Sanity prevails

Vice-Chancellor Grant Guilford’s vanity project to change the name of Victoria University of Wellington has hit the rocks. Wisely, the education minister has rejected the proposal. But is the vicechancellor daunted? Not one bit. He suggests the University Council could legally challenge the minister’s decision, if it wanted to. That’s called biting the hand that feeds you. Is that in VUW’s best interests? Probably not. All those students, staff, alumni and members of the public who signed petitions, wrote submissions and wrote to the minister opposing the proposal will be relieved sanity has triumphed over vanity.

Evan Voyce, Eastbourne

Let’s face facts. Victoria University is a small university in a small city in a small country at the end of the world. In the highly competitive world of higher education, what attracts full-fee-paying students is the quality of teaching and research, neither of which are improved by a name change. The vice-chancellor would do better to remember he is a temporary employee and not the owner of Vic. The people of New Zealand own Vic and have shown no interest in a futile and expensive rebranding exercise.

Roy David Edney, Waterloo

I am not a professor – maybe this why I cannot see that the titles ‘‘Wellington University’’ or ‘‘University of Wellington’’ are more advantageous titles than ‘‘Victoria University of Wellington’’. I have studied at Vic so will venture to say that it seems to me that the real distinguishing factor is what comes after – namely New Zealand. Carole Naylor, Papakowhai