Outlook for the Future

What is the outlook for the future of the University of New Zealand? At present there is a steady devolution of responsibility for all academic matters to the Colleges. At the same time the centre is being strengthened through the Grants Committee and other Committees to make the University a more effective instrument for handling finance and for other matters that can be most efficiently handled centrally. The problem is to distinguish between those needs that should be delegated wholly to the Colleges and those which must remain central for the sake of effectiveness in the interests of the whole organisation. It is possible that the Colleges may soon be given the title "University" without necessarily granting degrees, just as the University of Otago is able to do at the present moment. If the Colleges wish this stop to be taken. It might be useful to increase their individual standing, and the next great stop would no doubt be towards the final recognition of the Constituent Colleges as separate university. If that final step becomes desirable for better teaching and better research, and if it is wanted by the country as a whole, it will certainly come. At that stage there would still remain the problem of efficiently handling many matters which are of necessity common to all of them and require some central focus.

Looking into the future, one would hope to see those new autonomous universities continuing to grow in stature and in wisdom as they are doing now as University Colleges.