22 February 1994 Lincoln University's First Chancellor Retires

An administrative era at Lincoln University has ended with the retirement of the University's foundation Chancellor, Sir Allan Wright.

First appointed to the Council of the then Lincoln College in 1973, Sir Allan became Chairman of the Council in 1986 and Chancellor when Lincoln became an autonomous university in 1990.

Sir Allan says the undoubted highlight of his association with Lincoln was the day in 1989 when the Government, through the then Deputy Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, announced university status and independence for Lincoln from the start of 1990.

"Right from the day I joined the Council that had been one of my goals," says Sir Allan. "For some time it was an uphill battle with a few Council members opposing it in the early period, but we eventually achieved independence and have gone on to prove ourselves and show that the move was a good and wise one."

Sir Allan says that the expansion of the University and the growth in student numbers has been another highlight of his time. The roll has doubled in the past six years to some 3500 EFTS.

Sir Allan's time at Lincoln has seen a decline in the old diploma emphasis and a shift to a wide range of specific degrees. He sees this as adding tremendously to the academic stature of the institution.

"Lincoln's focus has broadened from agriculture to natural resources and commerce and that has been a dramatic change," he says.

Sir Allan says a further exciting development has been the expansion of Lincoln's programmes to include degree level qualifications in areas such as Landscape Architecture, Parks and Recreation Management, Resource Studies, Transport and Hotel and Institutional Management.

Facilities too have expanded noticeably...

"The University Council's progressive policy of capital development, over the past four years in particular, has enhanced the campus environment," he says. "Today we have some of the best equipped lecture theatres in New Zealand and a library which is a leader in New Zealand in utilising information technology. I hope this policy continues into the future."

The increasing participation of women at Lincoln - as students, staff members and Council members has been a pleasing development during his time, says Sir Allan.

"Women now make up nearly 40 percent of the student roll, there are six women on Council and at the time of Lincoln's independence we had a woman as Pro-Chancellor."

Sir Allan came on to the Lincoln College Council in 1973 as a Government appointee, initially made by the then Minister of Agriculture Bruce Barclay. He has served as a Government appointee since then, first as a Council member under chairman Donald Bain of Christchurch, then under Sid Hurst of Oamaru, then from 1986 as chairman himself.

"Lincoln has always been very well served by its Council members," he says. "The institution has been prepared to go outside the Canterbury region to seek members and most of the areas of New Zealand are represented on Council. This helps emphasize our 'national' role and we are able to attract students from throughout the country. For example over one-third of our students come from the North Island."

Although Sir Allan is standing down from the chancellorship of Lincoln University he is not withdrawing from public life. He will continue his role with several public and private companies and complete his year as President of New Zealand Cricket. Sir Allan will continue his association with Lincoln by being a board member of Lincoln Ventures Ltd, the University's trading company.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.