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Academics flock to union

Academics at the University of Auckland have been flocking to join TEU since the vice chancellor at the university first began his attempt to remove important conditions from TEU's collective agreement and place them instead in policies where they can change without members having a say.

In November when the vice-chancellor made his offer of a 4 percent pay rise in return for stripping out key rights there were 805 academic members of TEU at the university. Over the traditionally quiet months of December and January, membership grew by another 45 people. Then in February and March after members voted to begin a campaign to oppose the changes and to take industrial action, a further 40 new members have joined the union. With 890 members, 11 percent bigger than it was before the vice-chancellor tried to strip members of their collective agreement conditions, the union has now set itself a new growth target of 1000 academic members by May Day.

Yesterday the TEU and employer negotiation teams met again in mediated bargaining at the Department of Labour.

After much discussion, TEU proposed that union members retain the key conditions in the Academic and Faculty of Education collective agreements, receive the 4 percent increase and the additional annual leave. In return for this TEU would engage in a working group, during the term of the collective agreements, with representatives nominated by Senate and representatives nominated by the vice-chancellor. This group would try to reach agreement on any changes to the key conditions that the vice-chancellor identified, and to reach agreement on the various issues that have arisen in this controversy. Should the group reach agreement, any agreement would go to Senate to deal with, and to TEU members to vote on as a variation to the collective agreements.

For any proposed changes to be incorporated into the collective agreements, it would require a ratified agreement by TEU members; that is, the majority of TEU members who vote on the proposed changes would have to agree.

The employer advocates have said that they will take this TEU proposal back to the vice-chancellor.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Otago Polytechnic considers trimesters


2. Too many mothers suffer workplace stress


3. Global campaign for education focuses on women and girls


4. New agency to promote international education


5. Other news

Otago Polytechnic considers trimesters

Otago Polytechnic is about to consult staff and students on a plan to replace the traditional two-semester tertiary study year with three trimesters, according to the Otago Daily Times. However, the TEU has moved quickly to advocate against the proposal with national president Dr Sandra Grey saying it would put increased pressure on staff and would undermine collegiality. 

"Our experience at other tertiary institutions that have moved to trimesters is that staff, especially general staff, have higher workloads, less time to focus on team projects, less time to work collaboratively with their colleagues and there is less time to bed-in the ideas when teaching.

"For students there is a trade-off. A faster education is not necessarily a better education - if they are being rushed through to get a qualification, what they are losing is important reflective time that strengthens their learning," said Dr Grey.

Otago Polytechnic is proposing that rather than the 32-week academic year running from about mid-February to the end of October, a new system of three 14-week trimesters running from mid-January to about the end of November.

Chief executive Phil Ker said there would be a 10-person working party, which would consult widely on the concept and report to the leadership team by September 30. If the Polytechnic adopts the proposal, it will begin in 2013.

“Otago would be the first polytechnic to introduce a trimester system,”, Mr Ker said, although Weltec had a limited third semester, operating as a summer school.

Mr Ker told the Otago Daily Times that academic staff would teach two of three trimesters, leaving them a useful block of time for non-classroom duties such as research projects, curriculum development and consultancy. Dr Grey questioned how this supposed benefit differed from current practice.

"In today's era of tight finances, why wouldn't students want to get their qualifications faster and save on living costs and student loans? It would also save the Government money on student loans and allowances," said Mr Ker.

Too many mothers suffer workplace stress

Nearly three-quarters of working mothers suffer guilt, with many citing the stress of managing a family and a career, according to a survey by Clarity Coaching.

The survey of working mothers showed 71 percent of the 201 who took part experienced some level of guilt. Of those surveyed, 91 percent cited stress from balancing a family and a career, with 20 percent of these women citing extreme levels of stress.

Clarity Coaching life coach Gabriele Wehler said there is a lot of depression and withdrawal out there.

"Stress and guilt is affecting women's' relationship with their children, making them grumpy and short. It is also affecting women's belief in themselves."

Wehler says many part-time workers feel even more under pressure.

"Their fellow workers think 'you are lucky, you are already going home', but they work more in a shorter time. People who work part-time are under far more pressure."

Ms Wehler says workplaces need to give far more attention to having flexible workplaces.

"A lot of people would like to be working 3 or 4 days a week or have more flexibility around school hours. We need to work out what is realistic and how we can make work empowering for individuals."

"People are aware that occupational health and safety is an issue, but most people focus on safety, rather than health, and when they focus on health, it is physical health. However, I believe that mental health is important," said Wehler.

"Organisations have to put some money aside for training, and development - I think it is important that have training and knowledge about yourself, as well as about technical job skills. It makes a person so much more productive and efficient."

Global campaign for education focuses on women and girls

"A day in the life of a young South African girl is not an easy task at all," says Fhulufhelo Jessica Mamelasigidi, a grade 10 student in South Africa.

"I wake up to a new day with what I hope and aspire to accomplish that day. I get out of bed, wake up my younger brothers and sisters, and try to motivate them for the day ahead. Being the eldest girl in my family, it is my duty to prepare a healthy breakfast for all and make lunch for school for everybody, playing the role of 'care-giver'.

"I walk my younger brother and sister to crèche and only after that, when I am finally on my way to school, can I play the role of Jessica, 'the learner'. I sit in my seat striving to receive the education my parents were deprived of, knowing I am a girl and it is against my tradition for a female to attend school and be educated.

"However I sit in class holding my future in my heart, trying to overcome society and the prejudice that still exists against a young girl being educated. I try to show that I, as a young South African woman, am just as worthy to an education as the boy sitting next to me. My school is a good source of encouragement especially when it comes to its female learners. I go home to play the role of 'sister' Jessica, in the late afternoon.

"I clean the house, fetch my younger brother and sister from crèche and make sure I have started dinner before my mother gets home. I am always wanting to lash out at her and express what I really feel, wanting to tell her "No! I do not want to become an employee at this age!" Why doesn't she just leave me to be educated and develop into the empowered woman I want to be? Tired, energy-drained and fatigued, I go to bed and pray to thy Father in Heaven. I get into bed and close my eyes, I listen to the sound of drums beating in the distance and to the ancestors singing "Mosadi wannete o aga lelapa" (a real woman should create a family) and slowly I drift into a deep sleep..."

This year, Global Action Week will take place from 2-8 May on the theme of Women and Girls' Education - an issue that still sees 1 in 4 women in the world unable to read or write. They are vulnerable to violence on the way to school and in and around schools, early pregnancy, early marriage, poor health, HIV infection and gendered discrimination in the wider community and at schools.

New agency to promote international education

Tertiary education minister Steven Joyce is establishing a new agency to promote international education.

The agency will merge roles currently held by the Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and NZ Trade and Enterprise, Mr Joyce said.

Mr Joyce said international education contributed more than $2 billion to the economy and supported about 32,000 jobs, but so far, efforts to promote growth had been fragmented.

Mr Joyce says a single agency, solely focused on international education, will provide a sharper focus, better coordination and better value for money in terms of both marketing and representation abroad.

The agency will take the form of a Crown Agent (thus legally separate from the Crown but indirectly accountable to the minister). It will combine Government-funded promotional, representational and other functions and activities that the Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise all currently undertake.

The agency will be up and running by September this year.

Mr Joyce says there is great potential for international education to contribute more than it does already to New Zealand's economic and social growth over the next fifteen years and beyond.

“We are a small country operating in a very large international market. We need to have all our limited resources grouped together and focussed on supporting our educational institutions in their quest to build relationships and increase international student numbers.

"The government is excited by the possibilities stemming from growth in this area - that's why continued and sustainable growth of the sector is an important part of our economic growth strategy."

Other news

The effect the Christchurch earthquake will have on enrolments at Massey University next year remains uncertain. In the aftermath of the February quake, Massey University was among seven tertiary institutes accepting Canterbury students either temporarily or permanently -Manawatu Standard

Labour Party Leader Phil Goff has appointed David Shearer as the party's new tertiary education spokesperson and Sue Moroney will take on Hughes' education portfolio. Mr Shearer said the new role was a logical fit with his current research, science and technology responsibilities. Mr Goff seemed confused about exactly what role he had given Mr Shearer though, telling TVNZ "Sue and David will be strong, effective advocates for parents and children throughout the country."

Infrastructure Minister Bill English announced yesterday that he is commissioning New Zealand's first public-private partnership (PPP) schools. If there were viable bids to build the schools, a primary school would open for the 2013 school year and a secondary school in 2014 at Hobsonville Point, northwest of Auckland. Mr English admitted the financial savings from the new schools would be "relatively small" but gains would grow with more PPP schools. - Dominion Post

The SIS Amendment Bill opens the possibility of the SIS creating an extensive army of informants immune from criminal and civil prosecution; NZCTU President Helen Kelly told the Intelligence and Security Committee yesterday. The CTU is recommending several significant amendments to the bill and calling for an independent assessment of the electronic surveillance empowered by it - CTU

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TEU Tertiary Update is published weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the Tertiary Education Union and others. You can subscribe to Tertiary Update by email or feed reader. Back issues are available on the TEU website. Direct inquiries should be made to Stephen Day.

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