Gwynn Compton, a Victoria University of Wellington alumnus and organiser of the petition that now has over 13,000
signatures in opposition to the proposed name change of the university, has welcomed today’s decision by the University
Council to abandon the name change proposal.
“For me and thousands of others, there’s an immense sense of relief that sanity has finally prevailed and the name
change proposal has been abandoned. Far too much money has already been wasted on a project that would have delivered
little or no benefit and, given that the proposal had been thoroughly discredited and rejected by the university
community, would have likely damaged the university’s reputation had it been forced through via a legal challenge,” says
Mr Compton.
“Already $400,000 has been wasted on the name change, and that’s money that could have been put to far better use if it
was invested in areas such as teaching, research, facilities, and student support services - all areas that Victoria
University’s own business case showed have a greater effect on student enrollments.”
Gwynn Compton says that while it’s important for university management and the university community to move on from the
name change debacle, this entire process needs to be learnt from by both the public and private sectors.
“As much as we need to put this entire divisive saga behind us, it’s crucial that both the public and private sector pay
attention to what’s happened here and learn from it. For instance, public consultations can’t just be an exercise in box
ticking, you need to ensure you go above the bare minimum and properly consider the feedback you receive, especially if
it’s overwhelmingly opposed to what you’re proposing,” says Mr Compton.
Gwynn Compton has also paid tribute to the thousands of people who signed and shared his petition opposing the name
change, including those who have offered counsel and support along the way.
“When I first set up the petition on the Friday night last July after the draft decision had been released, I never
imagined it would get such a big response. I’ve been in awe of how many people have signed and am hugely thankful for
all the messages of support and encouragement I’ve received over the past 10 months.
“It’s been incredibly humbling to have so many people also share their stories of their experiences at Vic, and their
affection towards the university that has helped shape so many lives. I’m very thankful to all the students, staff -
both current and former - alumni, and academic, business, and artistic leaders who have shared this petition with their
friends, families, and colleagues. They haven’t signed their names lightly, and having them on board has helped make
this a success.”