Massey council backs under-fire vice-chancellor

The Massey University Council has backed under-fire vice chancellor Jan Thomas despite emails revealing a push to ban Don Brash from speaking on the Palmerston North campus.

Thomas has also refused to resign in the wake of the released emails.

The university council, Massey’s governing body and Thomas’ employer, discussed on Friday the release of information in relation to the vicechancellor’s decision to cancel the politics club’s booking in August.

Chancellor Michael Ahie said the council had full confidence in Thomas.

‘‘The council approved its university strategy last year. Professor Thomas will continue implementing over coming years.’’

Ahie said it was encouraging Thomas had already started a review on how staff assessed security threats, and she had expressed regret for suggesting, in one of the emails, that funding to clubs and associations be restricted.

The university board has tabled two motions to censure Thomas, one for stopping Brash speaking on campus, and the second for mishandling the information around the justification of that decision.

Speaking to students and staff on Thursday, Thomas said she won’t listen to calls for her to resign. When asked if she regretted her decision, she said being a vice-chancellor or any leader of a complex organisation was not easy.

‘‘The reality is every day, all day and most nights, the things that come across my radar are large and complex and often have no easy answers or no good outcome.’’

Thomas said she regretted her decision caused a lot of distress and distrust in her leadership.

‘‘The reality is every day, all day and most nights, the things that come across my radar are large and complex ... ’’ Jan Thomas