Massey’s foolish decision
Massey University’s plan to cut science from its Auckland Albany campus has provoked a visceral reaction. Academics are angry at the move to ‘‘anchor’’ sciences at Massey’s primary campus in Palmerston North, delivering online learning instead for Auckland, where more than 600 students are currently completing their degrees. Job losses are likely. Students are angry, too. The news broke the day some of them began their Bachelor of Science degree at Albany.
A Change.org petition started by the Albany scientists protesting the plan has raced towards the 10,000 signature mark. The reaction should give Massey and its vice-chancellor Jan Thomas pause for thought. Some of the country’s top scientists are based at the Albany campus. They have established labs and research programmes that attract government funding, international acclaim and, crucially, students keen to learn from the best.
Massey is dreaming if it expects leading academics to relocate to Manawatu¯ . And any Auckland students aspiring to a career in science will likely opt for the University of Auckland or AUT instead.
The Albany campus was set up in 1993 with the realisation that Massey would increasingly struggle to attract the best academics and students without a presence in the country’s largest city. The rationale for an Auckland presence for science at Massey is even stronger now.
Massey says it needs to cut costs by $18.1 million. But the science degrees at Albany are profitable. Sure, cut down on duplication where possible, but trying to deliver science degrees online from Manawatu¯ will blow up in Massey’s face.
The university’s Digital Plus strategy for online learning may draw on Massey’s strong track record in distance learning, but it can’t replace the student-mentor relationships and universityindustry collaborations that emerge from having a physical presence.
It seems to me that the high-performing sciences are taking a hit for poor decisions made by Massey’s leadership. Indeed, Massey has a bigger problem than red ink on its balance sheet.
Morale among staff has been described as ‘‘near zero’’. Without a plan for the future that has genuine buy-in from academics and staff, Massey may well find that precious few hang around to log on to the much-vaunted Digital Plus.