UNIVERSITY WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 25

UNIVERSITY WORK

RAISING THE LEVEL NEW PROFESSORS’ EFFORTS ~ COMPARISONS WITH ENGLAND Further comparisons between the nvandards of work at Auckland University College and at English provincial universities are made (the New Zealand Herald says) by three of the four latelyappointed professors in their annual reports for 1934. Professor C. 6. Cooper (classics) stated that lip felt more or less at ease about the pass B.A. degree. He was pot in favour of raising the examination standard, but would like to see the thirdyear results published in three classes, as an indication of relative merit.

The professor quoted from a letter iie had written to Professor J. Rankine Brown, of Victoria College, in the course of which he had stated: —“ I am decidedly uneasy about our honours M.A. degree. It seems to me that I do observe a qualitative difference between some ot our honours classics . graduates and the honours classics graduates of British provincial universities, and that that difference is not in our favour.” f BETTER REPUTATION SOUGHT. Professor Cooper added that he had already'proposed certain changes in the syllabus of work 'and system of examination, which would, in his opinion, bring the university into line with British provincial universities and help to dispel the atmosphere of uneasiness, suspicion,' or even contempt, hanging about the New Zealand honours degree. All but on* of those suggestions had been adopted, with some modifications, by a conference of professors of classics, and would be submitted to the Academic Board. Professor J. Rutherford (history) stated that in the annual college terms examination there had been 111 passes and 26 failures, whereas if London University standards had been applied, 53 would have passed and 84 failed. “A closer correspondence between New Zealand and English standards would not necessarily result in failing more candidates every year, and therefore, in the long run, reducing the number of university students,” added the professor. “Much of the present low standard of attainment is due to the comparative indifference 6f students and slack methods of work, and to the fact that they adjust their efforts to the very low standard of the examination tests to which they are submitted,” PROGRESS' IN MATHEMATICS.

Regarding the standard in ■ mathematics, Professor H.G. Eorder stated:—y “In the examination for mathematical honours (M.A.), of the four first classes awarded in New Zealand, two tell to Auckland students. This result would be a matter for pride if it meant what it should mean. But it is my duty to remind the council that the syllabus for the honours examination ig very much the same as that for the entrance scholarships to Cambridge, and to some provincial universities, which are competed for by boys, under the age of 19, from the secondary schools of the United Kingdom.” / _ While this state of things existed, continued the professor, he. must judge the success of the work, not by 'examination' results, but by the changes that could be made in the work done) jJChese involved more lectures, an extended syllabus and .reform of the examination. - This year, he had been able to provide lectures definitely of university level for the more advanced students, containing work mostly done in the first year of an English honours course. He had also instituteda course in mathematical physics, apparently the first in the Dominion.

■4 The professor added that he hoped to give the best Auckland students some insight into one or two lines of living mathematical work centred round modern mathematics, the philosophy of mathematics, and mathematical physics. These branches had exercised and were exercising an enormous influence on the general culture of to-day. MODERN LANGUAGES.

“The average marks of the Auckland candidates were very satisfactory, but the work at stage 1 is hampered by the low standard accepted for the entrance examination to the university,” stated Professor Maxwell Walker (modern languages). “The lowness of the standard has been pointed out in a unanimous report from the professors of French, and this report has received the endorsement of the Academic Board._ The standard of French is now a subject of discussion with the University of New Zealand.”