Job cuts at management school proposed
The University of Waikato is proposing cutting 11 roles from its flagship management school.
The proposal to change its staffing at the Management School, seen by Stuff, was circulated to staff members management and the Tertiary Education Union yesterday afternoon.
If implemented, it would see 8.8 academic full-time equivalent roles (FTE) and two general FTE cut at across the facility which covers subjects such as accounting, agribusiness, economics, communication, marketing and tourism and hospitality. With new roles created, it would make for an overall cut of just over eight full time jobs.
This comes three weeks after its decision to disestablish 17 roles, 12 fulltime and five part-time, from its School of Science.
Division of Management ViceChancellor Matt Bolger said the change would partially offset the university’s expected financial loss, primarily driven by the ongoing impact of Covid-19 border closures on international student numbers.
‘‘It is my view that we must act now to reduce the size of the financial loss,’’ Bolger said.
‘‘Given that the bulk of our variable costs relate to staff, unfortunately this means the proposal affects our people.’’
The disestablishment of roles as proposed would reduce staff costs without significantly reducing revenue, with an expected saving of around $1.1 million per annum, he said.
‘‘This is hard, however we need to acknowledge that it may be some years before we can return to our pre-Covid-19 financial situation, and we cannot continue with our current cost structure and staffing levels.’’
Union organiser Shane Vugler, however, said this proposal is a ‘‘betrayal’’ to staff that have invested so much of their time into the university.
‘‘We are extremely disappointed by these recent cut back proposals that have circulated staff,’’ Vugler said.
‘‘Remembering it was only three weeks ago that the university was saying that because of the significant increase in domestic students that things were looking pretty promising, and now with these cuts in the school of management and the student service on the back of significant cuts at the School of Science. Staff are feeling completely blindsided.’’
He said the university is claiming financial hardship, but believes it put itself in a ‘‘significantly worse’’ position through poor planning.
‘‘The situation at Waikato University is significantly worse because of their post Covid-19 decisions, such as pouring $90m into the Pa and significant amount into the School of Nursing.
He said the staff who have been notified about the possible cuts are also ‘‘confused’’ with the university not giving them a definitive answer on whether they have been chosen over other colleagues.
‘‘These are senior lecturer and professors, they’re given 15 or more years to the university and students. They are absolutely shocked.’’
In a statement the university said it had called for voluntary retirement, which hadn’t given the numbers required to avoid job losses.
Student numbers at the school were up by approximately 80 equivalent full-time students, while international student numbers were down by more than 200, leading to a $3 million deficit.
The proposal was an effort to balance cost reductions with preserving the school’s wider ability to generate revenue in future.
Staff have until May 6 to provide written feedback on the proposal, before the university makes its final decision.