UCOL Cuts Will Cause Lasting Damage

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union members at Universal College of Learning (UCOL) have been left shaken and angry by a management proposal that could cut as many as 17% of the organisation’s roles across Palmerston North, Whanganui and Masterton.

The proposal impacts on the roles of approximately 27 academic staff and 47 administration and support staff in areas like disability support, enrolment and cultural support.

The changes are a bid by local management to save $7.1 million dollars and become “viable” in order to satisfy the government that they can be a standalone organisation when Te Pūkenga is dismantled.

But Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Sandra Grey says the cuts will do lasting damage that could cripple UCOL’s future viability.

“We have seen evidence all over the country that cuts like these do not make institutions profitable – in fact it’s the opposite. When you cut staff to the bone, and deeper, in areas such as enrolment, you end up in a situation where there’s nobody answering the phone when prospective students attempt to enquire about their study plans.”

“When students see the support and services they get for their fees drop away, and their course choices disappear, the reputation of the institution goes through the floor and people vote with their feet.”

“The government is ultimately to blame here for expecting polytechnics to be “viable” with funding that has not met inflation over a long period of time. If we don’t want to lose regional polytechnics like UCOL we need to fund them to deliver the outcomes we need instead of blaming them for our neglect and forcing them to cut themselves to oblivion."

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