Forum members,
below you will find an article from the NZ Association of University Staff
_Tertiary Update_ that outlines an alarming series of events at Massey
University in Aotearoa/New Zealand. After massive restructurings that have
already seen many staff having to re-apply for their own jobs, Massey
University administrators are proposing that a significant number of
faculty and staff be made redundant and that others be made to re-apply for
their own jobs (yet again). All this is happening in the name of
'maintaining quality', but as of yet there has been no plausible
explanation as to how this so-called 'repositioning exercise' will result
in improved quality of education. Faculty and staff have been unable to
detect how this exercise might possibly lead to 'quality'. Massey Student
associations have roundly condemned the repositioning exercise, arguing
that rather than improve quality the exercise will degrade the quality of
current programmes. The real logic seems to be saving money and
demoralizing an active faculty association membership. At present,
ironically, Massey University is NOT in deficit.
CGF members may wish to send letters of support to Massey University
faculty and staff in this very difficult time. You may do so by contacting
Ms. Jenny Collett, AUS Branch Organiser for Massey University. She can be
reached via e-mail at: <[log in to unmask]> While the repositioning exercise
poses a significant threat to the working lives and conditions of
colleagues in New Zealand, it also poses a much larger threat to the
principle of academic freedom. One of the keystones of the repositioning
is that it must respond to student demand. Rather than cultivating
students and providing them with critical thinking skills, we are being
told that we must only respond to their desires (for utilitarian education).
International support for staff and condemnation for the repositioning
exercise may have an impact on the final outcome. I hope many of you will
take a few minutes to write a letter in support of faculty and staff and in
opposition to the Massey administration.
Yours sincerely,
Lawrence Berg, CGF co-moderator
excerpt from: AUS Tertiary Update, Vol. 3 No. 13, 26 May 2000:
'REPOSITIONING' IS NO POSITION
Staff at Massey University yesterday found out whether they still had a
job, had to reapply for a job, or no longer had a job. Of the 116
redundancies announced, 104 were from the Palmerston North campus. "This
is a horrible process and it saddens us that loyal, and in some cases, very
long-serving staff, have received these letters," said Association of
University Staff (AUS) Massey Branch President, Associate Professor Tony
Lewis.
Despite the fact that the University is not currently in deficit, the
management says it needs to shed $11 million from its expenditure. "Staff
morale took a tumble during last year's restructuring, and now anxiety
about the direction in which Massey University is headed is at a crisis
level," said Professor Lewis.
The AUS are meeting with all campus unions on June 7 to formalise the
unions' response to the review. The National President of the Association
of University Staff, Neville Blampied, has joined colleagues at Massey in
condemning the untimely action and has urged the University to be patient
on the 'repositioning and cost-saving exercise' until TEAC has reported.
Lawrence D. Berg, Ph.D.
Department of Geography
University of Victoria
PO Box 3050
Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3P5
Facsimile: (250) 721-6216, Telephone: (250) 592-2278
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://members.home.net/lawrencedberg/
Note new address after July 1, 2000:
Department of Geography
Okanagan University College
7000 College Way
Vernon, BC, V1B 2N5
Canada
http://www.ouc.bc.ca/geog/
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