UNIVERSITY PROGRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 11

UNIVERSITY PROGRESS.

THU AUCKLAND COLLEGE

TEN FRUITFUL YEARS.

PAST BATTLES; FUTURE HOPES

SIR GEORGE FOWLDS' REVIEW

for l fl yravs Sir (Icorge Fowlds lias «, ee n chairman of Hie Council of the Auckland University College, and at yesterday's meeting he took the opportunity 0 f r (-viewing this fruitful decade. Among the (Jilliculties that confronted (1,0 institution i" 1020, ho said, wcro those of securing the metropolilan site ■mtl getting buildings on it, and thai, of .biainiiig recognition of 1 lie engineering ,rhool by the Senate. The settlement of these three questions occupied a much longer time and consumed much 'iratcr mercy and persist eneo than had been expected. All were now accomplished fads. r l lie site they obtained, and the buildings, in spite „f much adverse criticism in the ■ nlv stages of construction, were now universally admitted to bo both beautiful and useful, and had been important factors in bringing the college into 4lie consciousness and pride of (he public 0 f Auckland city and province.

The School of Engineering was now in position to prepare caudidatcs for the li'-st and second examinations of the I'niversity of .New- Zealand, and he believed the Senate would bo prepared to £rant the right for the third and final examination for the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering (civil, mechanical and electrical) .'it, almost any time it were asked to do so. Endowment Gilts. Sir George referred to the loyal support of the, council and staff and of (ho solid foundations laid by previous councils, without which they could not have made the wonderful advance of the, last 10 years. At a cost of £175.000, which did not include the -value of the .site, thev had the arts building, tlio students' building, the extensions of the physics department and the, engineering school, a carrtaker's cottage and grounds and playing areas. Of this sum £20.550 had been subscribed by Auckland citizens. Speaking of tho Mnssey Agricultural College, now in full working order with ]75 students, he said the, founding of this line institution had been hastened many years by the bequest of £20,000 by_ the. late Sir John Logan Campbell, followed later by tho gift of £IO.OOO to Victoria College by the late Sir Walter Buchanan. These gifts ranked high among gifts of endowment sums to university education in New Zealand, which could show pitifully few examples to compare with these. Iu this regard, private citizens of Dunedin had given a lead for the other centres f;ix behind to follow. There were so many public-spirited men and nnmen in Auckland, however, that ho was certain the example of tho comparatively few local benefactors would ho followed and that some day tho university, as it won Id then be, would bo placed financially in a position which ■would allow it to equip men and women vi.h the ideal university education. Touching Civic Life. The flower of tho youth of Auckland y,as to be found within these walls, lie cutild conceive of no finer avenue of philanthropy and community service than the gift of capital sums to ensure that- the ranks of the professions, commerce and industry might receive as the product of the university young men and women whose capacity and capabilities. strengthened and enriched by a true university education, would mean so much to the country as a whole. "Taking a bird's eye view of the position of the college as a whole," said Sir George, "I consider that these 10 years have shown a real advance in repect of our service to and position in tho community. Our Tuesday night, public lectures arc now firmly established, and are well attended. Our present courses in municipal government and local body finance, are a baso upon which we will some day superimposo a diploma of public administration, and finally, 1 hope, a bureau of civic research, wherein tlio resources of the university will be placed at the disposal of the city and tho citizens. "The farm ,book-keeping group established at Te Awamutu by the Department of Economics is merely a sample of the use, which tfie university can be to the country districts, T feel that we. can truthfully say that we are now fairly on the roacl leading to our ultimate aim—a civic and provincial university. Future at Orakei. "Looking into the future, I can see that, a great expansion lies before us. Jn Orakei, wo hope to have a site which will give us room to found as the, years go by a university keeping pace with the advance (if (hp community. 'I here we may he able to place buildings for our science departments and our school of engineering, together with student hostels and playing areas, giving us the nucleus of the residential university with day classes which we all regard as our ultimate aim. Our present, site and buildings will always he requited to meet the needs of the recruitment of certain of the professions and of business, whieh appear to require evening tuition for the students. ' If our proposal, in conjunction with the City Come il, for a fine arts block on the old Grammar School site comes to fruition, our \erv fine school of architecture will ho properly housed, our school of music can then find a home which will encourage il, to expand, and tho cultural arid aesthetic societies of the, city will find a common home, under the aegis of the university and the City Council. In our School of Commerce v.e have one of our greatest, opportunities for expansion, and tiiis matter is continually engaging my thoughts. "A lectureship or chair of anthropology must sooner or later be established in this the most suitable of all locations in the Dominion tor this work. Our Fnivei.-itv of Auckland may come sooner than is anticipated, amF it, behoves us, both council and staff, to sei/.e, every opportunity to J a he, a step in this direction. Jn the residential colleges "f the city, St. John's and Trinity, we have what, will some day be an important part of our university. Pride in Achievement. "Sinh a st o<"k I a king as the present, one often discloses a situation which is both gratifying ami surprising, particularly to those most doselv engaged in the work iu hand. The eomparati\cly small advances made year by vcar seem little in I hemselves. but when a decade, is viewed as a w hole, ve aie, often surprised lo find that v.e have left many milestones behind on the ro.nl of The first, quality requiied iu a university administrator is patience. Ihe second patience, and tho. third patience. "I feel today thai our great city and p'evince <an regard our institution as by no means he king in the, vital spark. I know | hat it is our custom to den y our o>mi institutions. I know also that those who have examined university teaching iu ot hi*i l.imi.i. u, u,illy considered to be far and awav ahead of ours, conre buck with the i< 11,.11 ilia! ;he administrators of those same ,-vMem.; loot, with envy upon moio thoi i 11.w -i-i,eots if our ,-nvn anivcisity **■' 'dug. • »•! Mil,. d FOHV3 ilriy our •iiv::,- . .» ; ,:k\s lL y, will be a . " led o. •••! of our great -111'.