of the salary of tbe professor of education.—lt was resolved that the registrar of Victoria Col lege be informed that the council does not think any good purpose will be achieved by approaching the Government and requesting reconsideration of the Government’s decision to reduce the statutory grant by 10 per cent., blit to inform him also that the council is quite willing to co-operate in approaching the Government for reconsideration of its decision to withdraw the salary of the professor of education, the registrar of Victoria College to be requested to inform this council as to what steps are proposed in regard to a joint protest. The registrar was instructed to write to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education setting out the council’s view that the withdrawal of the salary of the professor of education is entirely • unjustified, and asking for reconsideration of this decision The registrar, Victoria College, wrote with regard to the reduction of the statutory grant and the withdrawal of the amount for the salary of the professor of education. Canterbury College had replied sympathetically on both points, but Auck land was of opinion that nothing furthei should be done at the present time. His council has, therefore, decided to make no further move in the meantime. He suggested, however, that th siwas a matter for discussion by the conference of the four colleges Letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education stating that the matter would be looked in were received.

The commissioner of Crown lands wrote on May 18 stating that the lawdraughtsman had been requested not to make provision for the repeal of section 68 of the Reserves and other Lands Dis

noted etC ‘* Act ’ 1921 ' 22 '— The letter was A letter was received from Professor guesting the appointment of an additional typist for the home science exqtrn™ A n this letter Professor I stated an additional sum might be. available from the Carnegie Trustees in view of the favourable exchange The registrar was instructed to write to Sir James Allen asking if arrangements could be made for the appointment of a temporary typist. The SU 2? , of £ >>o was suggested as being a sufficient amount. ’ .J* was , res olved to recommend the council to take into consideration so far as the salary cut is concerned the cases, of S e *?9n e « S the Staff receiving a salary ot £2OB per annum or less. Mr Ritchie moved the adoption of the report with the exception of the clause relating to the “salary cuts.” He said he felt that as a chair of education had been established in each of the four colleges at the direct request of the Gov ernment —which undertook to pay the salaries—the Government, notwithstand mg the difficult times through which they '' e re passing--and which were effecting their University as well as everybody els? should be asked to stand to its promise and undertaking. The proposal was going r%n nvo Ve the council in a loss of some £4OO per annum. Mr Ritchie said he did not teel at the moment that he should ra ’ s e the larger questions at issue. Mr Stephens seconded the motion, which ■was carried.

a. connection with the clause relating t? t“e salary cut” Mr Ritchie moved that it be referred to the Budgeting which should submit a report from the Finance Committee, the Finance Co -» n J m ’4 tee to re P or t to the council Mr Stenhens: Does that mean that the council affirms the principle? Voices: No. The registrar (Mr Chapman) said that the council might give an opinion on th» point before it went to the Budgeting Committee. ” After some discussion Mr Ritchie's motion was then carried. WORKS COMMITTEE/ , The ™ ork3 Committee reported as follows: lh architects reported regarding works in progress, stating that repairs to the exterior of the two professors’ houses had been completed.—Thi s was noted. Rr Inglis and Mr Rennie reported further in regard to accommodation for experimental psychology. The installation of electric light would cost £lO 12s 6d and various constructional work would cost £45 15s. It was resolved to agree tt> all the items except that for a new bookcase (£3O 10s),- this item being left in the hands of the chairman with power to act after receiving a report from the architects.

The committee’s report was adopted. LIBRARY COMMITTEE. , The Library Committee reported bavin" considered a letter from Mr Skinner asking to be relieved of the duties attached to the Museum library and requesting further that these duties be undertaken by Miss Gordon, University librarian.—lt was resolved that a letter be written to the Otago Institute stating that the question has been raised of the ownership, control, and management of the library in the Museum used jointly by the - institute and by certain departments: of the University, and that the University would be glad to have the views -of the institute on the matter.—lt w_as further resolved that Drs Benham and Holloway be asked to report on the departmental libraries and their relation to the'’institute library, and as to. the responsibility of Dr Benham and Dr Holloway ;as to the control and management. The .committee considered a -request from Mr Ferguson for the ordering of books (mostly on general philosophy) amounting to £56 6s. It was explained to the meeting that an order of books on experimental psychology amounting to £4O had already been authorised, this charge to be debited against Dr Dunlop s allocation, which at the beginning of the year stood at £7O, whilst a further amount of £lB had been debited against this allocation, so that no more than £l2 approximately was still available. In view, however, of the fact that experimental psychology is a new course, and of the further fact .that new Works on philosophy are required in the library, it was resolved to recommend that a special grant of £2O be made towards books required for experimental psychology* lectureship, thus setting free a portion of the philosophy grant previously used towards experimental psychology; also that an annual grant of £l2 for the special course of experimental psychology be made in future years. The committee recommends the council that the above request be remitted to the Finance Committee for its consideration.

It was decided to accept the resignation of Dr Hogg as librarian at the Medical School and to thank him for his past services. The question of filling the position was referred to the Finance and Medical Committees to make temporary arrangements, and to consider the question of advertising it. The committees are to report further to the council. The report, as a whole, was then adopted.

HOCKEN LIBRARY." The Hocken. Library Books Committee reported .that a credit balance of £93 12s 6d in the Hocken Library books account had been reported. It had been resolved to.recommend the University Council to thank Sir F. R. Chapman for his further valuable gift of books, pamphlets. files of early New Zealand newspapers. etc. A report had been received from Dr Elder regarding Marsden’s MSS. It had been decided to recommend the University Council to thank Messrs Coulls. Somerville, and Wilkie for their public-spirited offer to undertake the printing and publishing of the Marsden MSS (letters and journals), and also to ask the University Council to authorise the Hocken Library Committee to act for it in the matter, on the understanding that no financial liability was incurred by the University. The librarian had been instructed to write to Mr Parnwell (Oxford Press) informing him that owing to the offer of a local firm to undertake the printing and publishing of the Marsden MSS, further steps in regard to his proposal were being held over for the meantime, and that he would be communicated with as

eariy as possible after that offer had beeft considered. Dr Elder and Mr G. Simpson, jun., had been appointed a sub-com-mittee to confer with Messrs Coulls, Somerville, and Wilkie. Mr Morrell, in moving the adoption of the report, referred specially to the gift of Sir Frederick Chapman, He Bad already given a valuable collection of ?n^ lna rr ma i. tte , r Wlth re gard to New Zen- „ • r ad n< i w forwarded a further gift consisting of a collection of early newspapers, books, and papers. The council would remember that the commit,hbeen ? n , negotiation with the OxHon nf n SS XT Vlth > t 0 the Publication of the Marsden MSS. Messrs Coulls nnhl' U / ikie had si “ee made a nnbi' C offer to undertake the publication. The council would have no financial liability. The book would be of enefit t 0 students of New Zealand The report was adopted, Mr Morrell being added as a member of the committee to confer with the publishers, /l! committee was also asked to consider the question of royalties. GRADUATION CEREMONY. s . p , ecial committee set up to rethnf the graduation ceremony reported ’ referred 6 to U t e h St P 10n of -, beS leierreq to the council. With respect M the admission of the public, thf committee recommended that admission be by personal invitation only and that invitations be issued as follows:—(a) To specifriends of council, staff, and gradutendinahf mgmfied their intention of attending to receive a degree. Each such fri l ends n( tn COUld l SU p m 't the namef3 of tw <> iiiends. to each of whom a personal inJemiVrinZ° U d ba issued, but a graduate g - J^° re * hall two tickets for friends might receive up to four, if available, on application to the registrar (b) To members of the Committee of the Court of Convocation of the Otago University district (c) To the president and members of the executive of Students’ Association, platform tickets to be issued Ml m pr , e3lde nt and two vice-presidents. ■ °x, the executive of the Students’Association of each faculty, (e) To ot more than 50 women students nominated y a committee of the Women Students’ Association, (f) To other persnos interested in university affairs. The report set out the new form’ which it was proP °TnJ that the ceremony should take. -tue date of the ceremony this year was fixed for July 16, and the question of fixing-a permanent date was held over .until the next meeting. After lengthy discussion, the report was adopted.

Mr Stephens moved that a letter be forwarded to the Students’ Association stating that in view of the conduct of certain students on the occasion of the last graduation ceremony, the council has decided not to reopen the question of the admission of students to the ceremony this year, but that the matter will be reconsidered for next year.