UNIVERSITY CLUBS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 7

UNIVERSITY CLUBS

ALL TO JOIN AND PAY

TRAINING COLLEGE STUDENTS

'J?ho suggestion by tho Department of Education that Training College students who did not join Victoria College University Clubs or tako part in '.their, activities should'be exempted j "from the payment of club fees met with scant support by the Council of •Victoria College last night. ■ It was urged in support of the club fees being paid" by all students attending the University that tho clubs were part of the University life, and that men did not, attend a University merely to hear lectures and then go home. • .The. Education- Department's letter ' state'd-.that its attention • had been called to tho fact that Training College students who attended tho University College were required to pay a fee to entitle, them to membership of the Student, Association, and to privileges connected with it. • The Training College provided facilities for sports and other. activities, similar to thoso provided by; the University Students' Association. The students were, therefore/required to. .find annually fees in s,ome\ cases exceeding £2 2s for membership of both associations, and this was a heavy demand on their-resources.' The Department was of "opinion that '.braining College students who attended University lectures but did not join' any .University Clubs should not bo called upon to pay a fee to the University Students' Association. Students should not have to pay for tho use. of common rooms and similar conveniences of the University College that were provided at tho public- expense. The Department asked if the College Council was prepared to remit the Students' Association fee to Training College'students who did not join the association and did not make uso of its clubs and societies. V.' THE STUDENTS' VIEWS. ' Professor Bankino Brown said that he had been instructed to interview the Students' Association on this matter, and found that it was averse, to the request in the Department's letter on the ground that as the fee was a contribution to the students' activities of ' the college, there was no reason., why Training, College students, even thoso who did not take part in the activities of the college, should be exempt. The association pointed out' that whether students took part in activities or not, there was no reason why any section of students should be exempt. As far as was known there were few students who did nottako part in somo activity, and tho chairman of tho Professorial Board was empowered, to remit the payment of the &1 Is in cases whero students had difficulty in paying. That was, after all, a small contribution for the student to pay. Representatives of the other three colleges, with whom ho had conferred, were of opinion that tho board's request should be refused. The chairman (Mr. P. Le-vi) raised the question of whether the council should confer with the*, other colleges. ■He could not see how a distinction could be made between any one class of student and another without offering them all the privilege of exemption if they desired to claim it. Mr. A. Pair, K.C., thought that all students who attended the University should bo urged to join the University Clubs. They were more likely then to join in the general life of tho college, which was eminently desirable. He suggested that the other colleges be not written to, as the individuality of the replies to the Department would carry more- weight. Dr. Duncan St.out saw no reason why the Department should, not be told the council's opinion straight away. If they let one set of students off they must relax to all. The students did not merely; como to the University to attend lectures and then go home. MISLEADING PHKASE. One phrase in the Department's letter, that students "should not.have to pay for common rooms," was very misleading, !iaid the chairman. It should be pointed out that all of the fees collected went to the Students' Association for the furtherance of its particular activities, for'which previously the funds were 'collected from the various students. Mr. H. A. Parkinson pointed out that the fees were cheap when it was considered that they enabled students to' join all the tennis and other clubs. • Mr. M' Callum said that it was understood that no exemptions were granted this ■year at the Training College, but they, like any other students, would bo considered by the chairman if they could not pay. Professor Hunter moved that a letter on the lines of-the Students' Association's wishes bo drafted and submitted to the chairman for forwarding to the Department.