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"Welcome to Victoria," said the Man

Two days at university and already it looks very interesting.

Monday 1.10 pm. precisely. We walk into an introductory Pols 111 lecture expecting about 400 others for company and what do we find? Not 400, but 850, squashed into K303 (maximum capacity around 350). The lecturer, Cleveland, does his best, but it's a hot day; by 1.30 pm. there is very little fresh air left, and the jokes about how Pols is not boring are straight away proved to be nothing more than just jokes, and very bad ones.

Everything that should be is covered in the introduction—assesment, texts, tutorials and an outline of the lecture programme. It's just that there are all these people and the atmosphere is very uncomfortable. Still, he says that something will be done. The Department doesn't exactly know what, but "Something" will be.

Tuesday, 1.15 pm. (That's right. Be honest. You were five minutes late). Let's see if it's any better today. You've just had The Augustans, and after Pols, you've got another stage two English lecture on the Novel. 3 in a row. Not the best. However. Upon opening the back door of K303, you just about drop dead. There are even more people than yesterday. Not only are all the seats absolutely chock-a-block full, but there is no room on the steps either. They're covered right down to the front. The gust of rotten "pre-owned" carbon-dioxide (nobody's breathing ordinary air anymore) is like the fumes from a blast furnace. Still, (as you close the door and see four or five others doing the same over the other side) it's not as if you could have gone, even if you really wanted to, is it?

Question. What is this "Something" that the Pol Sci Department is going to produce to relieve a critical over-crowding problem and when will it be produced?

Is any provision going to be made for those students who just could not get room to even sit on the steps or stand at the back, and so missed out on a lecture (or on lectures)?

So much for Pols. Any other gripes? How about Legal Systems? Yes, come to think of it, there were some things that bothered you about that first lecture. At least E006 was not over-flowing with student bodies, and at least your lecturer did all he was supposed to do, as required by Prof. Board. He gave you all a very full "Read This Now" hand-out, covering term requirements, tuts, texts, lecture programme, gave you fifteen minutes to read it, then went over it with you pretty carefully. All in all, it looks good.

But the first thing that strikes you is that the work-load looks very rigid—all excercises and tests set out clearly, but quite a few of them. Their points values are all worked out for terms to add up to a neat 300. But the three terms exams (held thoughtfully at 8.00 am., so every one can sit them cosily together) are all worth 50 points, the class test is worth 20 points. Not much regard for those who work hard, but are upset by the pressures of exams;

"Minimum total for terms (45% of 300, see para 6) = 135." (para 6 just outlines terms requirements - 45% of 300, regular attendance and participation in lectures and tuts etc.). They're placing a great deal of emphasis on terms, aren't they? Last sentence of para 6: "No part of terms marks counts as part of the final mark in the Legal System." All that work, then it doesn't even count. Still, decent of them to tell you.

They mention the Socratic method too. You don't quite know what it means but it says "a question and answer method of instruction" Voluntary? Or is it possible that the lecturer picks on (oops!) "invites" students to participate. Victimisation? Surely not. But the possibility worries you.

What else? No mention of such things as pre-determined pass-rates, namely around 35% in a good year for students, or about 30% in 1977, of studetns with average of 60% or 70% hosing in for terms and getting a round D for finals. No mention of the pressures, very hard to define, but definitely there, from within the course, stemming perhaps form the knowledge that there are too many students for too few places, or perhaps from a Faculty with a somewhat inflated opinion of itself; a Faculty which teaches "legal methods", not students, which caters for the academically able rather than the conscientious. . .

Come, come, you're being too hard. They did everything thoroughly and properly. You can't deny that. True. I suppose it's a case of credit(s) where credit's due'

"Welcome to Victoria University, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. McKay said. "We hope your stay with us will be a happy one one".

Rire Scotney