Student refuses retirement

Press, 7 May 1983, Page 1

Student refuses retirement

Almost 40 years after first graduating from Lincoln College, Mr Jim Malcolm yesterday received his third degree from the college, a diploma in valuation and property management. Mr Malcolm, who is in his early 60s, first graduated bachelor of agricultural science in 1945, having begun his studies in Otago two years before. He completed the degree of master of agricultural science with honours in 1948. Faced with ‘compulsory retirement from his agricultural research job at the D.S.I.R.’s Crop Research Institute, Mr Malcolm decided there was “still too much to do in life to retire.” He went back to university as a student. “They said I was too old to work, but I thought I was too young at 60 to become a hennit,” he said. The age difference between Mr Malcolm and his fellow students proved no problem. “They just accepted me. I was simply ‘Jim’ to the rest of the students,” he said. The oily difficulty he had with the post-graduate diploma in valuation and property management was the algebra theory. “The last time I had done algebra theory was in 1939. For the computer work on the course there was a lot of algebra, and I found I was behind the others with that But when it.came to practical computer work I was way ahead because of the experience I had had working with'computers in my Job,” he said.; : After many years at the

D.5.1.R., which is adjacent to the college at Lincoln, Mr i Malcolm was a well known figure to many of the staff and students before he returned as a student last year. “Twenty-two years with the Lincoln College Rugby Club in a variety of positions helped,” he said. Mr Malcolm estimates that his work-load for the diploma course was about 80 hours a week. “I began studying most days at 4 a.m.; 5 a.m. if I slept in,” he said. He paused to accept the congratulations of an acquaintance, joking, “I’m just another young student.” Mr Malcolm stood out among his fellow graduates at the college yesterday, not only because of his age — “you’ll know me, I’ll be the oldest one there” — but because of the academic dress he was wearing. His green hood and black gown signified the master of agricultural science degree he received from the University of New Zealand in 1948. The University of New Zealand no longer exists and Lincoln College’s degrees are conferred by the University of ..Canterbury. Using his new qualification Mr Malcolm has begun a new career as an agricultural property and technical consultant He is adamant that he will never retire, and thinks that he has at least another 27% years left judging by his ancestors’ longevity. . However, he doubts that he will return to university to take a fourth degree.