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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 21, No. 1. March 13, 1958

[Introduction]

I am delighted to have this opportunity to welcome those to our University who join us this year. I do hope that you will be very happy here and that your energies and labours will be well rewarded. I have already had the good fortune to meet many of you who are this year's freshmen when you visited us last year. In the coming year, at Easter, the Vice-President and I hope to visit many of your old schools which are in our University district. That is a pleasure to which we both look forward.

"Towards the end of last year The Victoria University College was reconstituted The Victoria University of Wellington by Act of Parliament This change in status brings with it a considerable extension of powers and authority. The steady growth towards autonomy together with the considerable physical growth, which is everywhere apparent on the Campus, makes this a most important period in the life of Victoria. With these changes will come new responsibilities which you will share."

At such a time as this in the development of our University an assessment of the present and a consideration of the possibilities in the future is not entirely out of place and it is my intention therefore to discuss one or two matters. As your knowledge and understanding of Victoria increases you will find that it is quite different in character from the other universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago and the Constituent Colleges of Massey and Lincoln. Much of this is due to our tradition of keen inquiry in many fields including the religious and political. Much of the character is due to the presence of a great number of part-time students who seek their livelihood in the city by day and attend the University for lectures in the morning and evening. As a consequence our association as individuals with the community of Wellington is considerable, yet the relationship between the City and the University has not always been the most cordial. Much can be done to improve this unfortunate condition and we should take every care, both as individuals and as a student body, not to offend the sensibilities of the citizens of our city.