UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Otago Witness, Issue 4041, 25 August 1931, Page 68

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Council of the University of Otago was held on Tuesday; present—the Chancellor (Sir Thomas Sidey), Mr W. J. Morrell (vice-chancel-lor), Sir H, Lindo Ferguson, Dr J. Fitzgerald, Dr W. Marshall Macdonald, Dr Inglis, Messrs J. Rennie. F. Mitchell, J. Wallace, L. Deans Ritchie, J. A. Moore, J. C. Thomson, C. M. Gilray, and J. W. Dove. PROFESSORIAL BOARD. The registrar forwarded the following particulars of business transacted by the Professorial Board at its meeting on August 13: —(a) The board has appointed as members of the Library Committee for the ensuing year Professors Malcolm, Park, Jack, Dunlop, Carmalt-Jones, Ben ham, and Kerens. (b) The board requests the council to postpone for one further month consideration of the date of the graduation ceremony. (c) The board recommends the council to appoint Mr Callan as a member of the committee in the matter of colonial appointments in place of Mr Barrowclough. (d) The board requests the council to take all possible steps to improve the position of professors under the superannuation scheme. The recommendations were agreed to. GRAY RUSSELL SCHOLARSHIP.

The secretary, High Schools’ Board, wrote regarding the Gray Russell Scholarship regulations. The board considered that circumstances may warrant the holding of a special examination, even though all the candidates have been competitors in the University Scholarship Examination. It has decided, therefore, not to alter clause 5. The board has approved of the alteration recommended in clause 8 (3), but has added another sub-clause. The matter was referred to the chairman of the Professorial Board, the chairman of the High Schools’ Board to be asked to confer with him. CHAIR OF EDUCATION.

The Minister of Education (Mr H. Atmore) wrote regarding the discontinuance of the grant towards the Chair of Education, stating that the necessity for this step was very much regretted by him.

Dr Fitzgerald said that if the council was going to lose the £425 a year on this chair it would have to find the money at the expense of other faculties. The counciL did not ask for the appointment; it was forced on the council. He thought they had too many professors of education in. New Zealand. One in the North Island and one in the South Island would be sufficient. He moved that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to report. Mr Thomson seconded the motion.

Mr Ritchie said the University ought to retain its professor of education as long as possible. He did not know where the £425 was to come from. They all knew what was happening to their rents, and their grant from the Government had been cut down. There might be other economies that could be brought about. “ Our finances are desperate,” added Mr Ritchie, “ and are going to be desperate.” It was not right to refer to the Finance Committee the policy of having a professor of education.

Mr Morrell said the matter ought to be debated, not on financial grounds, but on general grounds—whether 'a professor of education was desirable. He did not think it was possible at the present juncture to dispense w’ith the professor of education. There were professors of education in the other centres.

Dr Macdonald hoped'that in any resolution the council passed it would be made clear that they were trying to find a salary for the professor of education. Dr Fitzgerald thought they had too many professors of education for New Zealand, and the present time was the time to consider the position, when they were forced by the Government to provide another £425 which they did not know where to find.

The motion was lost, and the letter was received.

GRANT FOR LIBRARY

Dr F. P. Keppel, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, wrote regarding a grant for the library. The corporation was prepared favourably to consider a plan involving an expenditure of 5000 dollars a year for three years for the purchase of books for the library and possibly 5000 dollars a year for two further years. This offer was subject to the University of Otago sending to a recognised school of library science a person holding the degree of B.A. or higher degree for training as librarian. The corporation would consider payment of 3000 dollars for the period of this training, but the person appointed on return to New Zealand must be appointed librarian and given an academic rank such as lecturer.

Referred'to the Library Committee to report. DENTAL SCHOOL.

Dr Dodds, of the Dental School, wrote that the amount of patients’ fees received from January 1 to July 31 amounted this vear to £1225, against £lO4O in 1930 and £lOB4 in 1929.

The council expressed gratification at the increase in the figures. FINANCE AND MEDICAL COMMITTEES.

The Finance and Medical Committees reported that they had considered a letter from the Dean of the Medical Faculty and the chairman of the Medical Committee recommending the combined appointment of Dr de Monchaux and Dr Marjorie Barclay as lecturers in radiology, the fees to be divided between them.—lt had been resolved to approve of these appointments on the understanding that there be paid to each lecturer 10s 6d in respect of each student attending Dr de Monchaux’s class in radiology in the fourth year of the medical course.

The committees had considered a recommendation from the Medical- Faculty that a short summer session be instituted in the fourth and fifth years, this session to commence about the middle of January and continue till- the end eft February.— A report from the residential colleges regarding this matter had also been received, the various colleges indicating that they would be unable to admit students during the proposed session.—lt had been finally resolved that the matter should stand over for one month to give the

faculty an opportunity of discussing the matter further. The committees had considered a letter from the director of the Technical College regarding a proposal that the medical inspection of the day pupils of his -school be undertaken by the students in Dr Hercus’s public health Class.—lt had been resolved that the matter be referred to Dr Hercus with power to confer with the principal of the Technical College, and to make the best possible arrangements for the undertaking of this work for the balance of the current year. The report was adopted. FINANCE AND HOME SCIENCE COMMITTEES.

The Finance and Home Science Committees reported that, they had considered a letter from the Dean of the Home Science Faculty requesting that opportunities should be provided for home science students to study dietetics under a trained dietetian in the Dunedin Hospital.—lt had been resolved that Professor Strong be asked to obtain an amplified report from Misses Reid and Copping setting out the reasons for their recommendations, this report to be referred to the Medical Faculty, and this faculty, to report to the Finance and Home Science Committees, when the matter would be further considered. The report was adopt'ed. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee reported that Mr L. D. Ritchie had been appointed chairman of the committee for the ensuing year.

The committee reported that it had considered the case of Mr Carman, who had been about to leave New Zealand to take up further studies in England.—lt had been resolved that in the event of Mr Carman not obtaining any other scholarship, the council be recommended to vary the regulations of the Lubecki Scholarship to provide for a further payment to him from that scholarship. The committee had considered the matter of advertising the positions of lecturer in jurisprudence and lecturer in procedure.—lt had been resolved to recommend to the council: (a) That the position of lecturer in procedure be advertised at the same salary as is now paid- to Mr Barrowclough (£lOO, less cut of 10 per cent), the duties of the appointment to commence from March 1, 1932; (b) that the dean of the Law Faculty be asked to report to the committee on the question of the amount of salary pard to the lecturers in jurisprudence and constitutional history, and also on the number of hours per week which should be devoted to these subjects; (c) that £25 be paid to Mrs Hay from unauthorised expenditure. The committee had considered a report of the Committee of Management of the Museum, and recommended that the Committee of Management be informed that the council was prepared to write off the sum of £434 3s 4d from the Museum debit balance, and that this committee be requested to report as to what could be done with regard to the debit balance then remaining. > The report was adopted.

WORKS COMMITTEE. The Works Committee reported that Mr J. Wallace had been appointed chairman of the Works Committee for the ensuing year. The report was adopted. HOCKEN LIBRARY. The committee o£ the Hocken Library reported that there was a credit balance of £4B 15s 3d in the Books Fund AccountWith respect to the publication of Marsden’s MSS., the committee recommended that any sums received by way of royalty should be allocated for use in publication of other MSS material in the Hocken Library. The report was adopted. GENERAL. The dean of the Medical Faculty forwarded the resignation of Dr Strang, surgical tutor. —Received. Mrs R. Alexander, honorary secretary of the National Council of Women, wrote expressing thanks to Professor Strong for the work inaugurated for unemployed girls.—lt was decided to express gratification that Mrs Strong’s work had been appreciated. Dr Mullin, acting librarian, wrote stating that Sir Lindo Ferguson had presented to the library Crocker’s Atlas of Skin Diseases in two volumes.—Received with thanks.

* The town clerk wrote stating that the City Corporation had appointed to the Committee of Management of the Museum his Worship the Mayor, and Crs Tapley and Clark.—Received.

Dr Colquhoun wrote accepting appointment as the council’s representative at the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the British Museum. —Received.

Dame Louise MTlroy, Professor R. W. Johnstone, and Dr Drennan wrote regarding the appointment to the Chair of Obstetrics. Each expressed the opinion that the University made the right choice. Dr Drennan also stated that he regretted he was unable to represent the University at the congress to be held in Paris.—The correspondence was received.

The secretary, Board of Control, explained the decision to prohibit smoking in the women’s common room. This was a very small room, being formerly the janitor’s sitting room. Women were allowed to smoke in the other portions of the Students’ Union.—Received. The dean of the Medical Faculty wrote stating that a further report would be placed before the council at a later meeting concerning the proposed arrangements for a short summer session.—Received, in the meantime. Mr G. M. Cameron and Mr A. H. W.

Williams wrote with regard to their entering for a degree examination in the University of London. The Education Department had declined to forward their applications on the ground that they would not permit of the University of London examinations being used in competition with the examinations of the University of New Zealand. The writers pointed out. however, that they had already taken all the New Zealand examinations possible in their case, and they asked for the council’s assistance in their request.—The registrar was authorised to make representations to the Department of Education in support of the request and ask for its reconsideration.