VICTORIA COLLEGE COUNCIL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1746, 23 August 1905, Page 2

VICTORIA COLLEGE COUNCIL

The Victoria College Council met last Wednesday. There were present —Sir Robert Stout (chairman), Drs Knight and Chappie, Hon Colonel Pitt, Messrs J. Graham and A. W. Hogg, M.H.R.’s, C. Watson, W. A. Evans, R. MeCallum, T. R. Fleming, H. D. Bell, H. P. Richmond, and C. Wilson. Leave of absence was granted to Mr G. Talbot. Referring to the accounts for the year, the chairman said there were now 254 students attending lectures, an increase of 59 over the previous year. The fees were estimated at £947, or £202 more than last year. The exempted students numbered 76, or three less than last year. , A letter was received from the Premier stating that the application of the Council for a further grant would receive further consideration at . the hands of the Government. JACOB JOSEPH SCHOLARSHIP. The Professorial Board wrote stating that it was unanimously of opinion that it was a mistake to exclude mathematics as a science, seeing that (a) it was compulsory for a science degree, and (b) all the greatest living physicists were, in the first instance, mathematicians. As" for restricting the candidates to persons who had kept all their terms 'at Victoria College, they consfidered it would be sufficient to confine it to students who had taken both sections of their degree. Mr Fleming moved, “ That the Council accede to the. request of the Professorial Board that mathematics be placed among the science subjects.” He pointed out that mathematics as a science subject contained a good deal more than as an arts subject, and it was now treated more as a science. He thought they would be justified by the fact that the Professorial Board was unanimous. .Mr MeCallum seconded the motion. Sir Robert / Stout said there was a possibility of giving the scholarship t.o sGmeone who was not on the science side at all, and who might never take a. science course. Mr Richmond said the applied branches of mathematics almost led the student perforce into a science. Tie did not think the regulations as framed were worth very much at all for research work. The motion was lost Tby 6 votes to 4. As for restricting the scholarship' to Victoria College, Mr MeCallum moved, “ That the Council adhere to its former decision.” Mr Watson could not:, see what harm would bo done by making the scholarship as open as possible. Mr Richmond also opposed the motion. Mr Bell and Mr Wilson supported it. The motion was carried with two dissentients. MEMORIAL TABLETS. The matter of erecting tablets to the memory of students of the college was held over for a month, the Council expressing the opinion that a.s the students. we no not. distinguished in college history they could not do more at the outside than allow tablets to be erected in tho students’ -room. Mr Richmond is, to confer with flu; Students’ Association on the subject. QUEEN’S SC HOI. AR SHIPS. By Knight moved the adoption of the following’ report of the committee on Ouoon’s scholarships:—“Your committee Juts bad a conference with the Professorial Board on the question of the Queen’s scholarships, and recommends: That the examination for the

senior Queen's scholarships shall he the junior University scholarships examination, and that the scholarships be awarded to the four highest on the list; that the first senior scholarship be offered at tho December examinations in 1906, and that the Minister of Education bo asked to approve of this examination ; that each scholar on commencing studies in Wellington shall see the chairman of the Professorial Board to receive advice as to course of study; that failure to pass tho terms examination, or any University examination, shall entail forfeiture of a scholarship unless good cause he, shown.” The first clause was amended to retrict the senior scholarships to the four highest on the credit- list, provided they matriculate. The report was then adopted.