Massey enrolment figures up on 1999

The Association of University Staff (AUS) claims that any urgency for pushing through the controversial 'repositioning' and cost-cutting project has vanished with the release of the current student enrolment figures at Massey University.

"Latest figures from the student management database show that the Palmerston North student roll has not dropped since last year despite the Vice-Chancellor's statements to the contrary at the beginning of this process. Last year 13,298 equivalent full-time students (EFTS) were taught from the Palmerston North campuses; this year 13,201 are enrolled, with another 150 applications yet to be processed," said AUS Massey Branch President, Associate Professor Tony Lewis. “Similarly, enrolments are up from 2,690 to 2,826 EFTS at Albany.”

"The AUS has always said that the University’s senior management should not take precipitate action on the 'repositioning' project, but should wait until Government initiatives become clearer and patterns of enrolment are analysed more carefully. Members of the Massey University Council should be relieved to know they have time to give careful consideration to plans for 'repositioning' without the pressure that has been placed on them," said Professor Lewis. [Note for journalists: The University Council is scheduled to make a decision on the 'repositioning' and cost-cutting project on August 4th].

"It is not too late to recover from the damage that the 'repositioning' and cost-cutting exercise has caused. AUS has submitted to University Council an alternative and we believe genuine 'repositioning' process, with proper consultation, that calls upon the expertise and commitment of staff, to move Massey forward and to take account of our strengths in arts and sciences, education and business," said Professor Lewis.

"If redundancy payments are made to significant numbers of staff, there will be no savings until the year 2001 anyway. By that time we can have a plan in place to make Massey University an attractive and favoured place to study and work," said Professor Lewis.

For more comment please contact Tony Lewis on h (06) 326 8816

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