STUDENT MEMBER OF SENATE

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27963, 9 May 1956, Page 6

STUDENT MEMBER OF SENATE

LINCOLN COLLEGE SUPPORT

Election of a representative of the University Students’ Association to the Senate of the University of New Zealand will be supported by the Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, provided such a member is a graduate. The Students’ Association at Lincoln sought the board’s support and presented a statement from its Dominion body suggesting that a representative would keep the Senate directly informed of student opinion and also explain to students the decisions of the Senate. Student representation on college councils had been beneficial to both parties' and the idea should be extended to the Senate. “I’d like to think about this one,” said the chairman of the board (Mr W. H. Gillespie. M.P.), who is a member of the Senate.

‘‘There is a feeling that the Senate is already too large,” said Mr W. C. Colee.

Mr G. A. Holmes said that a student member of Senate from, say, Victoria University College, would have little knowledge of affairs in the engineering and medical schools or the agricultural colleges. If he was an undergraduate ho would soon pass to the graduate stage and there would thus be little continuity of representation. A graduate could serve the full threeyear term.

The Director (Dr. M. M. Burns) said he was prepared to support the proposal provided the member was a graduate. There were 11.000 university students in New Zealand, and they claimed to have a very direct concern about the affairs of the university. His motion was seconded by Mr C. E. Iversen, a lecturers’ representative on the board, and carried.