Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 8, No. 9. July 11, 1945

Overcrowding May Mean Limited Entries, Says Council

page break

Overcrowding May Mean Limited Entries, Says Council

Money for medical schemes, lectureships in Physical Chemistry and Music, request to the Government for a grant for a school of social studies, new College buildings, were items of interest to students arising from the Annual Report of the Professorial Board at the May meeting of the College Council.

At present there does not seem to be any chance of the University aiding the Student Medical Scheme with finance. The opinion of the Registrar's solicitor is that the College Council has no power under its Act to provide money for such a scheme.

Two new lectureships are to be instituted one in Physical Chemistry and one in Music. The absence of a department of Music in the College has long been felt by those who cannot afford to go to Otago to study. This new lectureship should considerably ease the situation.

The College Council has resolved to ask the Government for an annual grant of £4,500 for a special school of social studies at VUC. This application parallels the Auckland one for a chair of Anthropology and is a very encouraging sign for social studies in New Zealand.

Preliminary plans for a new building to house Chemistry, Geology and Geography have been prepared, but so far no definite action has been approved by the Government. The position is that if the College were provided at the moment with this new building, a Students' Union building and a new Library building, all could be fully and effectively used. As it is we have classes of 200 and 250 taught in the mass. There is only one room in the College that can accommodate such a class. There are 240 in Physics I and the same number in Chemistry I. In both of these subjects laboratory space is needed. The main space for Chemistry, which now has over 300 students, is the same as when the College opened with not more than 40 students taking the subjects. All the lectures for Stage I in Chemistry have to be repeated, an undue burden on our small teaching staff.

In view of this crisis the Board had under consideration:
(1)A scheme for the immediate increase in staff.
(2)A plan for limiting the entries to the College in 1946 if this is forced upon us by lack of staff and accommodation.

Encouraging reports were made about the finance and increasing scope of adult education. The summer school at Fielding was outstandingly successful. This is a fine gathering and it is recommended to students who have a spare week at Christmas.

One of the less encouraging reports was that notifying the re-election to the Council of so many unopposed candidates. The Council is the governing body of this College, and all ex-graduates are entitled to vote for the candidates nominated. If the student body wishes to have a word in the running of the College it should instruct its executive to see that suitable candidates are nominated and that 100 recent graduates at least are canvassed for votes. At present there is one student voice on the executive, Mr. I. C. McDowall.

It is reported that some microscopes are to be purchased if the Principal and Registrar are satisfied that funds are available.

Professor Lipson, Dr. Hare, Mr. Bailey, and Mr. Shearer are going to deliver this term at College a series of lectures on "Post-War Reconstruction in New Zealand."

The library now has a total of 55,391 books, of which last year 19,512 were borrowed by 1,022 undergraduates.

It is pleasing to note, in conclusion, that 12 of our professors and lecturers published 26 books and articles during 1944.