Macquarie science reform movement
Encyclopedia
Macquarie science reform movement refers to the successful
transformation of the degree system at Macquarie University
in 1979
which followed an academic and political campaign initiated in 1977.
Macquarie University, founded in 1964, adopted a degree structure
modeled after the Oxbridge
tradition where all graduating students
were awarded a BA regardless of their field of study, with the
exception of law students.
Many science students and science faculty saw this as a disadvantage
and began to mobilize for reform of the degree structure. Thus, in
1977 a student organization, known as Students for a Science Degree
(SSD), was formed with physicist Frank Duarte
as chairman. SSD enlisted the
support of science students, student politicians, science
academics, and professional science institutions. Among the senior
science professors that openly supported the reform movement were
Ronald E. Aitchison
, Fredrick Chong, Brian F. Gray, John G. Hawke,
Richard E. B. Makinson
, Ronald H. Vernon, and John C. Ward
.
After a two year campaign the Academic Senate of Macquarie University
introduced a science degree on the 11th of September, 1979. A
perspective on the science reform movement is given in Liberality of Opportunity while famous physicist John C. Ward
offers an alternative
version in his memoirs. At the time, Greg Sheridan
described the
duel between the sciences and the establishment as a “nasty, bitter
bureaucratic struggle” won by the scientists.
transformation of the degree system at Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
in 1979
which followed an academic and political campaign initiated in 1977.
Macquarie University, founded in 1964, adopted a degree structure
modeled after the Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
tradition where all graduating students
were awarded a BA regardless of their field of study, with the
exception of law students.
Many science students and science faculty saw this as a disadvantage
and began to mobilize for reform of the degree structure. Thus, in
1977 a student organization, known as Students for a Science Degree
(SSD), was formed with physicist Frank Duarte
F. J. Duarte
F. J. Duarte is a laser physicist and author/editor of several well-known books on tunable lasers. He introduced the generalized multiple-prism dispersion theory and has discovered various multiple-prism grating oscillator laser configurations...
as chairman. SSD enlisted the
support of science students, student politicians, science
academics, and professional science institutions. Among the senior
science professors that openly supported the reform movement were
Ronald E. Aitchison
Ronald Ernest Aitchison
Ronald Ernest Aitchison , was born in Hurstville, NSW, Australia on 29 December 1921. From 1942 to 1945 Ron worked as an engineer with the Amalgamated Wireless Valve Company on the design and production of klystrons and radar magnetrons, which were new devices important to the war effort...
, Fredrick Chong, Brian F. Gray, John G. Hawke,
Richard E. B. Makinson
Richard Makinson
Richard Elliss Bodenham Makinson was an Australian physicist who contributed to the understanding of thermal conductivity in crystals. His work is cited in the classical book Introduction to Solid State Physics by Charles Kittel. He also contributed to the physics of amorphous semiconductors...
, Ronald H. Vernon, and John C. Ward
John Clive Ward
John Clive Ward , was a British-Australian physicist. His most famous creation was the Ward-Takahashi identity, originally known as "Ward Identity" . This celebrated result, in quantum electrodynamics, was inspired by a conjecture of Dyson and was disclosed in a one-half page letter typical of...
.
After a two year campaign the Academic Senate of Macquarie University
introduced a science degree on the 11th of September, 1979. A
perspective on the science reform movement is given in Liberality of Opportunity while famous physicist John C. Ward
John Clive Ward
John Clive Ward , was a British-Australian physicist. His most famous creation was the Ward-Takahashi identity, originally known as "Ward Identity" . This celebrated result, in quantum electrodynamics, was inspired by a conjecture of Dyson and was disclosed in a one-half page letter typical of...
offers an alternative
version in his memoirs. At the time, Greg Sheridan
Greg Sheridan
Greg Sheridan is the foreign editor of The Australian and a right-wing commentator on foreign affairs.Writing on and from the Asian region since the 1980s, Sheridan is an expert on Asian politics, and has written four books on the topic, plus a book on Australia-U.S...
described the
duel between the sciences and the establishment as a “nasty, bitter
bureaucratic struggle” won by the scientists.