396 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 665 



less than it has been aided by the friendly 

 rivalry of the two. 



And yet, when Stanford University 

 opened in 1891, a prominent journal said 

 that there was "about as much need of a 

 new university iu California as for an 

 asylum for decayed sea captains in Switzer- 

 land. " It is through variation in struc- 

 ture and through the natural selection of 

 favorable variations that all progress arises, 

 whether in the evolution of organisms or 

 in the development of universities. 



The history of every nation is first 

 written in its universities, and in so far 

 as the Australia of the future shall have 

 a noble career, the elements of this career 

 must be first recorded in Sydney, in Mel- 

 bourne, in Adelaide, in the universities that 

 are and are yet to be. 



NEW ZEAJjAND 



In answer to a request for suggestions 

 as to means of improving the teaching 

 effectiveness of the colleges of New Zea- 

 land, I may be allowed to say: 



1. Let examination be a function of the 

 professor, not of the university. Each pro- 

 fessor should certify to the college the work 

 which the student has actually accom- 

 plished in satisfactory fashion.'' Each 

 college to certify to the university of New 

 Zealand, through a vote of its professorial 

 board, those students entitled to degrees. 



2. Reqxiirements of degTces should be 

 stated in terms of work accomplished, not 

 in terms of examinations required. The 



^ At present, all papers representing final exam- 

 inations in the four colleges composing the Uni- 

 versity of New Zealand (Otago College at Dune- 

 din, Canterbuiy College at Christchurch, Victoria 

 College at Wellington and University College at 

 Auckland) are sent to London to be graded. To 

 those successful in the final examinations in six 

 subjects (representing about three years' work) 

 degrees are granted by the University of New 

 Zealand. 



examination of any class should be con- 

 trolled by its teacher. 



3. The chairman of the professorial 

 board should have as many as possible of 

 the functions of the American university 

 president. Especially he should have the 

 initiative in academic matters, the choice 

 of professors and the adjustment of 

 courses. In this he should appear as 

 representative of the professorial faculty, 

 looking after their common interests and 

 keeping in touch with them. He should 

 frequently visit the universities of Europe 

 and America, and in the work of teaching, 

 should he retain his chair, he should be 

 aided by a competent associate. 



4. So far as possible, the certificate of 

 masters of approved secondary schools 

 should be received in place of matricula- 

 tion examinations. In receiving students, 

 a generous range of substitution of sub- 

 jects should be allowed, and book-cram- 

 ming, especially in science, should be dis- 

 couraged. 



5. In American experience, the best 

 method of adjusting the course of study 

 is through that form of the group system 

 known as the "major professor" system. 



In New Zealand this could be adjusted 

 as follows: 



(a.) Each student on matriculation shall 

 select his major work in some one of the 

 recognized departments of the college, as 

 classics, modern languages, English, phi- 

 losophy, education, mathematics, history, 

 economics, zoology, botany, geology, phys- 

 ics, chemistry, law, civil, electrical or 

 mechanical engineering. 



(6) The professor in charge of the de- 

 partment becomes the student's adviser, 

 and his approval is necessary in all adjust- 

 ments of studies at the beginning of each 

 college term. 



(c) Each of these departments will 

 carry on such courses as the staff is able to 



