UNIVERSITY COMMISSION REPORT DISCUSSED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17781, 26 February 1926, Page 7

UNIVERSITY COMMISSION REPORT DISCUSSED.

Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, February 26. The chief business at the University Senate to-day was a discussion on the report of the University Commission, which was the subject of a report from a special committee. The greater part of the report was approved by the committee, the points of difference being mainly on questions of organisation.

The first clause approved of a recommendation that the University be reconstituted as a federal teaching University with constitutional colleges enjoying a large measure of autonomy. The* Senate adopted this. The next clause was that the word “ Senate ” be substituted for the commissioners suggestion of the word “ Council.” Professor Hunter disagreed, stating that he would guarantee that the Senate members couldn't pass an elementary exam, on the Statutes put through that year. The committee’s recommendation was lost. Another amendment was that the membership of the Senate should include Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, the latter being the principal of a University. .The Hon J. A. Hanan said that the view of the committee was that a Chancellor be elected who was not a member of the Senate, such as some distinguished outsider, and the ViceChancellor doing the controlling work. Mr Morrell said that jt would be a disadvantage to the University if the Chancellor was merely a figurehead. Professor Hunter thought that it was hardly likely that a distinguished outsider would come along and preside and discuss business with which he was not conversant. The amendment was carried.