UNIVERSITY COURSES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1182, 18 July 1911, Page 8

UNIVERSITY COURSES.

B.A. AND B.Sc. DEGREES. .SOME XEU" PROPOSALS. A meeting of the (,'nurl of Convocation of Ihe Middle l'liiversity District was held last evening-at the Victoria College to discuss certain proposals snbinitt?d by I ho University Senate. .Air. T. H. I'lcniins presided, si nil .-ixteen members of the Convocation were present.. The matter lo li? di-cusscd related to Ihe leronslniction of Iho cour-es for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Proposals had been before the University Senate, and it was there decided that (he consideration ol the entir.7 scheme be postponed until Iha next annual meeting, of the Senate. Iu the meantime, copies of the scheme were senl. on lo the various professorial boards, and Courts of Convocation for their advice. Last night's meeting had therefore before it the scheme, which embodied the following proposals:—(l) Whether tho present degrees of B.A. and B.Sc. be iimalsamated. (2) The repetition of two subjects. i 3) The desirability of the Professorial Boirds approving of the courses to be taken by students. (() The several limitations of the selection'of subjects in the ropnrt. (5) H amalgamation is approved of, ought tbo B.Sc. degree to lie retained as a special science, degree? ifi) What, if any, subjects should be compulsory? Discussing the question of whether the present degree of B.A. and B.Sc. should be amalgamated, Mr.-H. L. James moved that tho two degrees be entirely separate and distinct; that no amalgamation of the same be attempted, and that the overlapping of them should be abolislicd. Mr. James said the effect of this would be to separate the two degrees more than at present. It would transfer all the science subjects, including mathematics, , to the science degree. 1 Mr. Von Haast seconded the motion pro forma.

Professor llnnlrr movoil n> an amendment: "Thai for the B.A. and K.Si-. pa-s decree, there, bo .-.ub.-iiluted a 1!..\. pass dcjjreo loadin;; In the M.Sc. itoree nn the M-ii'iii-o side, iiml M..\. nn the arts side." The effect nf this, In- said, v.uihl be that (lit: two degrees would lit- amalgamated as I'iir si.- (he |i.i-> il'.u'icp- wot:? cnneernod, anil specialisation could follow after Hint. Thi» «■;!- .ciondod by Mr. P. <!. Morgan. The amendment was rirried by 8 vo'T? lo 1. II was ro.'nlvr-'l on tho motion nl Professor Hunter 'in regard to proposal S): "Thai if tin- 13. V. an.l H.Sc. decrees are amalgamated, no. special degree, be given in science." Considerable discussion lunged on the question of the desirability nf Hip Pmfes»"ov;al Bonn! approving of the courses lo bo taken by s-tudclils iS'n. \\). Mr. Jaii\e> tr.nk exception to the proposal, ecnsiileriiv,' it was inadvisable that professors s-honlrl have power to alter a student's course of study. Professor Hunter pointed out that in the interests of the students themselves it was advisable tbe* professors should have some knowledge of the course of study selected. Mr. J. 1!. Wilson moved, and it was carried that it was desirable that the Professorial Boards should approve of the courses to be taken :by student:. A motion that the Court of Convocation approve t.he principle of (he grouping of subjects iu some such way as suggested by the Recess Committee was lost. Mr. J. K. Wilson moved (Xo. C): "That ii 3 subjects should be compulsory for the 13.A. degree, except iu so far as the compulsion is necessary -for a homogeneous course." This was carried. Iu regard to Xo. 2, it was decided to recommend: "That two subjects may lie repeated." In regard to No. 1 of the proposals, Mr. S. Eichelbaum moved: "That the Convocation urges on the Senate the desirability of holding a conference of the professors to deal with the details of the arts and science courses."—Carried. Mr. Ward moved: "That no candidate be allowed to take an M.A. decree whose B.A. course has not included Latin. , ' After brief discussion the motion, owing b the late hour, was withdrawn.