AUS Tertiary Update Vol. 5 No. 29, 15 August
In our lead story this
week…..
CHANCELLOR DEFENDS LINCOLN
'RATIONALISATION'
The Chancellor of Lincoln University,
Margaret Austin says the university's rationalisation
programme announced to staff last week is "regretted" but in
the long-term interests of the university. Speaking after a
meeting this week of the university council, Ms Austin said
the proposed adjustments were "relatively minor and based on
significant analysis of programmes, subjects and staffing
during 2002." Of the areas affected, she said horticulture
was not being abandoned at Lincoln, but would be taught
through the BSc degree while valuation and property
management would come under the Master of Property Studies
and Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) qualifications. The
university is withdrawing its Natural Resources Engineering
degree, but Ms Austin said that discipline would still have
a presence on campus through research and teaching in other
degrees.
The Lincoln branch of the Association of
University Staff (AUS) has said the "rationalisation
process" is the consequence of the Labour-led government's
failure, in its first term, to make "meaningful
improvements" in the tertiary education sector. "The
timetables for meaningful improvements seem to be moving
further and further back," said branch president, Dr Jim
McAloon. "The consequence of this is continued pressure and
reductions such as proposed here." Dr McAloon said members
feared there may be more cuts to come, and that there could
be consequences for administrative and technical staff.
"Many Lincoln staff find it hard to remain positive and hard
to continue to give of their best in such circumstances," he
said.
Also in Tertiary Update this week:
1. NZVCC
still waiting to hear on 'fees maxima' SOP
2. Census
shows up areas of low education status
3. Business
School to receive Industry NZ Funding
4. National Maori
Tertiary Student Hui
5. Tax breaks rather than increased
funding in USA
NZVCC STILL WAITING TO HEAR ON 'FEES
MAXIMA' SOP
The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee
(NZVCC) has written to the Labour-led government to make
clear its members are not prepared to recommend acceptance
by their councils of a fees stabilisation deal for 2003
until they have written confirmation that a Supplementary
Order Paper (SOP) on a maximum for university fees will be
withdrawn. The SOP is part of the Tertiary Education Reform
Bill which was delayed when Parliament was dissolved for
last month's election. Following a meeting with education
ministers in June, the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors told
the government they would support government regulation of
the setting of tuition fees provided it was part of a
fully-developed funding policy framework. The understanding
was that in return, ministers would arrange for the
withdrawal of the 'fees maxima' SOP. In their latest
letter, the NZVCC says work on the funding policy framework
is still going on and that, since it has not heard to the
contrary, it assumes the SOP will be withdrawn until the
entire funding policy framework has been developed.
CENSUS SHOWS UP AREAS OF LOW EDUCATION STATUS
Figures
from the 2001 census show nearly a third of residents in the
Auckland suburbs of Glen Innes, Tamaki and Port England have
no educational qualifications - double the number for
Auckland as a whole. In Port England, 34% of people
reported having no qualifications, while in Tamaki the
figure was 32%. Commenting on the figures, the principal of
Tamaki College, David Hodge said they were no surprise,
given the hurdle tertiary education fees posed for people on
low incomes. He said the withdrawal of companies and
businesses from providing on-the-job training was also a
factor in the low level of education qualifications in the
area. Mr Hodge said, however, that a scholarship partnership
between his college and the Auckland University of
Technology was now seeing higher numbers of Tamaki students
going on to tertiary education. "As you withdraw that
financial barriers, what you find is you have people lining
up to get in and going to tertiary institutions and being
very successful," he said.
BUSINESS SCHOOL TO RECEIVE
INDUSTRY NZ FUNDING
The University of Auckland Business
School is to receive $446,900 from Industry New Zealand to
promote biotechnology, and help inventors take their ideas
to the market. $400,000 is being made available from the
Enterprise Culture and Skills Activities Fund to "develop
entrepreneurship in biotechnology industry innovation". The
project aims to give school students in the Auckland region
basic knowledge of biotechnology innovation and some
experience in the workplace. Training will be offered to 30
secondary school teachers and 200 university-level students
will also be targeted under the scheme. It is eventually
aimed to extend the programme throughout the country. The
rest of the money is going to a programme for inventors,
known as "The Icehouse". That involves workshops to teach
Auckland-based inventors assess and bring their ideas to the
market. Again, it is planned to eventually extend the
scheme to other parts of the country.
NATIONAL MAORI
TERTIARY STUDENT HUI
Te Roopu Tautoko, the Maori wing of
the Aotearoa Tertiary Students' Association (ATSA) is to
hold its second national hui in Whakatane later this month.
The main focus of the hui, which will take place between 22
and 25 August, is retention of Maori students in tertiary
education. President of ATSA, Julie Pettet said the Hui
would be "about practical solutions that come from Maori
students, the users of the system that is failing them". It
would also explore how iwi, government and the tertiary
institutions could work together with Maori students to
resolve the problems. For more information, contact ATSA
National Office (04) 939 1417 or e-mail info@atsa.org.nz
WORLD WATCH
TAX BREAKS RATHER THAN INCREASED FUNDING
IN USA
As the price of tertiary education skyrockets in
the USA, rather than increase state funding the Government
is creating tax breaks that commentators say are risky and
more beneficial to higher earners who can afford to save.
The programs have a special allure at a time when colleges
and universities are posting sizeable, sometimes
double-digit, tuition increases. Some private colleges
already charge $25,000 a year or more in tuition. While
room, board, books and other fees can easily add $10,000
more to an average fee of $3,754 a year for public
institutions.
The breaks have seen millions of Americans opening the special accounts. Losses on accounts have been common. One accountant said that most state equity accounts plans had lost money - many of them losing 15 percent to 20 percent - but that their fixed-income plans had generally fared better. "Many younger beneficiaries have seen their accounts lose value," he said. "But I don't think any programs forced you to invest in stocks for children close to college age."
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AUS
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