UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2719, 26 January 1910, Page 6

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

STANDARD OF MATRICULATION CRITICISED. [Per Press Aiisot’TATioN.j DUNEDIN, Jan. 25. The University Senate yesterday considered the following report of the recess committee: “The committee is of opinion that the standard of matriculation is too low, and should be raised. The whole examination should vre.-. present R reasonable result of four years’ training in a secondary school and the examiners should be so instructed, The committee recommends that for compulsory subjects the entrance examination be as follows: —(1) English (two papers), including elementary questions, history, geography ; (2) mathematics (two papers), including arithmetic, algebra, elements of geometry; Latin, Greek, '.French, or German (one paper); (4) one of the following branches —science (one paper), mechanics, heat and light, electricity and magnetism, chemistry, zoology, botany, agriculture, and in addition every candidate shall pass one subject selected from subjects mentioned in the existing statute not already taken by the candidate,. but shall not offer himself for examination for more than two such subjects.” On the motion of Dr. Scott, it was decided that students of medicine shall before presenting themselves for final examination, attend a short course of demonstrations in elementary stomatology, and that the number of midwifery cases which students are re«uired to attend before graduating be increased from 6 to 12. The question of the matriculation standard was further considered by tlhe University Senate to-day. The recommendations made by the Scholarship Committee were considered in committee. and the following were adopted by 19 votes to 2, and will come into operation on January Ist, 1911 :■ —Compulsory subjects of entrance exaniinations to be as follows: (a) English, two papers (including elementary questions in political, geography, and English history); (b) mathematics, two papers, including arithmetic, algebra, and elements- of geometry; (c) Latin, Greek, French, or German, one paper; (d) except in case of a candidate who takes Latin or Greek, one of the following branches of science (one paper)—elementary mechanics, elementary heat and light, elementary electricity and magnetism, ele-, mentar’y chemistry, elementary zoology, elementary botany, elementary agriculture. Every candidate shall pass in five subjects, the remaining subject or subjects to be selected, from the subjects mentioned in the existing statue and not already taken by tlie candidate. No candidate shall offer himself for examination in more than six subjects. . THE B.A. DEGREE. The Senate decided that the statute of the B.A. degree be amended by adding a provision that no under-graduate be allowed to keep terms for that degree in an affiliated - college unless lie- lias passed in Latin at the matriculation standard. , It was resolved that the question as to mathematics being a compulsory subject for the B.A. examinations be referred to the Recess Committee appointed to consider the proposed alterations in the B.A. and B.Sc. courses. ROFESSOR BICKERTON AND HIS theories. ;; I'roPessor Bickerton, of Christchurch, forwarded a considerable amount or printed matter relative as to.the theory of partial impact, and requested the Senate to in some way give his work recognition. He pointed out that he had devoted his life to the study of this matter and that, though his theory had at first been treated lightly by scientific men, it was fast receiving world-wide recognition. Because he had refused to give up belief in his hypothesis, lie had lost his position in the ..Canterbury College, because people had chosen to regard him as a crank. Many of. his enterprises had since failed, and he had lost some £7OOO. . He was 78 .years of age, and unless the Senate gave • him recognition he was afraid he .would mot live to see the result of his life’s work. The Senate resolved to. “receive” the letter, and to thank Professor .Bickerton for the printed matter forwarded. THE NOVEMBER EXAMINATIONS. A motion that the governing bodies of affiliated colleges be suppfied with reports as to the results of the November examinations was tabled by . Professor R. R. J. Scott, and was carried unanimously. THE CAPPING CEREMONY. Mr. Von Hagst moved that the ceremony of conferring degrees take place immediately before the second term in each year.’ ‘ ' This was lost on the voices.

The same gentleman ■ then moved that the conduct of the capping ceremony be delegated to the Professorial Board of each college. A general discussion ensued, during which the opinion was expressed that the executive of the Students’ Association was the proper body to prevent disorder on §uch occasions. Tlie motion was eventually lost by 12 to 7. Some further discussion ensued, but nothing came of it.