UNIVERSITY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Star, Issue 12721, 26 January 1906, Page 4

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ZEALAND.

MEETING OP THE SENATE. Before the Senate adjourned yesterday afternoon inrther discussion took place on compulsory subjects for the examination for the B.Sc. degree, and it was decided to insert a proviso that every candidate must pass in our of the following subjects (numbers 6 to 11 in clause 1 of the statute relating to the. B.Sc. degree) r —Latin lauand literature, Greek do, English do, French do. German do, and mental science. On the Chancellor mentioning that there was some difficulty in the granting of a senior scholarship owing to some students taldug biology- and some geology, and suggesting that tho establishment of separate scholarships bo considered, the Senate decided to refer the whole question of senior scholarships to the Finance Committee. THIRD DAY’S SITTING. The Senate resumed sitting at 10 a-m. to-day, the Chancellor (Sir R. Stout) being in the chair. —Copying at Examinations.—■ Professor ,1. Macmillan Brown (Christchurch) presented tho second report of the Recess Committee on the December examinations. He said that this report was on tho cases of two candidates in Dunodin whom tho examiner had reported as having manifestly copied one from the other. The Committee appointed to investigate (Professor J. R. Brown, of Wellington, and himself) endorsed the examiner’s decision, as mistakes and blunders of an oxtraordinary land wore the same in both papers. They found that, the candidates had sat together, where it would bo perfectly easy to overlook each other’s papers. This had been taken into consideration, and leniency was on that account thought to be desirable, as the class room was unsuitable for an examination. The Committee bad not thought it necessary to say who was the copyist and who was the original, though they had a fair idea. They had resolved to report that candidates numbers 965 and 966 be not allowed to pass tho medical preliminary examination or the matriculation examination. They also recommended that separate tables bo provided for candidates in examination rooms, as the class rooms provided for candidates in the December examinations in Dunedin were unsuitable. Professor halo explained that this room was tho only one available on tliat occasion. A suggestion was thrown out by Mr Hcgben (Inspector-General in the Education Department) that arrangements for examination rooms might bo pin do with the Education Department. _ The report, was received, and was considered with the Recess Committee's first report on tho December examinations, with which it was adopted after some discussion. Most of the information comprised in the Committee’s report on the examinations has been published, but tho following additional matter was included :—The following were tho numbers of candidates at tho December examination : For matriculation, solicitors’ general knowledge and medical preliminary, 962; for junior scholarships, 84; for intermediate Mus. 8., 3; total, 1,049. The Committee recommended that of the unsuccessful candidates for junior scholarships 44 be recorded as having gamed ‘ credit,” and also as having qualified for matriculation; and of the remainder 17 be recorded as having qualified for matriculation. That of tho 962 candidates for matriculation, solicitors’ general knowledge, and medical preliminary, 258 be recorded as hawing qualified for matriculation and solicitors’ general knowledge, 109. be recorded as having qualified for matriculation, and 40 bo recorded as having qualified for medical registration; also that the first candidate on tho “credit” list be offered a junior scholarship in the event of a vacancy occurring. —The Engineering Course.— On the motion of Professor R. J. Scott (Christchurch), it was decided that, with a view to obtaining recognition of the engineering degrees of the University of New Zealand by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the question of establishing a special entrance examination be referred to tho Engineering Committee, who are to re-port-during the present meeting of the >Sennte. Professor Scott explain.* I that in some quarters a movement had been started with the object of requiring candidates to pass entrance examinations conducted by the institution itself, if they desired to have their degree qualifications recognised. Subsequently the engineering professors of several of the Australian universities made efforts to get exemption from this for their universities. He considered that at present the entrance examination for New Zealand engineering students provided too wide a choice of subjects, and was too low in standard. Students -passed the matriculation examination, and came to Canterbury College Engineering School, and no student whose only qualifications were those required for passing this examination could possibly hope to complete the engineering course in four years. . The time usually taken by them was five or six years, whereas students entering with the knowledge required to secure a junior scholarship were able to complete the course in four years. Besides referring this matter to the Engineering Committee, the Senate authorised that Committee to make such recommendations as they.may think fit on-the-engineec-■‘ing. course as-a-whole.