Last Monday - the first day of semester - Massey academics were told the university proposed to stop offering a science degree from its Albany campus. Photo / NZ Herald
Last Monday - the first day of semester - Massey academics were told the university proposed to stop offering a science degree from its Albany campus. Photo / NZ Herald
A top Massey scientist has publicly hit out at his university's vice-chancellor over a controversial shake-up, as union organisers hold meetings across campuses this week.
Last Monday - the first day of semester – Massey academics were told the university proposed to stop offering a science degree from its Albany campus, in a restructure that could see 50 science jobs lost from Auckland and hundreds of students forced to relocate.
It came amid a major restructure and the roll-out of an online-focused strategy called Digital Plus that would see many subjects taught face-to-face only at designated "anchor" campuses.
A discussion document said the university's costs had risen more than its revenue and it needed to cut spending by $18.1m a year – and proposed slashing staff costs in the College of Sciences by $11.7m, or 15 per cent.
Albany scientists have slammed the proposed changes, arguing that science at their campus is important and growing, and that they were given just three weeks at a busy time of the year to give their formal feedback.
One prominent science commentator described the unfolding situation as potentially "the biggest blow to the New Zealand science community in a generation".
Last week, Professor James Dale - a leading zoologist who heads biology at Albany's School of Natural and Computational Sciences - made an impassioned case for his colleagues before students, College of Sciences pro-vice chancellor Professor Ray Geor, and vice-chancellor Professor Jan Thomas.
"We are part of this community and we are providing knowledge to future generations … to the future leaders of this country," Dale told a packed lecture theatre.
In an all-staff message emailed out last week, Thomas said she'd been "particularly interested" to hear Dale's presentation, adding the YouTube link to it.
She noted how Dale had pointed out Massey was in a "dilemma with a difficult choice" – and acknowledged the discussions had caused "significant anxiety and unrest" for many staff.
While many were "understandably unhappy" about what was in the document, Thomas said many were "excited by the idea of transformation" and felt students were saying too many programmes were being offered, "so we should choose a few things and do them really well".
Thomas emphasised that the discussion documents – another has been sent out to Massey's College of Health – weren't proposals for change.
"No decisions have been made, and your feedback and submissions are important in this process."
She also commented on media coverage of the proposals, claiming it had given rise to "incorrect narratives" such as the idea that Massey's campus was shutting down, that students wouldn't be able to study face-to-face, or that students wouldn't be able to complete their degrees at Massey.
This morning, Dale posted a series of scathing tweets aimed at Thomas.
1/13 Thanks VC @ProfJanThomas for posting the talk https://t.co/9K8Jl24v4a I gave to you, Senior Leadership, staff and students in your email to the University https://t.co/2TzviPb7Tt. Since you commented on my talk, I hope you don't mind if I respond directly. @MasseyUni
"In your email you say we agree that management must make tough decisions sometimes. Yes, but you forgot the part where I say that in this case 'the right thing to do, and the financially correct pathway, are the same'. Keep science at both campuses and we will keep growing," he said.
"There is an injustice about it. An unfairness," Massey University zoologist Professor James Dale says of a restructure that could see his colleagues lose their jobs. Photo / Twitter
"One decision that was not too tough for management to make was the decision NOT to release the discussion document on the day we launched a brand-new BSc programme. But somehow here we are."
Dale argued there was no representation from Albany in senior leadership – despite both campuses being comparable in size – and added the proposals had come with no "forward-looking business model, external audit, risk assessment, or any analytics" about what students wanted.
"This is about more than our little NZ Uni. It's about how a university is run: like a business … or like a taxpayer funded property whose mission is to educate the next generation?"
'Deep and drastic' changes
Speaking to the Herald today, Dale said emotions were still running high among his Albany colleagues.
"We're all quite upset. We're not in the right frame of mind for this, as it happened on the first day of classes when we were preoccupied with other tasks and responsibilities," he said.
"There is an injustice about it. An unfairness. We have been growing, and the data is really clear on that. Without getting into the weeds of [the discussion document], we know that our school returns $7m a year to the college."
The Herald has approached Massey to ask if Thomas has any response to Dale's tweets.
Last week, the university told the Herald that while the process was underway and no final decisions had been made, it would not make any further comment about potential outcomes.
A spokesperson said Massey had developed the new management strategy - an anchor campus for each subject paired with a "world-class digital online offering" - to future-proof the university in what was a "challenging environment".
All students would be supported to complete their qualification and if any changes occur, they would start at beginning of next year at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Tertiary Education Union (TEU) members are holding meetings across Massey's three campuses this week, ahead of a paid stopwork meeting on March 12.
TEU organiser Heather Warren said there was "real anger" at the proposed cuts because there was a feeling much has been predetermined by a "small group of senior leaders".
"The proposal will cut courses and change the style of delivery in other cases. We won't stand by and watch the Massey senior leadership team cut back opportunities for students.
"We are questioning the facts and figures used to justify the deep and drastic changes being proposed.
"We know that the overall funding model means our tertiary education institutions are struggling, but we need our senior leaders to work with us on getting a better funding model rather than taking these kinds of drastic cost-cutting measures."
While National's science spokesperson Parmjeet Parmar has called on the Government to intervene - calling the situation "shameful" - Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Education Minister Chris Hipkins have yet to make any comment.
Acting Education Minister Tracey Martin responded last week in a statement: "We know that Massey is committed to ensuring all students and staff are consulted and supported through the transition once final decisions are made."
What's proposed
• Science degrees would no longer be offered at Albany, but at Palmerston North majoring in chemistry, earth science, ecology, environmental science, maths, microbiology, molecular genetics and biochemistry, statistics and zoology.
• Majors in physics, plant science and marine biology would be abandoned completely.
• Similarly, enrolments would cease at Palmerston North from the end of this year in computer and information sciences at all levels, and in postgraduate engineering.
