Some Factors Affecting Accommodation Needs to 1965

Expected future enrolments for the years from 1958 to 1965, taken from a table prepared in 1955 by the Education Department, are as follows:

On the assumption that the present theoretical staff-student ratio continues to be accepted, these figures mean that by the 1965 session (which is now less than eight years away) the full-time academic staff on the Arts and General side of the College (i.e., including the two special schools) will have increased from 88 in 1955 to 210 (i.e., an increase of 138 per cent.). Clearly also administrative, technical, library, clerical and maintenance services will need to be very much expanded.

The foregoing table and figures highlight the need for further arts and library accommodation. An increase in library accommodation is especially urgent. There are 180 seats in the library. Whatever may be the proper proportion of seats to student enrolment it is clear that 180 seats to nearly 2500 students is fantastically too low. Moreover, it takes several years to design and build a major building. In the meantime the position becomes increasingly serious as each year goes by. In no more than two and a half years (i.e., at the beginning of the 1960 session) there will be nearly 3,000 students to share our 180 library seats. The lack of library accommodation could well be a factor in compelling the College to limit enrolments on the Arts side.