Download - New Zealand Society of Soil Science

1. Teaching would be done by the Department of Soil Science at Lincoln College.
2. The paper initially would be offered at Stage I level but with Chemistry I as a prerequisite. This
was unusual because it meant that, despite being a stage I paper, it could not be taken until a
student’s second or third year.
3. The paper would be in two parts (a) Pedology and (b) The Physical and Chemical Nature of
Soils with three hours of lectures and a three or four laboratory each week to be held in a
Geology Department laboratory offered by Professor Gage. In addition, three or four days of
field trips were proposed.
4. Estimated initial enrolments were “probably as high as 35”.
5. One Lecturer (or Senior Lecturer), one demonstrator and one laboratory technician would be
required.
6. Funding. A non-recurring setting-up grant of $10,000 for equipment and materials and $500 for
library resources, and a recurring grant of $1500 for running expenses were foreshadowed.
The Faculty of Science approved it for submission to the University of Canterbury Professorial Board
for inclusion as a potential new development in their 1970 – 1974 Quinquennial Grant proposals.
Soon after his appointment Professor McKelvey gained approval for the Bachelor of Forestry Science
(BForSc) degree to be a four year degree with a structure of two intermediate years followed by two
professional years of study. Soil Science would be taken in a student’s second year because a
prerequisite of Chemistry I was required for the paper (that is students had to have passed Chemistry I
before being allowed to enroll in the Soil Science paper).
Forestry studies proper (that is the first professional year of the degree) began in 1970 but the first
Forestry students began their intermediate year in 1968 and Soil Science was first offered to them in
1969, the students’ second intermediate year. There were 15 students in that first Soils class.
However, the wish to make the paper available for BSc students had struck a snag. While the proposal
had been reconfirmed by the Faculty of Science on 9 June 1970, the University of Canterbury
Professorial Board had decided at their meeting on 12 June 1970 to put the new developments
foreshadowed in the Quinquennial Grant proposals on hold until March 1971 in order to better plan for
their introduction. In February 1971, Professor McKelvey wrote to Professor N.C Phillips, the
University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor and Rector, strongly confirming his support for the
introduction of Soil Science to the BSc schedule of papers. He had earlier expressed his hope in a
handwritten note to Professor Walker that “--- it will be plain sailing this time”. It was and from 1972
it was included in the BSc schedule for the first time, four years after first being available to BForSc
students. Such is the glacial pace and tortuous pathways that university proposals are often subjected
to.
What is really striking about the initial development and implementation of the proposal for Lincoln
College to teach Soil Science at the University of Canterbury is the extreme goodwill and helpfulness
on both sides. Everybody was trying to be helpful and achieve the best outcome for students and both
universities. There is no suggestion at all of any intent to compete with each other which was such a
feature of the NZ universities in more recent years. It is very refreshing.
Professor Peter McKelvey was the key person in establishing the relationship with Lincoln and he
continued to be particularly supportive after teaching began, dealing quickly and effectively with
several teething problems that arose in the early years. Subsequent Professors of Forestry, Deans of
Forestry and Heads of the School of Forestry (Geoff Sweet, Roger Sands, John Allen, John Walker,
Ron O’Reilly, and Bruce Manley) continued to be very supportive.
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