NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

PROPOSED NEW BOARD. CONDEMNED BY CHANCELLOR. fEy Telegraph.—Press Association.) DTJNEDIN, Saturday. In his address at the opening of the session of the University Senate, the Chancellor, Sir Robert Stout, deiilt generally with tie question of reforaning the constitution of the University. • He eaid that the Senate, at its last sessions, appointed a committee to coneider the constitution of the University. The committee held several meetinge, and submitted to .the councils of the four affilia-ted institutions, to professorial boards and to graduates, three schemes for a new constitution. ■ Replie3 and euggestions were received, and the committee recommended the creation of a new body to assist in the management of University affaire. The Chancellor went on to say that there were no fewer than 14 bodies engaged in managing Univereity education in <ror small Dominion. The committee proposed that a new body, termed the Board of Studies, should be appointed, to consist of 16 members, four to be appointed by each professorial board. \femiben3 are to hold office for four yeaje. It wa<3 thought by committee thai eueh a change in the constitution of the TJnivereity should he made by Parliament, and a bill had been prepared, and would be submitted to the Senate.

"I do not desire to anticipate the dis , cuesion that such proposal may evoke," eaid the Chancellor, "but I feel bound to say that I doubt df any advantage will accrue to our University by the founding of this additional governing body. In my opinion, no change in any of our programmes of studies for students desiring degrees, diplomas, or certificates should be made without consulting the teachers of the subjects and these teachera would be more likely to ■be able to advise the Senate regarding the proposed change than a board oi studies. The cost of tbe additional Univereity body will not be negligible, and we need funds for the teaching of many subjects not provided for in our colleges. Tie outlay on education in New Zealand considering our population, reached a hagli figure, and, in my opinion, we should try to economise by getting rid of non-essentials.

"Last eeasion of Parliament saw some of our professors appealing to our leois§ature for interference with the management of pur University inetitutdons. Thie is the second occasion on which some profesßore of our affiliated institutione have appealed to the legislature. Ibe petitions were referred to a committee of the Houee of Repreeentativee, which spent much time in hearing complai»te and taking evidence. "The report of the committee does not seem to have been satisfactory to three of the professors, for they eiated in an address to the members of the House of Representatives: 'WTule everyone will admit that the committee were competent to deal with the question referred to them by the House, no one wDI deny that a body better equipped than members of the Education Committee for the work they have actually undertaken could easily have been found.' Those professors ought to have known that all petrtions ar e referred to a committee ajo-d they could have kmrwn the names of the committee before petitions -were presented. They desired a Royal Commission to be appointed to deal with university education. If appointed, and if a thorough overhaul of Our university education is necessary, I apprehend the comnutttee would have had to'examine into, and consider the way in which every teacher is performing hi 3 or her duties. The form of government is not the main thing is a university It 3 main functions are two: to teach and certify to the knowledge attained. May I cay that the first 5a more important? I mention this bringing of our university before Parliament for a special reason. Before the Education Committee, the university had no representative Tie petitionere were allowed to be preeent, to call evidence, and to examine and cross-examine witnesses. Th e university did not know what the evidence was until it -was published with the report. Charges were made, and there was no opportunity afforded to the university Ito answer them. I was invited to "ive evidence, and I attended, but I did not know what evidence had been given, and after I \y*3 examined many witnesses •were , called. It is only just and fair to every State institution that, if complaints are made before a ParliamenUrv Committee, someone should b e called I upon to represent that institution. If there is to be further inquiry befpre- a committee of Parliament, I "hope that the university will be afforded an opportunity of being represented. ' I may add that the constitution of the governing bodies varies. Xp two, 1.- > a [ ike - In °ur senate, the Government of the Dominion ie represented by four members, affiliated institutions by ei<rht professorial boards by four, and graduates by eight members. I fl o not know if any fairer arrangement could be made. Constitutions of the councils of affiliated institutions are diverse. It ie difficult to say that one is any better than any other. :

" An effort more or less successful has 'been made to Jiave, on these councils, representatives of bodies of teachers or primary schools, of local bodies, and of professions,.,and it would be interesting to know wherein these constitutions are defective. At all events, it i s a matter for Parliament to settle, and it does not seem to mc, regarding the contitntion of the governing bodies of our univereity institutions, that Parliament requires any more information than can b e "6t from books in the General Assembrr library. If our Parliament incompetent to pace our general laws, it is eurely able to deal with the comparatively unimportant question of the constitution of governing bodies of the higher education."