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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, June 1916

University Reform

page 48

University Reform.

One of the most important results of the recent agitation for the re-organisation of our university was the passage through Parliament of the New Zealand University Amendment Bill, which made provision for an academic body—the Board of Studies, though the Board has only advisory powers. The Senate must consult it before making changes in legislation on academic matters, such as courses of degrees for degrees or methods of examination. The Board, which is to meet annually, is composed of twenty members, five representatives from each of the four Professorial Boards.

The new body held its first meeting in November last and considered, among other matters, the course for the B. A. and B. Sc. Degrees and the best method of examination for these degrees. The editor of the "Spike" has thought it desirable to place before students the main proposals made by the Board to the Senate: students who wish to know of the Board of Studies

B.A. and B.Sc. Courses.

The Board proposed:—
(1)that in each subject there should be an intermediate and a final grade; that the former should be little lower than the present "pass" standard and involve the study correspond to the "repeat" standard and should involve two years study beyond the intermediate stage.
(2)that every candidate for the B. A. degree must.
(a)

pass in five subject at the intermediate stage, viz:—two foreign languages, one of which much be Latin or Greek; English Literature or History; Pure Mathematics, Philosophy or Economics; another subject which may be an experimental science.

These subjects are those for the Intermediate Examination and 2, 3, or 4 of them may be passed at the of the first year.

page 49
(b)pass in two subjects at the final grade; or in one at the final stage and in a new subject studied for two years; or in one subject at the final stage together with an intermediate subject studied for a further year and a new subject at the intermediate stage.
The following typical courses will make clear the suggested regulations:—
  • Intermediate: Latin, Greek, English, Pure Mathematics, History; [four, three, or two of these may be taken at the end of the first year and the remaining subjects at the end of the second year.]

    Final: Latin, Greek (at end of third year).

    Honours: Classics (at end of fourth year).

    Intermediate: Latin, French, History, Economics, Geography.

    Final: Economics, History.

    For Economics or History in the Final the students might substitute a new intermediate subject (say, Mathematics) and an additional year of French or Latin; or a new subject (say, Philosophy) studied for two years.

Only in language study, therefore, would a student, after passing the Intermediate, be even relatively free to prosecute his higher studies for Honours. The general effect of the proposals may be put thus: a student may obtain Honours in Languages by taking his Honours subjects at all stages and in addition three subjects in any other subject by taking his subject at all stages and, in addition, the equivalent of six intermediate subjects.

If these proposals were adopted, they would allow specialized study in Languages but in no other subject. This anomaly may be due to the fact that almost all the Arts representatives on the Board were teachers of Languages, who were fully aware of the needs of their own departments and could not be expected to know that the requirement of other departments were very different.

An adequate scheme must provide equal facilities for the higher study of all subjects. Higher study is not page 50 likely to be aided by the increase in the number of intermediate subjects, a result due, apparently, to the retention of compulsory Latin.

(3)
that every candidate for the B.Sc. degree must:—
(a)

pass in four subjects at the intermediate grade, viz:—one of the subjects pure Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, two experimental sciences; and another subjects that may be taken from the group of Arts subjects.

These are the subjects for the Intermediate Examination that may be passed in two sections.

(b)

pass in two subjects at the final stage (or their equivalents, as provided in the B. A. course).

(c)

give evidence of his ability to read scientific works in French, German, or Italian.

As far as freedom of study is concerned, the B.Sc. course is far in advance of the B. A. course for there is no compulsory subject like Classics (as in the B. A. course) and the choice of subjects by students in not so restricted. The restriction seems all the more unnecessary as the Board suggested that the course of any student should be subject to the approval of his Professional Board.

Examination:

The proposals of the Board were:—

(a)

Examination in subject at the Intermediate grade shall be conducted by the Colleges (as the term-examination now are).

(b)

In grades higher than the Intermediate the Board of Examiners for a subject shall be the four teachers of the subject in the affiliated colleges (with or without an external examiner).

(c)

After the Board of Examiners has determined the results of the examination in that subject, the chairmen of the Boards shall be a Committee to consider the results as a Whole.

The Senate agreed to none of these proposals; it disapproved of compulsory "repeat" and of the proposal to have all courses approved by the Professorial Board.

page 51

The whole, question has been referred back to the Board of Studies and it is to hoped that the Board and the Senate will both show a spirit of sweet reasonableness, so that our degree courses and our method of examination may be brought into line with the results of modern thought.