Friends of Wanganui Polytechnic have noted that Massey University New School of Fine Arts is seeking New Lecturers and
Senior lecturers in Fine Arts Sculpture, Fine Arts Time based Media and Fine Arts History and Theory. The New Staff
Positions are needed because of growth in the New Bachelor and Masters level courses.
Mark Southcombe of Friends of Wanganui Polytechnic noted the direct correlation between the Ministries Predicted Decline
of the Wanganui Arts School and the establishment and growth of Massey Arts School. “It is a good example of the market
mentality applied to education gone mad. The Government investment in facilities and high level teaching expertise in
Wanganui is clearly being butchered by direct competition from a Predatory Institution that only began teaching Fine
Arts this year. Now Wanganui Jobs are threatened by Massey - a Swelling Giant of an institution. The argument that there
is demand to teach Fine Arts in Wellington is only true if the fact Fine Arts has already been being taught to
Wellington People in Wanganui is ignored. If Architecture can be taught in only three places in New Zealand and all
South Island students need to travel to study architecture why should students not travel to Wanganui to study fine
Arts?”
Massey University began Teaching Fine Arts at their Wellington Campus in 2001.
“The Friends of the Wanganui Polytechnic call on the Government to Urgently address the Underlying causes of the
problems with Wanganui Polytechnic such as the direct and predatory competition from Massey. We look forward to an
announcement from the minister that addresses this market oversupply and predatory competition issue and not just the
effects on the weaker Wanganui polytechnic”