UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 44

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

THE CHANCELLOR’S REPORT. WELLINGTON, January 19. ihe annual session of the New Zealand University opened this morning. &tr R. Stout presided. the Chancellor commenced his report by making reieieiice to tne ueatn inning tile year of Dr Giuay, tne Hon. J. A. dole, and professor J.' A. MOfehand, ot Dublin (examiner in physios). Touching next upon the matter ot finance, the report says that, the general account shows an increased credit balance, and there will be ample funds to make the filial payment of £SOO due to the ordinary scholarship account, which became deolcted in 19±4-15. Scholarships.— The university has furnished four Rhodes Scholars during the year. The scholar elected to the place vacated by Mr H. A. Mackenzie was Mr H. G. Miller M.A., of Victoria University College, ihe special scholarship offered by the trust was awarded to Mr a. P. M'Callum, 8.A., of Canterbury College, whose war and university record was worthy of notioe. The trust desired that the 1920 and 1921 scholars should both be elected during the year. Those elected were Mr W. T. G. Airey, M.A., Auckland U 1 livers.'ty College, for the 1920 scholarship; and Mr H. J. Ryburn, 8.A., University of Otago, for the 1921 scholarship. The 1851 Exhibition Science Research Scholarship was awarded to Mr R. M. Winter, M.Sc., Auckland University College. Mr Winter, before returning from active service, received commendation for research work done at the Imperial Institute of Technology. Imperial University Congress.—The Imperial University Congress, postponed from this year, is to be held in July, 1921. At the invitation of the bureau, the Senate last session invited Professor Sir Ernest Rutherford, of Cambridge, and our agent (Mr J. W. Joynt) to represent the university. A more recent request has been made for two others, one to be the representative of the student body. Board of Studies. —The Board of Studies met on November 23 and concluded its work on November 26. For a second time the board appears to me to have gone beyond its function as laid down in the Statute creating it, in recommending the issue of a “Royal Commission on the University and University Colleges of New Zealand, headed by some eminent educationalist from the United Kingdom.” What the inquiry is to be about is not stated. The Board of Studies has again dealt with the conduct of examinations. This also was not remitted to them by the Statute that creared the Board of Studies. Their duty is to make recommendations as to the appointment of examiners, etc. What is now proposed is 0. revival of the demand that the teachers should be the examiners.^ A Cambridge University Concession. — The Vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge has announced by tbe last mail received from England an important concession to New Zealand students. The effect of the boon is that a New Zealander who has passed the matriculation examination in (say) English, mathematics, Latin (or Greek), French, and Physical Science, can ptoeeed to his degree at Cambridge without passing the previous examination. If we had no entrance examinations, as some have suggested, this concession would be lost to us. A Gift to the University.—The member of our university who first obtained the degree of Bachelor of Medicine, was William Ledingham Christie. He died at sea on July 22, 1920. Ilis wife has generously offered to our university the sum of £IOO, ' the interest from which is to be applied for an annual medical prize, as the university may decide. The late Dr Christie obtained a prize in anatomy, and his widow suggests that that subject might be chosen as the one for which the prize might be given. The Senate elected various committees to deal with different branches of the busin6SS’ January 21. At the University Senate meeting Professor H. W. Segar and Dr E. Robertson were elected the Senate’s representatives on the Board of Governors of Auckland Grammar School. It was decided that a candidate who has presented himself for honours in any subject may present himself for honours in any other subject, provided that all examinations he taken within six years after matriculation. It was also resolved that a candidate for honours who began his course before the Senate passed the clause requiring that a candidate must sit for honours not more than six years after the date of his matriculation shall be allowed to sit for honours under the conditions laid down in the old statute —namely, that the examination for honours must be taken in the year following that in which the candidate completed the examination for his pass degree. This concession is not to lie granted to candidates who take the honours examination later than 1923. The recommendations of the Board of Studies as to the 7iroposed diploma 111 social science, and as to the institution of a degree of doctor of philosophy, were referred to the Arts and Commerce Connnit--6 Notice of motion was given by Professor Rankine Brown—“ That the Senate would welcome the appointment of a Royal Commission on the and the university colleges of New Zealand, headed by some eminent educationist from the United Kingdom, and that a copy cf this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Education.” The Senate decided to grant the request of the Bank Officers’ Guild to establish a diploma in banking subjects which were generally those of the Bachelor of Commerce degree. The Senate -d-n approved of the 1 ecommendution that the medical course for the Bachelor of Medicine degree be extended from five to six vears. It was derided that the intermediate examination be held not later than the first week of December in the first year of study; the first professional in December of tho (bird year of study; the second professional in December of the fourth year of study; the final examination to be held in two sessions in December of the fifth and sixth years of study. The university degree examinations will begin not earlier than November annually, the date for giving notice of intention to sit for the examinations in November (at present September 1) to be made August 1, and the date for the December examination to be October 1 (instead of October 16). January 22. At tho Senate of the University of New

Zealand Dt Cameron moved —“That, with a view to the encouragement of our commerce. and industries, a scheme for a dm* loma in commerce for several groups, commerce, etc., be referred to the Arts and Commerce Committee for report,” The motion was carried. It was also resolved—“ That, in the opinion of the Senate, the time has come when philology should be accorded distinct and definite status in the syllabus of the University.” Professor Dettmann moved that the Entrance Examinations Committee report on the desirability of abolishing the privilege of a partial pass for matriculation, or, alternatively, of extending its range by affording candidates who have gained such a pass the opportunity of completing atr a special examination to be held each year about the middle of February. The motion was seconded by Professor Hunter, and carried. The Hon. J. A. Hanan moved that the Entrance Examinations Committee be asked to report on the question of separating the questions set in history and political geography respectively from the English paper for the matriculation examination, and also what course can be adopted for a fuller encouragement of the study of history and civics in the schools.—Carried.