Criticism over uni ‘obsession’ with rebrand
Victoria University of Wellington is blatantly ignoring everyone when it comes to its name, a Wellington City councillor says.
The university’s rebrand kicked in recently with a new logo, shield and crest. The university’s website URL had also changed from ‘‘victoria’’ to ‘‘wgtn’’.
Guidelines on what to call the university have also been circulated, with staff in the first instance being told the school would be referred to as Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington or its legal name Victoria University of Wellington.
But ‘‘subsequently and depending upon the context, we can use suitable abbreviations such as Wellington University, Wellington’s University or Wellington’’.
Te Herenga Waka – University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka – Wellington or just Te Herenga Waka were also appropriate names.
Wellington City councillor Nicola Young said the university was not making a ‘‘name change by stealth’’ – instead, it was blatantly ignoring everybody.
‘‘It’s a disgrace. Why is it continuing to waste money? It’s a real distraction from what the university should be doing which is educating our brightest. Instead, they’re mucking around with this PR exercise, which is irritating everybody.’’
Fellow councillor Fleur Fitzsimons said ‘‘the university seems arrogantly obsessed with changing the name and it is inappropriate to ask staff to call the university something other than its legal name.
‘‘If they keep attempting to impose a name, I think it actually runs the risk of the university’s international reputation being eroded.’’
Name change opponent Hugh Rennie, QC, said the university was making a fool of itself.
‘‘It’s managerial vandalism of academic history . . . it seems clear that management is determined to continue down this path.’’
National MP Nicola Willis, a Victoria University alum, said she thought it was a bit fast telling staff what they could or could not call the university. ‘‘There’s nothing wrong with a rebrand but it’s up to the university to take the community with them. Victoria is a name that is loved by many and has significant heritage.’’
Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association incoming president Geo Robrigado said: ‘‘This just goes to show the university’s insistence on this rebrand, despite a lot of stakeholders saying otherwise.’’
A university spokesperson said information provided to staff around using the new brand included guidelines on emphasising the word ‘‘Wellington’’ in the university’s name in formal communications.
‘‘This information also clearly states that ‘The legal name of the University remains Victoria University of Wellington’ and that formal communications should also use the university’s full name Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, or legal name, Victoria University of Wellington,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘This visual identity refresh is designed to emphasise the word ‘Wellington’ in our name, to link ourselves closely to our city and region and to better differentiate ourselves internationally.’’
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said as long as the university was meeting its legal obligations, branding remained a matter for the university.