Massey scientists fear for their jobs
Massey researchers are worried for their futures at the university amid a radical digital shake-up. It’s understood the university is poised to announce a major restructure, affecting staff across its three campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington.
Auckland academic staff say they fear a new online-focused strategy could see science positions lost from Massey’s Albany campus.
Several senior staff members have also criticised what they consider a lack of consultation. One felt “betrayed” over the proposals.
The furore centres on a new online-based strategy called Digital Plus, which the university has touted as a way to future-proof its offerings.
Under it, and to avoid “duplication”, there would be an “anchor campus” for each subject where it would be taught face-to-face and online. Elsewhere they’d be offered digitally.
Although no decision has been made, Albany science staff fear the “anchor campus” for their subject would become Manawatu — affecting many full-time academics and many other research officers and PhD students in Auckland.
Under this scenario, the most affected group would likely be Albany’s School of Natural and Computational Sciences (SNCS), which boasts some of the world’s leading scientists.
It was one of six schools under Massey’s College of Sciences, with the Albany-based School of Built Environment and the Manawatubased schools of Veterinary Science and of
Food and Advanced Technology.
The college’s pro-vice-chancellor, Professor Ray Geor, is to visit Albany on Wednesday.
One academic told the Herald staff had been reeling since the proposal was announced.
“We are still trying to recover from the initial shock . . . we feel like we aren’t being represented at the highest levels of the university.
“I keep varying between feeling incredibly anxious about what’s going to happen, and feeling really depressed about Massey abandoning this group of people that’s worked really hard to build something great in Albany.”
The person was aware of colleagues who were already beginning to send their CVs off.
Another senior staff member claimed Digital Plus had been “bulldozed” through by the university’s senior leadership team, without being put to the Academic Board. “Many world leaders in their field are disgusted and looking for other opportunities overseas.”
A third staff member urged university leadership to “walk the talk” and engage properly in consultation. They were sceptical about the Digital Plus strategy itself — particularly in effectively teaching science — and worried what it would mean for attracting students.
They described the SNCS as a small but highperforming school that boasted more Marsden Fund and Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) grants than any NZ group like it.
And a fourth said: “We have a massive credibility crisis, focused on the vice-chancellor. The environment across staff in each campus is one of low or zero trust in the top leadership.”
The frustrations, after months of dissent over moves such as a now-ditched plan to bring in parking charges at the campus, were aired at a packed staff meeting at Albany this week.
The Herald asked Massey whether the science college would be entirely based out of Palmerston North; whether there would be job losses, and if so, how many; whether it would negatively impact its ability to attract students; and what the process would be from here.
A spokesperson said the university wasn’t able to yet comment on what approaches would be taken, and referred the Herald to a January media release about Digital Plus.
In it, Provost Giselle Byrnes described the strategy as “an ambitious step-change” focused on what is best for the future of Massey.
Many world leaders in their field are disgusted and looking for other opportunities overseas. Senior Massey staff member