Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 33, No. 2 4 March 1970

Diploma Course opposed

Diploma Course opposed

The Victoria University Council has endorsed the strong opposition of the Vice-Chancellor's Committee to a proposal by the Technician's Certification Authority to introduce a Diploma in Science course at N.Z. Technical Institutes.

According to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor I.D. Campbell, the proposal "came out of the blue" in spite of the fact that a senior member of the Victoria University staff is undoubtedly on the Authority.

In his letter to the Authority, the chairman of the Vice-Chancellor's Committee, Massey University Vice-Chancellor Dr. A. Stewart, said that "the universities wish to stress that they already have the necessary resources of staff and equipment to provide the level of training envisaged."

Dr. Stewart added that "the proposal reflects the grave lack of coordination which exists in the field of tertiary education in New Zealand."

Members of the Victoria University Council expressed concern at the possibility of a threatened overlap between Technical Institute and University courses and referred to the proposal of last year's Conference of Universities that liaison committees should be set up between local Universities and technical institutes.

They endorsed Dr. Stewart's claim that the matter "should be given the widest publicity".

"The Association has written to the suppliers notifying them that the next breach of the delivery conditions will result in their being reported to the Health Department. Mr. Levenbach is in full agreement with this letter. The Managing Secretary, Mr. Boyd, was alarmed at the action taken by the Executive but agreed that food left in that state was probably a health risk."

The President has since received an assurance from the suppliers-San Anita Bakeries-that all deliveries will be placed inside the Building. They had previously instructed their drivers to do this.

Mr. Boyd said that there was some uncertainty as to whether the Health Department has any power as regards the catering facilities at Victoria since the Cafeteria is not a public restaurant. The Department does, however, make occasional inspections. Mr. Boyd agreed that the food impounded should not be placed on sale after such exposure to contamination but added that he would not have taken the same action as the Executive.

The Catering Manager, Mr. Levenbach, said that he understood the Executive's action and any food left outside the Building overnight would not be placed on sale.

The question of food deliveries was initially raised in a letter to Salient from Mr. R. Middleton (see inset) and was then referred to the Executive. Mr. Middleton had seen deliveries of food made to the area by the rubbish tins on several occasions. On each occasion, the food was left outside the Building from about 9 pm until members of the Cafeteria staff arrived in the morning.