KEY POINTS:
Unitec is pushing ahead with plans to can classes in horticulture and language teacher education but has saved postgraduate programmes that were under threat.
Staff were yesterday told up to 55 jobs would be lost in the major restructure - down from 67 jobs indicated in a consultation document sent out in July.
The number of courses initially picked to be cut was also scaled back. Offerings in travel and tourism, floristry and interior decor were to be axed but at least some programmes in each area are set to continue.
The Unitec council this week approved the revised plan.
Association of Staff in Tertiary Education field officer Chan Dixon said the union believed the outcome was better than the original proposal.
"But that's not to underestimate the very, very difficult times that people are having."
Unitec had more than 850 full-time staff last year and more than 9000 full-time equivalent students at campuses in Mt Albert, Henderson andTakapuna.
Last year was the first time in four years it recorded a profit, buoyed by a multimillion-dollar boost from the Government to set up on the North Shore.
Chief executive Dr Rick Ede said Unitec needed to return to delivering surpluses. He has indicated that the institution needs to make savings of $11 million to $18 million over the next three years.
The initial document said Unitec suffered from an "overly complex and top-heavy" management structure and below-average student-to-staff ratios.
Dr Ede said the decision to retain the Master of Architecture (by project) and postgraduate diploma, master and PhD education programmes was made when submitters provided information on costs.
"Basically they were able to be offered without requiring extra staff to be dedicated to it."
Dr Ede said Unitec was no longer focused on becoming the country's ninth university. Its six-year battle on that ended in 2006 with an announcement by Trevor Mallard, who was Education Minister, that it should remain an institute of technology.
'SANCTUARY' TO SURVIVE
Unitec's sustainable garden will flower once more.
There was an outcry over the suggestion the low-maintenance fruit and vegetable garden - known as The Sanctuary and on which no sprays or outside resources other than food scraps are used - would go with horticulture programmes.
But while the horticulture certificate and diploma are to be scrapped, the garden will "grow" on.
"The Sanctuary is relevant not only to the horticulture area but the plant science area in general," Unitec chief executive Dr Rick Ede said yesterday.
Dr Ede said horticulture plans made up "by far" the largest topic for feedback - about 100 of the more than 350 submissions received.
