Tertiary Update, Vol 13 No 11

TEU national president Dr Tom Ryan has written to the chair of each of the twenty institute of technology and polytechnic councils asking them to consider how they might preserve a voice for staff on their councils.

The government’s Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Act 2009, which will come into force on 01 May, will significantly alter the membership of ITP councils, with each council to be reduced to just eight members, half of whom will be ministerial appointees, including the chair and deputy-chair.

Most councils are now considering or have already considered how the other four council members should be chosen.

In his letter, Dr Ryan says that TEU is concerned especially that each council should include members with a well developed understanding of the New Zealand tertiary education system.

“Since the passage of the Education Amendment Act two decades ago, polytechnic and other tertiary sector councils have always included one or more members elected by and from the staff of the institution concerned. The TEU submits that their contribution to the governance process overall has been very positive, typically being informed by their deep knowledge of and commitment to their own institution and the local community.”

Dr Ryan is urging polytechnic councils to reserve one of their four non-ministerial positions for an ordinary staff member, to be elected by all the current employees of the institution.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Staff caught in EFTS cap battle
2. Equity funding won’t be cut
3. State Services boss at fault in doctorate fraud
4. Canadian First Nations University could close down

Other news

Worried about who the minister of tertiary education is going to announce as ministerial appointed councillors on polytechnic and institute of technology councils in the next few days?”  Well, as the minister says, “I wouldn’t be too worried.” It seems that if you ‘go way back’ with Mr Joyce, then your position should be safe – Waikato Times

Longtime tertiary education administrator and advisor Norman Kingsbury argues that students’ associations have proved invaluable in the past and should not be lost. In a learning institution, he says, it is difficult to maintain the idea of community when student and staff numbers are large. But the traditional idea of a student being part of a learning community is an important idea and needs to be fostered – Otago Daily Times

Massey University has launched a registered charity to raise $100 million in private and corporate donations. Vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said New Zealand universities worldwide need to look beyond core government funding to meet the real costs of supplying first-class teaching and research – NZPA

A report assessing damage done to Haitian universities by the January earthquake paints a grim picture. The quake killed an estimated 121 to 200 university professors and administrators, and between 2,599 and 6,000 students. In all, the report estimates, 87 percent of the country’s universitiesâ”those concentrated in the capital and surrounding areasâ”were levelled or seriously damaged – The Chronicle of Higher Education

British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling has used his budget to promise 20,000 extra university places – at the same time as cuts of “£900m which threaten 14,000 academic posts – The Guardian

The Massey University Collective Employment Agreement has been ratified by all union parties to the agreement. The TEU ratification vote was 654 in favour and 12 against with no invalid returns. Massey University has confirmed that it intends to make payment of the 1.5 percent increase and back pay to January this year, and payment of a $350 lump sum, to staff covered by the on the collective agreement soon after Easter.

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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, email: http://scr.im/stephenday