£121,500 Subsidy For Students’ Union

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 16

£121,500 Subsidy For Students’ Union

The Government has approved in principle the payment of a subsidy not exceeding £121,500 toward the cost of the new students’ union building which the University of Canterbury proposes to erect at 11am. This decision was announced yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) in a message to the chairman of the new University Grants Committee (Dr. F. J. Llewellyn).

“The need for the facilities provided by a students’ union have always been recognised by the Government,” said Mr Tennent. "They are an integral part of university life. "In Canterbury, where the university is transferring to a completely new campus, the university council is very wise in planning to have these facilities available in good time when a large proportion of the students would be in attendance at the new site,” said Mr Tennent. “The Government has been impressed with the contribution the students are proposing to make to the project and has noted that an appeal has been launched for public support on its part,” continued the Minister. “The Government has been pleased to offer a subsidy on the same basis as had previously been made available towards similar ventures by Otago and Victoria Diversities. "I hope,” said the Minister, “that the public, too, will fqliy support the university in its proposals.” Council Delighted The news of the subsidy was received while the Canterbury University Council was meeting yesterday afternoon. The Vice-chancellor (Dr. L. L. Pownall) announced with obvious pleasure that the details of the subsidy proposals were:—£2 for £1 up to a maximum subsidy of £lOO,OOO and £1 for £2 up to a maximum subsidy of £21.500. This meant that the university would require to raise £93.500 to qualify for the full subsidy. Dr. Pownall said. The terms were slightly better than those offered Victoria and Otago for similar projects because costs had risen. In its present public appeal Canterbury has received £12,715 in cash, definite promises of £3407, and provisional promises of £3600 so that £19.722 could be reckoned on, said Dr. Pownall. Gifts from graduates and other friends of the university had improved lately so it seemed that the target of £25.000 would be reached by the end of the year. Students’ £75,000 In addition the students had pledged themselves to raise £75.000 —a big share of the total. "On the face of all this we are ready to start tomorrow,” said Dr. Pownall. This had been made possible by the Government’s decision brought about largely through the representations

of the chairman of the new University Grants Committee (Dr. Llewellyn). The Chancellor (Mr C. H. Perkins) said the council, the university, and the community would be delighted by the news and gratitude should be expressed promptly to the Minister and the University Grants Committee. By coincidence, the council received at the same time as the Minister’s announcement a letter from the Canterbury University Students’ Association suggesting that a planning committee for the new students’ union be appointed to act until 1965. The council readily agreed that there should be three members from the council and three from the Students' Association, with the Chancellor and Vice-chancellor exofficio.