UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 102, 23 January 1908, Page 9

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

v --. MEETING IN WELLINGTON. ?'>• . ' :■} . • L/THE CHANCELLOR'S ADDRESS. A HINT Tb'TIIE WEALTHY. SUGGESTED 'INNOVATIONS. ' '? ,Tho , :^an{>te''ot ; tKe:tliuT'ersity of Now Zea--land commenced .its '.'Annual session in ■ tho Victoria . Cellego Lißrary-Syesteixlay• Tho leading; of -tl(b Chancellor's -Report was-virtu-ally : tho'only business,' arid the Seriate adjourned.'till. 10 a.m. to-day. -There were preSont':,;\" ; The Chancellor, : Sir Robert. Stout, J£'.'C:M,tiU (pr'esiding) r ; F; E: Baume, • LL.B. 5 Hon, C. C. Bowen, J, Massmillan lirWri, M.-Avj LL.D.; ;J.. R. Brown, M.A.; Her., A. ( Cameron,. B.'A. W.E. Collins, M.8., M.R^C-S-; C. H. H. Cook, M.A. ; H. 'A.n Gordon,:,F.G,S., : A.MXC.E.; James Hay* M.A.,,LL.B.;'George Hogben, M.A.; W..C: W. M'Dowell; 8.A., M.8., C.M. ; R. J/'Scott, !;M; ? ;lnst. : C;E.,. 3d. Inst.. M.E., A.A.I.K'.IJi"; tho R«v. \V. Salmorid, M.A., D.D.; J. Sh.-md; M.A., LL.Di; the Hon. J. A.'/.Tole, 8.A., LL.B.; H. F. von Haast, M.A.,; LL;BV; J. W. ■ Joynt,.;M.A;. ;(Registrar) and Barclay. Hector (Assistant Registrar).. •'' v .

'' The Chancellor read his report for the year. AftSr^referring' to the deaths of- Sir' James Hector,-a previous Chancellor; tho Rev. J. C. i'Androw, ;M.A..• a previous- Vice-Chancel-lor.;.:JlrV AV. D. 'Milne, M.A.; I-L.D., a. former ;Seriator; ancKDr. Routh, of Cambridge, for many-;fears'examiner in mathematics forthe' University of New Zealand, the ! report .proceeded BS-<fo!low3:—:i't '.' •.

Penpfiißtfons tho most marked difference between' our .'.University institutions and thoseof;the United States lies in the small amount of aid that has 1 been, granted to our institutions :,by private persons. ..Tho wealthy, men of >the United States : have recognised it as bothja privilegonarfd aduty to give freely of thoir wealth; toiUnitforsity institutions. Our wealthy"'men have done little.-for ours. If sur wealthy-men wore to give as freely of (■heir wealth forf'theihigher education as tho wealthy. United States, oitizens, wo should l Jayo to record/ibenefactions. amounting to at least £40,000 a. year—r-that: is, oa a proportional estimate.of the wealth and population rf. the respective countries. Our University to IS7I, when the Utigo University began', its 'active career.- It - ,8 -s , no tho past t-hirty-wo have, not an aggregate of £40(000 from the wealthy men, of ■ Heir.-Zealand. During.the past ten years the jstites of twonty-one dec-cased persons of a calue-.of over £100,000 each nave passed through the Stanip Office, and not one of the hpft anything . for education. The Rvoragiv. rtttmin 1 benefactions, to tho Universities of -■ fcftd' ■ United States' amount now to about'£3',2so,o9o. How is it, we may well ask, tliiifc-theVe!is 'siich; enthusiasm for the higher .education in .America, and bp little in New Zealand ?' ." Amidst the dearth of aid from our wealthy 1 "settlers' I am' glad to state that.- ojio * settlor,'-1 though "not' * possessed ofgreat; wealth, has (recognised the wants and. claims jof University, institutions. . Mj-i Arthur died last' year at the ripe ?g0;0f«86 years/ Tr Bo'was'a niap bf eminence ® astronomy,.'botany, and mathematics, and he was. a celebrated, inventor.' r.® .jmnob ipart, in our- public .ire, but; no'helped in .the foundation of the Otago Muscurii, bqing~a' moniber of .its first committee. "Ho has;-' by his will, Icfttho bulk of his fortune,%-betwcen»£ls,ooo'and £16,000, to. the .v.tagOj-j-Uriiverßity; ; . Manv wealthy awa*.auice- our tJniversity lnstitnhons w;ero funded; .but lie is the first who by- his will has given' such' a largo sum for higher MttcatM:l'io'po that 'his gen'er-'. osity tiDav'r-stiniuliite 'tltosc! -m3(lo ; largo forfojririst in Zealand;to 'emulate his example. Until our people possess tba same pajsioii for -education, , the inhabitants. of Worthy America,. wt, cannot expect. New Zea!and tovtftjie the..M'gt), position <.which: she .shouJd;,Mk6-^.-a endowed ;b'y nature opportunities,,, and .the ot climate, .. .'Jordan's. Suggestions. . '.'-Di:riiig;las't ycar. one of the ablest of the educationalists of the United States visited i *•9 1 "*' David Starr Jordan, pre,sior_vthff Iceland-Stanford Junior Univorsity. _ He-Mgretted that- his" time did not pot.mit him ito .visit the most southern'parts of- the Dominion'. Whilst here. - however, he made himself .acquainted , with our University institutions;r• and ? gavq r . several' piijiiio addresses, Ha-was also-good enough to write we momo. : expressing his views on our University: system. " • I- consider his suggestions of so much importance that I append them in i my. report; i-along- with a further i-l> ' 16 oa ' s with' the criticism tpi! r nvoked in the Press, nhflthor, w , e| , agreo , :with his-suggestions or n . O , aM'/'Suro -that we : will ; carefully consider wbht ono of- the ablest and most experienced of'.'American University presidents has to say. concerning 'our system. Dr. Jordan, I need not- add,'has had the burden of founding one of the'leading Universities .of Anierica-'-—if not .nttw of l.ha world-—tho Lelahd-Stan-iord Junior - University of California. He was also* very suecessfril a.f a president when 1 at, the .head ! of the'lndiana University. Per- i haps 'one'of.'tho. tilings in 'which : our* institutions are- most defective 'is in tho absenceof such an officer as president, whose duty it would'bo-to act as a man of affairs,' and bring ; before l our ■; colonists * tho wants ' and necessities" of --University institutions. 'You will observe, thai Dr.;'Jpr'dan thinks wei'liavo too . many l University examinations, and that tho professors hsve not cast on thism the responsibility of'saying who' have eariied distinction- m our University cblleges.'- Considering the constitution of our Univej'sffcv and its relation-to. our teaching colleges, I 'do not see how wo can get- rid of many of onr examinations .without entirely changing! our University system. Afternll, examinations -of some Icind must be hold, ft-nd the'' fjYiP.htion really is Vftovis/ to •"examine?. 'I havo Always hold that tho time must come when we must de- ' poii.rt ;tipop, ourselves, and n'ot seek examiners from- out-sido. tho Dominion. . The question is. Has that time arrived?; In the meantime wa may'consider whetfre'r there are not Bomo additional examinations to those uow held in' the, Dominion, that might be conducted by local examiners,.and wo might also consider, whether .more. Attention should not ba paid to reports from tho teachers regarding the work.nf. tho. stll'fients. Tho examining or not examining of students is not, however, in tny opjriiom'the most important thing 'in .Lmversity .raiination. It is to seo that, able teacher?., arid obtained, and that tho. subjects taught,are 'modem and useful as- Well as tending; fo : -tl)e training of the intellect and cbaractec of tho undergraduate. Dur University is modelled, as we are aware, °f>f London, and I. notice that, though it, Sjdra'.'now brrome a teaching body: as. well as_.au' examining body, it has maintained its as a whole. , V I learn .that, Our present system of awarding' Junior\ University Scholarships is leading' in' many instances to rather unsatisfactory results. Some,"of the scholars seem, when they get teaching colleges, worn out bv theii-' preyious struggles to obtain scholar ships. 'Migijij" wo not consider whether the matriculatiot| -examination, added to, no doubt, .migljt,' not suffice for determining the ftrt,ard of In London University ono,. is ma<le sufHcient for tho awarding, of distinction and scholarships, ns well us--'being tho entrance examination. Those who .obtain merit are placed in the firsUjlass.''and out of these who attain highest'distinction in the 'first-class scholars ara selected'. If such a system were adapted the stamhi;d of our matriculation examinations might require to be sligliily raised, and I "do nut Jtaow: if that would be a disadvantage. wero raised, it would bo a guarnntee that tho undergraduates are able to bene(it' j at'-onee from University teaching, and that \sinai always the cash at present. Selection-of Studies. " Hvoij if, tho Seiiatß. is n,ot able to carry out or flocß not apprnvo of Dr. Jordan's sug-gestions-.is-a wholo, especially thoso dealing with the. granting of degrees on tho recommendatjon' 1 of'professors, J. hope tho recom-memlalioiis-under the - fifth headinc of, his

memorandum -will be carefully considered. In our day tho conception of University work has changed from what it was even twenty years ago. A man is now rccognised as an educator! man oven though no may be ignorant of many subjects that were in paßt centuries deemed indispensable in' University studios. Why should we not have'in our University tho systom in operation in many of the American Universities, and known as tho ' major professor system' ? I am strongly of ; opinion that wo may get more hints for University reform from America than from .Europe. The social conditions of our country are moro analogous to those of tho countries of the new world than to those of the old, and what suits the American communities 'will siiit us. To insist that all our University students should follow one line of study is, in my opinion, a jjreat mistake. We have ill recent years modified in many directions our programme of studies, but they rcqniro further changes. For example, why" should a brilliant literary studont bo denied a degree unless ho or she can-pass in mathomatics, or be donied a degree if ho or sho does not

know somo foreign language? A selection . of studies must bo made, and I fail to see why tho selection of studios should not bo' oxtended in the mnjiner pointed out by Dr. , Jordan. Wo need to encourage tho new learning, and at present our oncouragemetifc is given mainly to tho old learning—a learn- ' ing.that is sometimes of little use in after life.l do not underrate the mental gymnastics that these studies afford, but students - may be intellectually trained by tho study of now subjects, that will also prove useful to them in tho callings and occupations they have to follow. Scholarships. "'I am glad to be able to congratulate the Senate on the alterations mado by Parliament in tho requirements for senior national scholarships. Tho absurd restrictions to which candidates were subjected have now been removed by tho passing of the Education Act Amendment . Act, 1907. Senior national scholarships, riot exceeding 20 in number, are to be awarded on the result of tho junior scholarship examination of our University. The candidate must have been resident in New Zealand for the three years immediately preceding the dato of the examination, and bo between 16 and 19 years of 1 age on December 1 of tho year in which the examination is held. Tho scholarship is not to bo awarded unless the candidate is entitled to a pass with credit on our Junior University scholarship examination. ■ Tho term is three years, and tho holder is entitled to an amount of £20 in addition to tho amount of his tuition fees. If tho candidate is obliged to travel more than four miles daily from his homo to tho University each way, ho is entitled to got £10 in addition for tho cost of his travel. There are other conditions, to which I think it unnecessary to refer. There has also been an amendment of the Taranaki scholarship provisions. These scholarships are now limitod to candidates who havo resided and attended school in the Taranaki district for not loss than two .years, such residence to have continued to within ,not loss than six months of tho date of examination, and tho candidates must bo within between 16 and 19-at tho date of examination. Superannuation of Professors. "In my last report to the Senato I referred to tho superannuation of professors. I regret to say that nothing has yet beon done by the Government towards Dialling provision for tho superannuation of tho 1 teaohers of the higher education. I- am | afraid, that we will be unable to attract to our seats,of learning men of great reputation, nitd • eminent teachers, if better monetary provision is not made for our professors. Professors in all the American Universities are entitled to a pension at tlie ago of 65. That has been, provided for them by the beneficence of Mr. Carnegio. My suggestion was that cither a separato fund should bo created by contributions from, tho professor's themselves with a subsidy from tho Government, or that they should be allowed to como under the teachers' superannuation -provisions. I hope that the Minister for Education and Parliamcnto,will-consider the. necessity of making somo - such - provision, The . teachers of and schools are entitled to superannuation, and the various members of the • Civil Service have also been provided for; and I canriqt .understand why the professors should not' have retiring allowances as well as others engaged in the service of tho State. Examination in Music. ' " "The University of Melbourne has communicated with me regarding examination in .music, and I commend the letter to the consideration of the Senate. Large sums aro now being paid to two English institutions for the examination of musical students in New Zealand. The question is: Can we not ourselves undertake all the examinations now held by the Associated Board aud the Trinity College of Music? If we cannot do so ourselves, we ought- to make arrangements in this direction with tho University of Melbourne and the University of Adelaide. Examinations, Etc. " The destruction by fire of the Parliamentary Buildings in Wellington causcd the loss of the answers of candidates sitting at that I contre to the matriculation papers in French, geometry, zoology, and German, and,to the junior scholarship papers in Latin (two papers), chemistry, Gorman A, and history. Steps were, immediately taken to hold supplementary examinations in theso subjects— in, tho matriculation subjects only for the candidates whose answers wore destroyed; , in the junior scholarship subjects for all candidates throughout the Dominion who had sat in these subjects. 1 Tho.wider scope of the latter was rondored necessary by the fact of the examinations being competitive. These supplementary examinations.will bo held on January 23 and 24. "The numbers who havo sat for matriculation in the jiast five years have been as follows (I include in tho i list candidates for the juniorship scholarship and medical preliminary examinations)': —][)03, 937; 1904, 920; 190.5, 1046; 1906, 1278; 1907, 1396. It will be seen that the.ro has been a considerable increase during the last two years. Tho number of candidates for degree and law professional examinations during the past two years was: —1906, 842; 1907, 844. This i 3 an increase over 1905 of 56. "At its last sitting the Senato resolved to withdraw tho petition that had been presented to the Privy Council for the recognition of our now degrees. If we had; not done so, it was plain from tho correspondence that ensued that the new degrees would not have been recognised. "Professor Maolaurin, haviug been appointed a professor in the Columbia University, New York, resigned his scat on tho Senate on November 22 last. Steps were taken to hold an election of a member to fill the vacancy, and Mr. H. F. .von Haast, M.A., LL.B., was duly elected. Reports. "The reports of the examiners in Now Zealand on the following examinations have beon received, and are submitted to tho Sonate for confirmation, viz.:—l. Medical: Intermediate, Ist, 2nd, and/ 3rd Professional. 2. Law: LL.B. -Division 2, and Law Profes- , nional. 3. Matriculation, Medical Preliminary, and Solicitors' General Knowledge. 4. Junior Scholarship, Mns.llac. Intermediate, and Barristers' General Knowledge. Of these, 2 has been dealt with at a meeting of the Law Examiners, and 3 and 4 at a meeting of tho Ilccess Committee. Tho Ysar's Accounts. "I lay on tho table the accounts for 1907, duly audited. The following is an abstract, of the' income and expenditure during the past : year: —Income: Statutory grant, .C300IJ; lees, £5-123 165.; interest, £'934 Us. Gd.; miscel- , ianeous, I'Jif 1 7s. Id.; total, £9442 3s. 7d. Expenditure: Senate. £357 13s. Id.; office . and salaries, £1030 ss. -Id.; examiners in England, li!Jl4 155.; examiners in New Zealand, .CI4SU 7s. 2(1.: examination expenses . paid in England, £155 Bs. Pd.: examination ! expenses paid in New Zealand, £1038 14s. 5d.; scholarships, £2145; general purposes, £798 15s. lOd.; balance, ,CBSj 4s. Id.; total, £9442 3s. 7d. Hostels and Papers. "The buildings of two hostels for Inii- ; versity students have beon started in Well- ' ington, and a very line college is in course of construction in Dunedin. in connection with i tlie Otaco Tresbyterian C'harch, which will

bo open to students of all denominations who are attending tho Otagp University. "Reports,and correspondence bearing on riuestidiis for consideration aro submitted to tho Senato. Tho statutes made at tho last meeting of the Senate have received the apprpvul of His Excellency tlie Governor, and have beon duly scaled with' the University seal. Questions for Consideration. "Many important questions are submitted for the consideration of the Senate. As copies of reports, corroapoiideuce, etc., have beon already circulated among-members, the matters aro given below only in a summarised formi I may especially direct your attention to, the reports from Professorial Boards and individual professors on various questions connected with our courses in English, physical science, chemistry, mental science, 'etc. Two' colleges. have also sent in formal protests against the new Bachelor of Science dogree, which was adopted ill the. closing days of last session. The fact that two of our teaching colleges condemn unreservedly the. syllabus for this degree is a most serious matter. The Senate will no doubt-' considor whother tho syllabus which was adopted to encourage research will require any 'modification. I can only commend the subject to your most caroful consideration. "With reference to the syllabus in English, three of the professors in the subject are agreed i(i favour of revision, while the fourth is opposed. Some of the arguments against chango seem to indicato an impression that there is. something snored and inviolable about a University syllabus. It must bo obvious, however, that courses of [ worji in all faculties are. subject to revision from time to time; and, as a matter of fact, changes qrc frequently mado in all onr own degree courses. No particular sanctity can be claimed'for tho English syllabus, and the question should be considered ; on its merits. I may also correct tho impression that we have a fixed five years' syllabus. That is not tho case, as . some years ago tho Senate reduce<} the fixed syllabus from five years to three.- , "I also recommend, to the careful consideration of the Senate a memorandum from Dr. Hight, recommending changes in- the prescriptions for economies, honours, and 8.A., and urging the abolition of the .present honours course ~ in political and: tho substitution .. of ~.. separate honours, coursos in history and economics. Dr. Right's proposals havo evidently been carefully thought out;' and aro, as he says, prompted by his own experience as a teacher, and" based on a'careful study of the domaiids mado. upon candidates for degrees ;in the great Universities of tho United Kingdom; Copies of this memorandum have already beon'. supplied to members of tho Senate. While giving due consideration to the proposals, it would bo' well to guard against precipitate, action. . "I have received a letter from Professor Malcolm, urging that physiology be included among the-subjects for tho ordinary B.Sc. degreo. The suggestion is worthy of consideration. Physiology is a seionco which has other applications than merely to medical purposes. The quostion ,of teaching, of course, presents ,a serious difficulty, as at present tho subject is only , taught in Otago. But in the course of time the difficulty might be-got over. Another difficulty would lie in the mode of conducting tho examination, It is, of course, obvious that the examination in suoh a subjcct must be of a practical character, and therefore must bo conducted in New Zealand." i ... TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS. , .v PROFESSOR STARR JORDAN'S! SUGGESTIONS. ' ■ The .following memorandum of Professor. David Starr Jordan as to means of improving the teaching effectiveness or the colleges of New Zealand was appended to the Chancellor's report:— , 1. Let examination 'be a function of tho professor, not'of the University. Each professor should certify to tho coliego tho work which the student has actually accomplished ilil. satisfactory fashion. Each college to ' to tho University of Now Zealand, a Vote o! ftf jtv Pwfew.arial, .Board, " tho'so studenti'.entjtledvft),degrees. , 2:' Requirements of degrees should be stated in terms of work accomplished, not illterms of. examinations required, ■ : The esy aniination of any class should bp controlled 1 by its .teacher.

!). The chairman of thp Professorial Board should have as many, as possible of the functions' of the American University President,, Especially he should have-the initiative in academic matters, the ■ choice of professors, and tho adjustment of courses,., In this he should appear, as representative of tho professorial faculty: looking after their common interests and keeping in touch with .them. He should frequently visit ._Univerpitji.es of Europe and America, and in the work of teaching, should he retain his chair, he should bo aided'by a competent associaw. 4. So far as possible, tho certificate of, masters of approved secondary schools should Wreceived in place of matriculation examinationa, In receiving students,... .a .genereus range of. substitution of subjects: shouljd ho allpwed and book-cramming, especially..'jn. science, should be' discouraged'.' j: . - ■

5. In American experience the'tesfc method" of. adjusting tho course of study is through that form of the group system known as the " major professor " system. In New Zealand this could be adjusted as follows (a) Each student on matriculation shall select his major work in somo olio ol: tho recognised departments of tho college, as Glassies, Modern Languages, English, Ph'il- .. osophy, Education, History, Jiconomies, Zoology, Botany, Geology, Physics, Chomistry, Law, Civil, Elcctrioal, or Mechanical JSngineering. (b) Tho professor in charge of tho department becomes tho student's advisor, and his approval is nccessar.y in all adjustments of studies at the beginning of each college term. (e) Kach of these departments will carry on such courses as the staff is ablo to carry, the higher value of advanced over elementary work being kept in mind. (d) Tho courses thus oftored in some one , department shall constitute tho major work of caeli student in tbo department. Any part' of this work may be chosen as minor • subjects or as electives to students in other departments. i ' (e) To be eligible to tho Bachelor's degroo a student must have completed the equivalent of (three) years of instruction in bolleeiata work. In this must bo included the major work of some one department, witb such minors as may be indicated by tho head of sucjh department, and also such electives as may be approved b,v tho M major professor" at the time of registration. (f) A student may change his " major department" on petition (and with the consent of tile professor concerned). In this case tho work dono as major becomes 'a minor, and the hack work of the new major must be made good. (g) Departments should stand on a basis of academic equality, no student being obliged by the college' to take ono subject rather than another. Such prescription of studies should be the work of tho major professor. The colleges in Now Zealand should devoto themselves primarily, to tho actual needs of New Zealand. Tho professorship should carry greater power and greater responsibility than now, and much of i;lio work of tho Council should be transferred to tho four Professorial Hoards. G. Degrees should not bo granted for extramural Htudy, and in general not for attendance on night lectures or extension lectures. To do work really worthy of University recognition, the student should enter the \lniversity atmosphere. He should make all possible use ol' teachers, laboratories, and libraries. 7. Taxation of '('diversity students is the most oppressive form of State taxation. B.' In general, the professor as teacher Las far. too little initiative in Australasian Universities. Tho students with their varied interests arid varied laWnts should he the lirst consideration of Die I'niversitv. Honours may he granted on the judgment of the professorial body, lr is impossible to arrange good students in linear scries as each one should bo striving for a goal of his own. BAUNOE-SftKKT. The following balanec-sliect on all accounts l was submitted :— Debit—To balance from l!! 06. £24.084 "IGs. 3d.; ulna iirprest, 18s. l()d.; receipts i of 100"—General account, £"008 3a. Id.; or-

dinary scholarship aocount, £2434 os. Gd.; John Tinlino Scholarship account, £'83;Senior National Scholarship account, £093 Is. 6d.; Macmillan-Brown prizo account, £9 17s. 3d.; total, £36,393 17s. 7d. Credit. —By payments of 1907 —General account, £0385 4s. lOd.; ordinary scholarship account, £2171 14s. 3d.; John Tinlino Scholarship account, £13 (Is. Gd.; Senior National Scholarships account; £991 18s.; MacmillanHrown prir.e account, £9 17s. 3d.; total, £9571 15s. 3d. Balanc.es —General account, £2043 13s. 7d.; ordinary scholarship account, £728 lis. 3d.; John Tinlino Scholarship acconnt, £282 155.; Senior National Scholarship account, -£1' 3s. Gd.;. imprest, English agency, £1186 18s. lOd.; investments and mortgages,' £22,579; total balances, £26,822 2s. 2d,; total, £36,393 -17s. 7d. '

O'AiER BUSINESS. It was dccided, on the motion of the Hon. C. C. Bowen, thai, consideration of matters in the Chancellor's report be taken to-day: A business committeo was' elected, and it was resolved to meet daily from'lo a.m. till 12.45 p.m., and in tho afternoon at 2.45. Tho Sonate then adjourned till this morning.