THE UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1037, 28 January 1911, Page 14

THE UNIVERSITY.

s QUESTIONS OF REFORM, / — ; v teaching, examining, and organisation;:' ' '':' IV. Continuing tho series of opinions. expressed by competent authorities on specific questions of university reform, opinions collated by tho University Reform "Association and handed to us for publication, we print to-day the views of Professor Payne, M.1.C.E., M.1.M.E., Professor of Engineering, Melbourne University, Professor Henderson, Professor of Modern History, Adelaide University, and Dr. Barlow, Vice-Chancellor University of Adelaide. The questions submitted for opinion were: "(a) Ought wo to endeavour to substitute for the purely external system of examination some form of test in which'tho opinion of tho teachers.is taken into account? (b) What general powers should be given to the professors in tho ■ organisation of'tho-'university and' ■ colleges?" / ' Profassor Payno In South Africa. Professor Payne, replying to Question (a) says: "My answer is most emphatically in tho affirmative Perhaps an illustration. —somewhat personal—of my work, in South Africa may bo interesting to your, association.. .

"In 1903 I was appointed to tho Chair of Engineering in tho. South African College, Capo Town; and being tho first occupant, it fell to my lot to organise courses of study for engineering students and to draw up, curricula connected therewith. In this'connection .1 found that my first problem was tlie. desirability of attaching the new' engineering, school to the University of the Capo of Good Hope, or \to„ grant indc-, pendent diplomas. On investigation'into' the methods "adbpfe'd" by 'that university,.' 1 was surprised to ,find that if was a' poor'imitation of the, old London University system, briefly being':' '' '■• '

1. A purely examining,body, and that all.'tho teaching, was dono by the colleges throughout 'South Africa. : 2; Tho teachers wero not allowed to ' examine, in';- the subjects they taught, aiid of'. which they are naturally the experts. 3. That "the" University Coulicil was against any alteration to tho sys- '' .."tem.-<"- , !■ : '

.'.'. "It'.appeared to tho outsider that'the' personnel of the council were greatly afraid of their powers being curtailed if a truly teaching university scheme .wore adopted. After due consideration the coliegq 'senate' and council, adopted my- view; of granting their own diplomas in engineering (civil, mechanical, and electrical), and thus inaugurating a new system'in South Africa. The fundamental reasons for following this new course were;; briefly :—

1. That tho teachers should be ac- ; tively; associated not. only- with l . tho'teaching but/also .with the' ■■' ■ ■ examination of students.' ■2. That whenteachers.'-tiro'also . -the examiners a higher', standard .is invariably tho,result. ~'-. " •■'.•:'' 8. That tho syllabus could moro re'ad- . ily bemodiiied from timo to time ,-r:. in accordanco with modem requirements.

.:. ."As, new departures havo always to overcome'tho; inertia of prejudice, thoy adopted a system of examination of their own. • ■ ■ '

; "Two of.ytlieso in tho final year were required from each candidate,-and tho , .-fourth term was allotted thereto, the .written examinations' of the final year taking place, at'tho end of tho third term.-.The result has-been - eminently satisfactory; and tho graduates of tho diploma' courses are readily accepted for' posts in the professional branches oftho, ..Government and other technical services throughout South Africa. ■ "It.may,interest your association to loam, that tho oxamplo of engineerinc has boon followed by granting \lipiomas —also independent of tho university—in connection .with: • ', (1) .Analytical chemistry. i , ..'.(2) Forestry. •. : /"It is probable that with tho'formation of tho truo teaching university in Capo Town,-these diploma courses v will bo recognised and degrees granted to graduates thereof. . .■• "In yourilettor you point out that ;it; is claimed l .-foiSyour present system .that the valuo of tho degree is greatly enhanced by..loxtcrnal examination; it has been iny experienco that tho value of a degree depends upon tho character .and ability, of the teachers under whom the graduate studies. It is an undoubted fact that for any particular colony employers placo greater reliance upon the .recommendations of-teachers than upon' any jhalUmark : sot-.by meiv'un.known to'.theni by daily contact. Thus the teacher 'should control the grantinsr of the hall T mark its-well as that of the actual teaching imparted in' his • class work."\ , ~-'. , ; ~ "I havo somewhat answered question (b) in the foregoing, but the followine powers, _I consider, should bo in the hands..of tho professors: 1. Internal discipline. 2. Selection of assistant staff. 3. A professor should havo powers to suggest, discuss, modify, and voto upon; .syllabuses rclativo to his " J , and cognate subjects. . - 4. Examination of his students, . "Note.—ln tho;caso of two or moro colleges of a-.university training for degrees, then a co-examiner to act with tho professor of a subject of tho several colleges." ' ;''■." > Unfair All Round. "Tho present system of examination in New. Zealand is,. I think, unfair to the students, very unfair to the best teachers, and ill-adapted to secure the better results of study for which universities exist," says Professor Hcndcrsoh, on' Question (a). "The examination system is admittedly defective and tho New Zealand system aggravates tho defects.

"1. No student's 'work ought to bo judged merely by reference to ono test on paper.'. A student may not bo in good form when tho test is applied, and tho best, examinee is not necessarily tho best student. '

"2. A professor or lecturer tests his students throughout tho year by discussions ' and' technical examinations. In nino cases out of ten ho knows what their position will bo approximately at the end of tho year. An outsido examiner knoivs nothing about them and tests a liinited "number of qualities imperfectly. '

"3. Final examinations are necessary, but tho work dono throughout tho yoar should bo taken into consideration liberally before making tho final awards, especially in the caso of honours and scholarship men. "4. Suspicion of partiality is unworthy of consideration. A professor is liko a judge in tho court. Ho is dominated by a professional senso of honour in making his awards. "5. The standards of a university aro maintained not so much by examinations as by, professors who are devoted to their work, and who aro free to select their best students, and train them in tho direction of original research."

On Question (b), Professor Henderson submits: . . .

■ "1. Tho chairman of each professorial board should bo cx-officio a racinbcr of the senate. '. •

"2. The Deans of each separate faculty should bo ex-olßao, members of the college councils.'•'•

Dr ß Barlovj's Views,

Dr. Barlow sums up his views on Question (a) in a concise paragraph:— "It is liighiy important," ho says, "that, especially in cases in which tho aid of external examiners is obtained, tho teacher should bo given a prominent part in determining tho results of tho examinations' in tho subjects taught by himself and his assistant teachers. Excluding him from all part in determining these results disrates tho teacher and may injuro tho taught, becauso a candidate's paper valuo often dilfers from his real worth and .mental calibre. With them his teacher is familiar, but of them a mere, reader of written answers to paper questions is ignorant. Tho latter will, therefore, be less likely to discern whether, the candidate, has thoroughly mastered tho subject. 1 aiso ; think that examinations in a subject which admit of oral examination should, in part at least, consist of verbal questions asked personally by an examiner and answered on tho moment by tho candidate." Organisation Discussed. Dr. Barlow is tho first of the Reform Associations' correspondents to discuss at any length the question of organisation as expressed in (b). Ho says:— "Professors should hnvo not only ample, opportunity of informing and advising the executive body of tho university, but should also have a right-to do so; and' tho executive body should have a, corresponding right' to require of tho' professors information and advice. It is, therefore, expedient that tho professors, or some of. them, shall havo a ' right and a duty to bo present at .the meetings of that body either as members of it or as assessors without power to vote hut entitled to speak, inform, and advise. If membership is' to bo Sossiblo for even a few professors, tho angers arising from empowering salaried teachers to vote as to the remunerntion, duties, rights, privileges, etc., of themselves and their colleagues must always-'bo anticipated and guarded against. . ■ . •

"One cannot specify individually tho powers',-''to bo given to professors, hut they, should be such as tho academic bodies'.which .govtoi yio university and legislato-for its -internal 'administration and other affairs shall fromtimo to timo.think proper to confer on tho professors,' collectively or separately, l and' which'they shall have ■authority to confer. Writing generally, ■■ tho powers should be.such as shall be.necessary to. enable the professors, to perform • their duties effectively. •■ ■ ■

" 'Organisation' seems to imply something outsido a professor's ordinary duties of teaching and examining. All duties referring to them will, ly assume,- bo' prescribed by the instrument of appointment'plus or minus the statutes and regulations that instruments will, no doubt,-incorporate with itself all statutes and regulations for tho timo being so as to mako. them by express agreement or condition binding on tho professors. (Our registrar will send you a calendar for 1910, and I ask your attention, in .particular; to Chapters IV and; X, pp. .75-7.9, of .'tho statutes as illustrations.) : . "Regarding 'organisation' as referring to administrative work debars teaching and examining, I venture to suggest that tho less you shall have of express agreement or provision,. 'tho better it will bo for the successful, and .harmoni-ous-working of the governing body With tho istalf. •'Organisation' -implies not only', initial ' arrangements—foundation and rules—but '*also constant .renewals and amendments. To accomplish these elasticity is indispensable. Professors' shares in organisation should bo natural outcomes, not formally created,,' but evolved .spontaneously-upon the happening of circumstances' which call for fresh efforts to rearrange,- to develop, to now--ly create. These elforts should bo made voluntarily and not becauso they .are. expressly prescribed by: agreement ■or statutc.but because tbeyare educed by-, tho-inborn-zeal of staff and governing body working together when each, responds,to the othor's calls. I. was the first executive officers hero, , and since I ceased to bo registrar I "havo" been almost continuously a member of' tho governing body. Almost, uniformly—and., my experience cxtonds : . oyer thirty-six years—tho council, has received from the..staff the niost willing and. valuable assistance, not only in organising, new departments but'also in improving existing methods. Tho success achieved is very largely duo to. tho ungrudging, spontaneous, and unwearied aid and advico of tho' professors, not only in teaching and examining, which are express duties, but also by day-to-day assistance by thought and act in organising and reorganising systems and methods and in every other imodo. The fortunate results are largely due to'tlic- mutual trust and rclianco —which no express agreement could have, created—which havo continuously existed ''between' council and staff; to the-fact of constant. contact between council and professors and to tho un? asked assistance which each body has consistently rendered to tho other. Unless this or some similar method of administration, and conduct of affairs exists, a University won't . gain- tho greatest attainable success,' becauso tho governing body must treat its staff with high consideration and respect, which will evoko from tho staff a spontaneous responso of good feeling and enthusiasm. '"•"!'

It follows that very much depends on the, personality of tho individual members of tho council and tho staff, each of whom should bo selected with great care."