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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 2. 1967.

We Pass To Fail!

We Pass To Fail!

Many graduates are annoyed about the way the University Administration managed to upset their opportunity to graduate this year.

Consequently capping ceremony may be later next year.

"Advancing Capping from May to March 3 was conducted as an experiment and will be discussed before it is repeated," the Registrar, Mr. Desborough, told Salient.

"A Member of the University Council decided last year it would be better if students graduated nearer the time of exams. This was taken up and supported by the Students Association Executive.

"Although applications for conferment of degrees were sent out earlier than usual many Honours papers had not been marked by this date and these graduands did not receive the forms until the closing date for entries.

"Many students, men in particular, took holiday jobs away from home or had to do military service and the forms did not reach them in time," he said.

"From the point of view of the administration the period prior to the early graduation had been "hectic," as it clashed with enrolment.

"The ceremony itself was successful in that graduands were able to have many more visitors as there was far more space."

Can't have it both ways

When queried about the many students who missed out on the ceremony because of the late applications, he said "you can't have it both ways."

Doug White, Capping; Controller, said he disapproved of the separation of undergraduate and graduate activities. "Can you call it Capping Week when there is no graduation?" he asked.

"It is obviously not possible to produce all the Capping activities such as Cappicade, Extrav and Procesh before term started, so they would have to take their normal place in May.

"The idea of graduation in March had obviously been carried out to suit graduands," he said, "and therefore the success of the venture should be gauged from the point of this year's graduates," he said He sympathised with the difficulties encountered by the Administration.

"Vic or Rag"

It is not yet known what this year's Capping week will be called. Executive is still debating the question. Suggestions are "Vic" and "Rag" week.

From the point of view of some Honours graduates, however, the venture was not successful.

Of 28 Masters graduates in English only 16 managed to return their application forms for capping by the set date (January 31) for capping, either in person or in absentia. Much the same situation occurred in the Economics Department where 13 Honours students passed, but only five graduated.

Three unaccounted

Of the seven people who did Chemistry Honours in papers (as distinct from those who presented theses), three graduated at the recent ceremony, even accounting for the fact that one of them had been overseas and unable to be contacted, this leaves three students unaccounted for. What happened to their result cards and graduation forms?

Some Arts graduates have complained about the afternoon ceremony claiming "it lacked the lustre" of past evening performances.

Speech dull

One student likened the Chancellor's speech to that delivered by a Chairman of a Board of Directors at an annual meeting.

If graduation is to continue being held in March papers will have to be marked sooner than in the past and entry forms for graduation sent to graduands much earlier.