The Faculty of Commerce and Administration has completely reorganised its degree course. The B.Com. degree is to be replaced by Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (B.C.A.). The new proposals have been formulated over several months and the regulations have now been approved.

The change is designed to achieve three objectives. (1) To offer a degree incorporating elements from each of the Faculty's four Departments (Accountancy, Economics, Political Science and Business Administration). (2) To provide a better understanding of the nature and activities of public and private organisations and the problems of decision-making in them. (3) To enable students to study major subjects in greater depth than is possible at present.

The Faculty, as now constituted, is concerned with a group of subjects which are collectively and separately relevant to an understanding of the world of affairs, public and private, commercial and professional.

There exists among these subjects sufficient unity of interest and method to make it sensible to speak of a common base, out of which grows a superstructure of specialisation. This concept is reflected in the degree structure of nine units.

Compulsory Core

There will be a common core of five compulsory Stage I units: Economics, Politics and Law. Accountancy, Quantitative Analysis, and Administration or an Arts or Science unit. The core will give all students an interdisciplinary base before specialisation.

Economics I is unchanged. Politics and Law I will be a new unit taught by the Department of Political Science and the commercial lawyers in the Department of Accountancy. The prescription is: "Introduction to the constitution and introduction to law. Principles drawn by comparison of political and legal processes in New Zealand and the United States of America and by definition of areas of decision-making to which each is suited."

Accountancy Changes

Accountancy I has been reorganised to comprise one compulsory paper on the theory and practice of Accountancy. The other paper will be either financial Accounting and interpretation of financial statements, or the construction and interpretation of local body and government accounts. Candidates selecting the latter option will not be permitted to proceed to Accountancy II. A new subject, Accountancy for Economics II, will be available as an alternative to Accountancy I for those majoring in Economics. A prerequisite is either a pass or enrolment in Economics II.

McKinlay returns to forum.

Administration I is to serve as a base for both Business Administration II and the advanced stages of Public Administration. The departments of Business Administration and Political Science will share the course which is a study of the nature and administration of business and public organisations.

The final core unit is Quantitative Analysis. This course will consist of three lectures and one tutorial a week. One lecture per week (throughout the year) will be on aspects of pure methematics which are important in administration and economics. Due consideration will be given by the lecturers to the problems of students who have not taken maths to U.E. level. (All students who will be taking the course next year are advised to brush up their School Certificate mathematics. Any student who would like further information about this new unit may consult Professor Stamp.)

The remaining lecture will concentrate on statistical methods and analysis, while in tutorials students will work through examples designed to illustrate both aspects of the course.

Further Subjects

After the core units students will study four further units in or related to the subject in which they wish to major: Economics, Accountancy, Political Science, Public Administration or Business Studies. A course is also available in interdepartmental studies for those who wish to major in any two of the disciplines taught.

A number of new subjects are available within the groups. The present commercial law units are to be replaced. Their subject-matter will be incorporated into Legal Studies II and III, together with other material. Law for Accountants II will be available as an alternative to Legal Studies II for those majoring in Accountancy. One of these two subjects is a prerequisite for Accountancy III. However, Commercial Law I will be taught in 1966 and Commercial Law II until 1967. This procedure will help to overcome problems in transferring from B.Com. to B.C.A. Another addition to the degree subjects is a Stage III unit in Public Administration.

All students entering the Faculty for the first time in 1966 will be enrolled for B.C.A. Students at present studying B.Com. may continue under those regulations or they may transfer to B.C.A. In 1968 those still studying B.Com. will be transferred to B.C.A. by the University. The regulation regarding the transfer of units from B.Com to B.C.A. is set out in the box on this page.