UNIVERSITY COUNCILS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 4 April 1934, Page 4

UNIVERSITY COUNCILS

Representation of Students PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED Delegates from Victoria College, seconded by those from Canterbury College, proposed a motion that students should be represented on their respective college councils, at the annual conference of the New Zealand University Students’ Asso ’ation in Christchurch. It was stated that the Royal Commission of 1925 had favoured this system, and that further encouragement was given by the Victoria College Court of Convocation when it resolved that if he were eligible the president of the Students’ Association should be elected as one of the four representatives of the court on thd College Council.

The council did not come into close enough contact with the student body, said Mr. R. J. Larkin (Victoria College) and it was desirable that personal contact should be established by means of student representation on the controlling board. SUBJECTS OF CRITICISM. University publications and dialectics had been the subject of criticism in the past and it appeared under tho present system, said Mr. L. A. Efford (Canterbury College) that the present status of university students was not high enough. They were not secondary school students, and students in England even had representation in Parliament. It would be to the advantage of the col'ege councils to have amongst them student representatives, who were not just young undergraduates but older persons experienced in university affairs.

Opposition to the motion suggesting student representation was offered by Mr. J. G. D. Ward, who said that students had been very fairly dealt with in the past. Moreover, me representative would not l.ave sufficient power and could be overruled by the rest of the council at any time, and there would probably be dissension among councillors. Students would not welcome the appointment of a member of the council to a position on the Students’ Association so that the appointment of a student to a position on the council did not seem to him to be fair. Mr. Efford said that the council was for the benefit of the students who comprised the university; the students did not exist for the benefit of the council, so he could not see why the council should desire -epresentation in student affairs ns Mr, Ward suggested A FURTHER COMPT.aTA further complaint from the Auckland University College delegates was that misrepresentation of students affaire had occurred in the past and that the appointment of n representat-

ive to the council would obviate thia difficulty. Similar trouble had been ex perlenced by the students of Victoria College. Relatione between students and the councils had been harmonious generally, and particularly in Canterbury, but friction seemed inevitable occasion ally and it was deired that a better working arrangement be made. Finally a motion proposed by Victoria College delegates and seconded by Canterbury College delegates was passed, it beinb decided that the New Zealand University Students' Association should communicate with the authorities with a view to asking them to take the steps necessary to amend the various acts relating to the four University Colleges, in order to provide for student representation on college councils.