THE UNIVERSITY INFLUENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 639, 16 April 1929, Page 8

THE UNIVERSITY INFLUENCE

A CURIOUS feature of the development of universities throughout the world is the individual lines of progress they follow. It is possible to plan buildings and tangible systems, to say, “Here we follow Oxford,” or “This shall be as Edinburgh or St. Andrew’s.” But, when the tangible plan lias been set out, some purely local circumstance on which it may be impossible to set fie finger, some deep influence of environment a§ powerful as it is indefinable, upsets preliminary calculations and gives the institution a tradition and character of its own.

zUT this is to the good. Efforts to suppress individual expression end only in chaos, leave a college with neither a spirit of its own nor the true inspiration of that on which it has been modelled. Here in Auckland the University College faces problems, and one of them—discussed again yesterday, as it has been many times before—concerns the relatively high proportion of students who pursue part-time courses, against those who reap full value from their association with the University by engaging in full-time study. Though the increasing trend is satisfactory, the proportion is not yet high enough, but the University authorities are taking a wise course in not attempting to force the issue.

Large and even difficult questions of staffing and organisation are involved, but the primary factor is the -welfare of the students. Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie made a sage contribution to yesterday’s discussion when he said that, though most of the Scottish universities catered only for full-time students, the Scottish students observed maxims of frugality that would be distasteful to New Zealanders. Here there may not be the same urge to sacrifice everything for learning, but on the other hand the Scottish student probably gets bed, books and board a good deal more cheaply than they can be obtained in this country. Ihe truth is that the swing toward a majority of full-time udents will be slow and barely perceptible, yet as inexorable as slow. Future generations, regarding with veneration the high tradition gathered in the course of years about the spires and buttresses of the college buildings, may turn back in wonder to the files of 1929. and be amazed at our impatience and haste. The l niversity is yet in its infancy. By tlie time it reaches even the ' erge of age it will be a centre dedicated without rival interests to the best years of youth. The value of its complete influence on character, as on mind and body, will then be realised, and in richness of prestige and proud associations the unattainable dreams of to-day will be fulfilled.