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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 34, Number 12. June 16, 1971

What are the advantages of a system of Sub-Unit Courses?

What are the advantages of a system of Sub-Unit Courses?

1/ The major advantage is flexibility, both as regards the choice of courses for the student and the opportunity to present new courses for the academic staff. Under the present unit system, students are forced to take papers in which they have neither interest or aptitude in order to take a section of a course in which they are interested. Staff are aware that the links between such courses are often tenuous and of no more than historical significance.

At present, a staff member who is well equipped to present a short course on a specialised topic may well be held back from doing so, because it is awkward to include within an existing unit. Under the new regulations such a course could be offered for separate credit.

2/ Inter departmental efficiency. Especially at higher levels, different departments are offering within their present units, courses which to a certain extent duplicate one another. This is especially prevalent amongst the social sciences - even this year a Political Science II class is attending lectures in a Sociology class. The new system will far extend the possibilities for such inter-departmental co-operation.

3/ A system of sub-unit courses will be especially suited to an assessment system based on in-course assessment. The university is gradually moving in this direction.