UNIVERSITY TRYING TO AVOID SCIENCE LIMITS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28414, 22 October 1957, Page 14

UNIVERSITY TRYING TO AVOID SCIENCE LIMITS

Urgent applications have been called by the University of Canterbury for five lecturers in the faculty of science in the hope that extended use of laboratories and extra lecture periods will enable the limitation of science students to be avoided next year. At the same time, the university has given notice that early applications are required for enrolment in science classes so that prospects for next year may be accurately assessed.

A proposal was made to the Government in August that if about £11,006 a year could be provided for extra staff, 76 extra hours a week could be allowed for laboratory work and about 15 extra hours for lectures. This rearrangement of time-tables was calculated to permit up to 100 more students being accepted in some science classes. These proposals envisaged the appointed of 12 extra staff—lecturers, assistant lecturers, and technicians.

The Education Department' so far has authorised the appointment of five additional stuff — lecturers in chemistry and zoology and assistant lecturers in chemistry, zoology, and botany. The salary for a lecturer is £1023 to £1275 and for an assistant lecturer, £7BO to £BBO, depending on qualifications. Fares will be paid for anyone appointed from overseas.

The University of Canterbury expected to be able to waive its requirement of early applications for entry to science classes and also its right to refuse entry. Both these rules have been in force for about five years. So far the university has just “scraped through" without recourse to limits. Some students have been advised to rearrange their courses, some to take other courses, and some who applied did not go any further.

The university’s official notice about admissions to science classes

now says: “Although science timetable rearrangements are such that it is now possible to take a considerably-increased number of students, the use of facilities must be carefully planned and failure to make application for admission by the due date may lead to forfeiture of a place in the 1958 classes." Students enrolling for the first time must make their applications by November 1 on a green form. Students who have taken university science classes before must apply by February 1 on a blue form. How far the university will succeed in avoiding restrictions will not be known until all these applications are in. The Vicechancellor (Dr. F. J. Llewellyn) has said that student numbers next year will be greater than ever before. Science entries may not necessarily be the largest but it is in these departments that accommodation presents the greatest trouble. The university may yet succeed in gaining authority for the full number of extra science staff it requested.