Most in jobs review ‘keen to stay’

THE formal consultation period between 280 staff and the University of Otago as some jobs are reviewed is all but complete, but the union representing staff predicts discussions will stretch out into the coming months.

Two weeks ago, finance and administration staff were given until June 6 to consider offers from the university after being told their jobs would be disestablished.

Tertiary Education Union organiser Shaun Scott said most people were ‘‘keen to stay’’ but had yet to find out exactly what their new positions would entail, and clarity was also needed on the timeframe for the establishment of new jobs.

‘‘People are just handing in their final decisions,’’ he said. ‘‘It continues to be a stressful and long process.’’

‘‘Uncertainty has been a continual thing, which isn’t great for people’s wellbeing.’’

It was too early to say how many staff decided during the twoweek consultation to take redundancy and a few staff had been given a slightly longer timeframe, he said.

Sixtyfive people were offered either a lowerpaying position or the option of taking redundancy, while a further 215 staff had been offered the chance to take up a job that was different from their existing position but at a similar level.

The end of the decisionmaking process brought with it exhaustion but ‘‘some relief from a number of people,’’ he said.

The support services review began in 2015 and will affect the Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch campuses.

❛ Uncertainty has been a continual thing

AUCKLAND: Staff cuts despite growing student numbers have dragged most New Zealand universities down in the latest world rankings.

The biggest six of the country’s eight universities have all tumbled in the Londonbased QS rankings, released today.

QS rankings are regarded as the most important for attracting international students.

Only the country’s two smallest universities, Waikato and Lincoln, have moved up the rankings.

Seven New Zealand universities were marked down this year on their academic reputation, based on asking 83,000 academics around the world to list the top universities in their fields.

But New Zealand’s worst result was on staff/student ratios.

‘‘The increase in enrolments — and the decrease in faculty numbers — reported by the country’s universities sees all eight receive a lower score for faculty/student ratio,’’ QS said.

Universities NZ director Chris Whelan said this reflected a funding squeeze.

This year’s Budget gave the universities no increase in perstudent funding at all, the first nil increase in at least 17 years and a cut in real terms of $5 million to $10 million for the University of Auckland alone.

Auckland is still easily New Zealand’s topranked university, slipping only three places to 85th in the world, followed by Otago (175th), Victoria (221st), Canterbury (231st), Waikato (274th), Lincoln (317th), Massey (332nd) and AUT (464th).

Waikato University is the standout success this year, jumping 18 places overall and climbing into the top 100 (92nd) for citations per academic in international journals.

The QS data shows that 41% of Waikato academics hold foreign citizenship — a proportion that is even higher at Otago (60%), Canterbury and AUT (both 47%) and Victoria and Massey (both 45%).

The worsening staff/student ratio in New Zealand universities was due to cuts of 203 academics at Massey and 74 at Lincoln.

Massey communications director James Gardiner said staff were cut last year in science and health faculties, but the main reason for the big drop was that Massey excluded ‘‘nonresearchactive’’ staff this year.

The QS rankings include points for high proportions of foreign students, on the basis that they are a sign that a university is a desirable destination.

International students now make up 29% of all students at Lincoln, 19% at Waikato, 18% at Auckland and AUT, 17% at Massey, 16% at Canterbury, and 15% at Otago and Victoria. — NZME