A lobbying disclosure bill that is to be debated by parliament could impact tertiary institutions that currently pay lobbying agencies to influence politicians.  Last year Tertiary Update revealed that private lobbying and consultancy company Saunders Unsworth lists among its past and present clients Massey University, Otago University, the six metro polytechnics, Victoria University of Wellington, [...]

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 [...]

The Otago Daily Times reports that Otago Polytechnic is already “dramatically over” the student intake cap negotiated with the Tertiary Education Commission, and this problem would not “melt away”. Otago Polytechnic is urging the commission to release unused student places from other tertiary institutions as soon as possible and to allow [...]

Tertiary education staff in Otago continue to lose jobs as the university and polytechnic push on with their restructuring plans. The Otago Daily Times reports that the University of Otago’s College of Education will designate 15 jobs redundant by the end of next year, with more position losses signalled for [...]

Members of Otago Polytechnic’s council are outraged that the polytechnic will be turning away potential students because of its Tertiary Education Commission imposed EFTS cap on funding for next year is likely to fall below this year’s cap of 3,200. The Otago Daily Times reports that the polytechnic will introduce a more [...]

The Otago Polytechnic council has voted this week for dramatic increases to the levies and fees it charges students as it prepares for anticipated funding cuts to take effect next year. According to the Otago Daily Times full-time domestic students could face a 65 percent increase in student services levies [...]

Otago Polytechnic’s recently released Annual Report gives a clear indication of how the government’s funding cuts are affecting institutes of technology and polytechnics.  Despite taking an extra 2 percent equivalent full-time students last year than it did in 2008, Otago Polytechnic saw its government grants fall slightly over the same period. [...]

Otago Polytechnic, like other New Zealand’s other 19 ITPs, is preparing to cut its non-ministerially appointed councillors down to just four. The” Otago Daily Times reported this week that CEO Phil Ker was recommending a “hybrid” system, with one or two continuing to be nominated by local Māori, and two or [...]

Tertiary Update Volume 12 Number 42 The minister for tertiary education, Hon Anne Tolley, announced last week that she was looking for nominees to fill the four ministerially-appointed councillor roles in up to 31 tertiary education institution councils, including universities, wananga and institutes of technology and polytechnics. The minister’s notice [...]

The Otago Daily Times reports that Otago Polytechnic has secured an unexpected boost of $1.2 million for next year. “It’s like an early Christmas present,” Chief Executive Phil Kerr said. WINTEC and Eastern Institute of Technology also picked up $1.2 million each in discretionary funding, from the $8 million of [...]