Frustrations over lecture ban
A move which will see some tertiary students still unable to attend in-person lectures next semester has riled, with calls for a reduction in fees to compensate.
The University of Waikato has opted against face-to-face lectures next semester, despite the country being in level 1, asking students to tune in from home, due to the existing cohort of students overseas.
Tutorials, workshops, seminars and lab classes will be open to face-to-face learning, however, and in some cases recorded for online viewing.
One University of Waikato post-graduate student said she thought it was ridiculous that she’d be allowed to attend labs on campus, but not lectures.
‘‘I can’t see why they can’t allow you to attend lectures and record it at the same time for those unable to make it, like international students,’’ she said.
‘‘If other universities are able to do it, why can’t Waikato? I’m paying thousands of dollars for subjects that, no matter how hard they try, won’t be taught as well online as they would have been in person. I think the university should consider reducing the fees this coming semester to accommodate those who won’t learn as well in this environment.’’
Stuff asked if the University of Waikato would reduce fees, but it is not something the university is considering.
Students at the University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington and some at Massey University will be able to take a seat in the theatre hall when in-person lectures return next semester.
A Tauranga Toi Ohomai student, who didn’t want to be named, said she suffers from learning difficulties and found online learning challenging. ‘‘Face-to-face learning is valuable. The little conversations you have in lectures have so much information attached to them.’’
Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said it is up to individual universities whether they reduce student fees.
‘‘We get that there are students where the on-campus experience is very important. It’s a key part of what they were looking for when they paid their fees.’’
Tertiary providers need to provide a dual-model delivery to assist students stuck offshore, he said. ‘‘This means online and inperson at the same time.
‘‘For some universities, it’s more effective, particularly while there is still some risk that we might see a resurgence of Covid19, for universities simply to say online,’’ he said.