UNIVERSITY LECTURES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 480, 14 June 1890, Page 5

UNIVERSITY LECTURES.

PROPOSED INCREASE OF STAFF,

Auckland, June 10. A letter from Mr Jame 3 Adams, 8.A., headmaster of the Thames High School, was read at the meeting of the University College Council yesterday afternoon. Ho hoped that some alteration would'be made in the time-table of the College, which would be of benefit to the students. The students of the College who give all their time to study, get no instruction on Monday except in botany, and on other days there are no lectures in forenoon or afternoon in Latin or English. So far as the time-table showed, no distinction was made between senior and junior students except in the case of mathematics. As the lectures were now arranged, students were on some days wholly without instruction, and on others had to wait all day for an evening lecture. Then persons engaged in teaching could not possibly take advantage of lectures beginning at 4 p.m., or at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, as many of them did. He assured the Council that he wrote in no captious spirit, and with great reluctance.

This letter was commented on by the Professorial Board. The subject of hours and lectures had been carefully considered by the Board, and was on the whole suitable. Assistance was never refused students where required. The results of the last University examinations showed the good work the College was doing. No fair comparison could be made between the hours in Auckland and those in Dunedin or Christchurch, the kind of students and number of the staff at the latter being very different.

Sir G. M. O’Rorke, Chairman of the Council, was of opinion that the time had arrived when a comparison should be made between the Auckland and the other colleges. The Auckland College had now been in existence seven years, and he thought the time had arrived when the professors should follow the example of the South, and provide lectures if students offered themselves in the forenoon. It was a fact much to be deprecated that students of the first year had to attend the same lectures as those who had been attending for two or three years. He would move, “That a committee, consisting of Bishop Cowie, Colonel Haultain, Rev. A. Reid, Mr Upton, and the mover, be appointed to consider the letter of Mr Adams, and that the Committee be empowered to confer with the Professorial Board, with a view to the revision of the time-table for next term, if it should be deemed advisable to do so.” The motion was carried.

Mr Upton then moved a proposal standing in his name, ‘‘That a committee be appointed to consider and report on the question of the desirableness of enlarging the University staff by the appointment of lecturers in some subjects not included in the College curiiculum.” After a short discussion this motion also was agreed to, and the following Committee was appointed Sir Maurice O’Rorko, Dr. Pollen, Colonel Haultain, Mr Hesketh, Bishop Cowie, and Mr Upton. The Committee will also consider Professor Aldis’ proposal to have lectures in astronomy.