Massey to take knife to sciences
By MICHELLE DUFF - Manawatu Standard
More than than $5.5 million is set to be shaved off Massey University's College of Sciences budget, with staff redundancies and course cuts looming.
In a financial management plan sent to College of Sciences staff this week, Pro-Vice Chancellor Robert Anderson outlined a proposal for reducing costs.
The changes are being made in response to government cuts to the tertiary sector – in which Massey will shoulder a $10m shortfall – and a cap on funding for more students.
Prof Anderson was also looking to combat the "high rate" of salary inflation since 2003, which had seen the average wage of a College of Sciences staff member rise by 6 per cent each year.
Despite restraint in hiring new staff and efforts to increase revenue, it was necessary to take "hard and urgent" action, he said.
Staff are being offered voluntary retirement or redundancy, with a sweetener package offering long-serving staff up to 16 weeks' extra pay.
But if enough staff do not take up the offer, a series of "staffing reviews" would take place next year, Prof Anderson said.
Staff in the College of Business and College of Humanities and Social Sciences were also being invited to retire or quit.
Prof Anderson was not available for comment yesterday, but Massey University communications manager James Gardiner said while it was understood the proposals would put pressure on staff, the cuts had to be made.
"We are certainly sympathetic, but the bottom line is we have to live within our income and we have to be realistic."
The changes in the College of Sciences were being made in accordance with an academic programme review that had been under way for a number of years, he said.
Tertiary Education Union Massey Branch president Harvey Jones said it was a "difficult time" for staff, and he wouldn't be surprised to see longer-serving employees "take the money and run".
The union would be watching the university's next move with interest, he said.
Submissions from staff on proposed course changes are open until November 27, while the university is calling for decisions on redundancy packages by January 22.
A Massey University Council financial report for the seven months ending in July this year showed salary costs university-wide were $8.8 million over budget.
WHAT'S SET TO GO?
Some courses are being merged, while others look set to be dropped altogether.
In the proposal, engineering course offerings will be reduced by 25 per cent. The Bachelor and Master of Applied Sciences will be cut, along with the majority of certificate level courses – including diplomas in agriculture, horticulture and exercise science.
Within the Bachelor of Science degree, 12 of a possible 36 majors are being merged or deleted.
Information sciences will be offered only at the Albany campus.
College of Sciences Pro-Vice Chancellor Robert Anderson said the current academic portfolio was considered "confusing, unnecessarily complex, unfocused, duplicative, and ... unaffordable".
