Titchener's speech 'a lot of eyewash' says O'Brien

"A lot of eyewash"

That was the description given by the Pro-Chancellor, K.B O'Brien, of a claim by Professor A.L. Titchener of Auckland University that general Arts degrees should be given more vocational emphasis.

Mr O'Brien's remarks were made at a meeting of the University Council on 25 May. Mr O'Brien moved 'That this Council inform Professor Titchener of the University of Auckland that however accurate his reported utterances of 21 May about causes of alleged waste in universities may be in respect of some situation in his own university in which he as a senior academic has presumably been in a position of influence for some years it considers him not competent to speak on these questions about the university system in Now Zealand as a whole and furthermore that it repudiates these utterances as far as this university is concerned".

Professor Titchener, speaking at a seminar in Auckland organised by the Association of University Teachers, was reported to have alleged that a sizeable section of the university is wasting the taxpayers money.

"I wish I could say," said Professor Titchener, "with my hand on my heart and looking the Minister of Finance straight in the eye that our universities were fulfilling their role of serving the community to the uppermost limit consistent with their pursuit of knowledge".

Professor Titchener, Professor of Chemical and Material Engineering at Auckland University, said he would like to see universities introduce a range of degree structures solidly grounded in arts and sciences but with clear vocational ends.

"I think the need is overdue," he said, "and I think large numbers of students as well as employers would welcome such a change Doing this would, moreover, combine the activities, of arts and science departments with those of professional skills", said, "and I think large numbers of students as well as employers would welcome such a change Doing this would, moreover, combine the activities, of arts and science departments with those of professional skills". Mr O'Brien, expressing annoyance at Professor Titchener's reported statements, claimed that if anything was irrelevant to New Zealand at the moment it was Professor Titchener's remarks. He denied that Victoria University was guilty of a waste of public money.

Mr O'Brien, expressing annoyance at Professor Titchener's reported statements, claimed that if anything was irrelevant to New Zealand at the moment it was Professor Titchener's remarks. He denied that Victoria University was guilty of a waste of public money.

Professor I.D. Campbell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, reported to the Council that he had attended the Seminar at which Professor Titchener had spoken. "Professor Titchener did not at any stage purport to speak for anyone but himself," Professor Campbell said. "It would be unfortunate if this Council should jump in the air over this issue".

Quoting Professor Titchener's comment in his paper that the views he was putting forward were 'personal' ones, Professor Campbell argued that the first thing a University Council should ensure is freedom and frankness of expression. Professor Campbell read out sections of the paper by Professor Titchener which was under discussion and pointed out that newspaper and television coverage had concentrated only on the most outspoken sections.

The Council, after lengthy discussion, resolved that the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor should study the information available and issue a press statement later.