1. Canterbury Woes Canterbury will have an $11.4m budgeted loss next year, based on their media release – different figures were reported in media yesterday (TV3, BusinessDesk, NBR, RNZ, TEU). 24 staff have been given voluntary redundancy at Canterbury (39 applied).
2. New HSI CE The new HSI CE is Ken Harris – you can find out more about him here. He is appointed on a fixed term, which is sensible given all the merger discussions going on in ITO-land.
3. Unitec Sold Now before Rick Ede tells me off, I should note that the only thing that has been sold is a building that Unitec leases on the North Shore. I mentioned it a little bit ago and the offer sold in 3 weeks.
4. Reinstatement? A former Waiariki manager wants reinstatement, rather than just the compensation awarded by the ERA.
5. Extras: Auckland Council member Jan Dawson is the accountant of the year – TWOA’s Jo Hanita was outstanding new member of the year; update from last week on Auckland-TEU negotiations.

Research & Innovation

1. Baby Sex Victoria’s Diane Ormsby has been looking into the effect of heat on the sex of babies (and hasn’t found any).
2. Microscope Massey’s new digital microscope is being tested by leading palynologists around the world. What’s a palynologist, I hear you ask? Well, it’s someone who studies pollen and other organic microfossils, which are a key part of climate change research.
3. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Ross Lawrenson on prostate cancer research; Māori research projects; cellphone towers don’t affect house values according to Auckland’s Olga Filippova and Michael Rehm; Waikato environmental law centre.

Public Issues

1. Climate Change Here’s a rather negative view of Auckland’s Chris de Freitas’ work in the climate change area.
2. Takahe Massey’s Steve Trewick on a takahe eating a duckling.
3. Gangs Canterbury’s Jarrod Gilbert on the brotherhood of gangs.
4. Battery Car…made by Waikato people gets to Marlborough.
5. Earthquakes Canterbury’s Stefano Pampanin proposed a national earthquake strengthening policy. Massey’s David Johnston on the Christchurch exodus.
6. Extras: Victoria ant research covered by Waikato Times and RNZ; Massey investigating a painted hawk (long story); Auckland’s Rochelle Constantine on humpback whales; Auckland’s Alex Macmillan got some OIA papers; Auckland’s Bill Hodge on arson charges; Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis on teapot tapes; Victoria’s Guy Marriage on refitting buildings; Media Design School’s Mason Herber on CTRL-F; CPIT’s Bruce Russell judges website quality.

Students

1. Top Chefs WelTec, AUT and CPIT trainee chefs won a chef competition (AUT).
2. Student Elections OUSA president Logan Edgar won an SJS council spot but an NZUSA president candidate couldn’t gain the two-thirds vote required.
3. Extras: NMIT student prez on summer jobs; MIT sugar creations; Otago Uni student’s column; Unitec student’s shopping app; Victoria student rescued; mentoring at Auckland’s Liggins Institute; BOPP art student.

Stakeholders

1. YMCA Massey marketing students have been helping out the YMCA with a marketing plan.
2. WITT & Māori WITT’s te reo courses may expand to the South Island.
3. Extras: fiction winner in Massey Maori book awards (main release); Victoria’s science writing prize winner; Māori farming operation keen to help young Māori study farming; Auckland’s Icehouse and its Māori focus; Xmas shopping at AUT.

Teaching & Learning

1. Street Art…courses involving The Learning Connexion and WelTec.

1. Canterbury Loss Up Canterbury’s projected loss for 2012 is up from $10m to $15m, but it drops to $9m once insurance comes in (presumably the earlier $10m figure also dropped after insurance).
2. Skill Shortages The ITF’s new CE, Mark Oldershaw, has made the news in week 1 – talking about skill shortages.
3. Extras: prosecution due to a workplace accident at Victoria (by a contractor); big Council investment in carpark to help MIT; a letter to the editor about night classes.

Research & Innovation

1. Fire! Canterbury’s Prof Charles Fleischmann has received a US award for fire engineering research. He’s researched furniture flammability, which I would have thought more of an Otago Uni specialisation…
2. Ant Cycles Victoria’s Meghan Cooling and Phil Lester have found out about the life cycles of Argentine ant colonies.
3. Extras: Waikato legal research centre focusing on Maori governance; Victoria’s Melanie Johnston-Hollitt helping with Square Kilometre Array software; Waikato solar car at the beehive; KiwiNet workshop.

Public Issues

1. Lucky Christchurch Canterbury’s adjunct Prof John Cookson is writing a five-part series on Christchurch in The Press.
2. Turkey Tails Otago Uni’s Nick Wilson comments on the impact of turkey tails in Samoa (don’t you love the variety of tertiary education!).
3. HIV Otago Uni’s Nigel Dickson has reported on late diagnosis of HIV (gaynz.com).
4. Rents Massey’s Prof Bob Hargreaves on rent and wages.
5. Extras: Massey symposium on nutrition and brain development in babies plus fish oil research by Prof Welma Stonehouse; Waikato’s Natalie Jackson on population trends; AUT’s Vernon Rive on climate change discussions.

Students

1. Fashion Whitecliffe’s fashion show looked pretty good. CPIT’s fashion show is on Saturday.
2. NZ’s Top…gymnast is at AUT.
3. Extras: one of Unitec’s TV ad stars is part of the grad exhibition; a bit on Auckland student activism in this piece on Occupy; ambulance officer student; NorthTec students’ visual arts display; UCOL acting student off to Unitec.

Stakeholders

1. Oxford Donation A Canterbury scholarship to study at Christ Church, Oxford, has been boosted by a Trust’s donation.
2. Extras: Intergen’s Otago Poly/Uni links; Massey’s Terry Stewart being a hillbilly; winner of Massey Maori book awards;

Teaching & Learning

1. Sustainable Course This release is a bit of a promo but it’s an interesting one about an Otago Poly sustainable practice course and how its students have done.
2. Pasifika Trades Training…is being offered at CPIT to help rebuild Christchurch (release).

1. Whitireia-WelTec Merger Steven Joyce has approved the Whitireia-WelTec council merger.
2. Fees There were fears that Otago Uni’s fees would rise by 4% and they did.
3. CPIT Settlement CPIT has settled an agreement with TEU members.
   
4. National’s Policy Me on TV about National’s policy yesterday morning.
5. Artena Merger Artena put out a release about how well the EIT-Tairawhiti merger went on the student management system side.
6. Extras: progress on Otago Uni building at new stadium; Massey’s new natural sciences degree; assessment services provider wins award; NMIT building wins another award (it will win my “most-mentioned building” award this year).

Research & Innovation

1. Sequelae A Canterbury release about a book for children might show why academics shouldn’t write their own releases, with the introduction of the word sequelae with no explanation. Or it could be a ruse to encourage you to Google it and find out what it means, in which case I’ll let you find out.
2. Urgency Victoria’s Claudia Geiringer, Polly Higbee and Prof Elizabeth McLeay have researched Parliament’s use of urgency.
3. Extras: Waikato electric car; paper cites Auckland meth baby research; Waikato’s Ngahuia Te Awekotuku sells out French translation of tattoo book.

Public Issues

1. Election Massey’s Deborah Russell on second class citizens; the tea tapes attracted comments from Massey’s Claire Robinson (good piece) and Victoria’s Steven Price; Victoria’s Ana Gilling on Back Benches; Massey’s Grant Duncan on coalition options; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on last leaders’ debate;
2. Penguins Massey released penguins (Stuff). Back In less telegenic work, Waikato will be researching the long-term impact of the spill on the environment (SunLive).
3. Extras: Otago Uni’s Phi Bishop on saving frogs; Auckland’s Prof Kenneth Husted on innovation; Auckland’s Prof Raymond Miller on MMP; AUT’s Grant Schofield and Auckland’s Katie Fitzpatrick on kids’ fitness.

Students

1. Student Unrest An Otago Uni Council member complained about publicity over student unrest and the impact it might have on enrolments.
2. Extras: Otago Poly careers day in Central Otago; Unitec’s Grad Show; BOPP end of year shows (BOP Times); baking showcase at MIT; Waiariki runner Samara Shepherd; ESITO’s top trainee.

Stakeholders

1. Fibre Training EIT and Unison have signed a training deal, including a facility, to support fibre rollout (Hawke’s Bay Today).
2. Court Case Victoria’s Yvonne van Roy on trial over the death of a cyclist.
3. Avocado WITT’s Denis Duthie cooks with avocado.
4. Extras: Auckland’s Icehouse signs deal with iwi; Open Poly’s Merilyn Merritt on cleaning up the Waiwhetu Stream -it runs by the campus; Unitec students arrive in Haiti; Massey-supported community garden; Massey won Maori language award in tertiary education sector; AUT refugee education conference; Massey’s global entrepreneurship week; Chinese visit to Massey; recognition for Massey work after Christchurch quake.

Teaching & Learning

1. Top Lecturer Massey’s Prof Jill Hooks gets Albany lecturer of the year.

About 3 weeks back, the TEU wrote that:

The vice-chancellor at the University of Canterbury, Rod Carr, wrote to staff last week warning them the university council is likely to present an austere budget for 2012. …Dr Carr invited staff to provide their own thoughts to council on how to increase revenue, concentrate the university’s resources or cut costs.

“This year, more than almost any other year in the university’s recent history, we need to take a hard look at all costs and ensure that any dollar we spend is justified. There will be some short term pain.” (said Carr)

We’re nearing the end of a 5 week staff consultation period, so last week I sought some feedback from the University. Some of the response below was covered in the TEU’s story but I wanted to keep it all together.

There are a number of factors influencing the 2012 budget process. They include:

- Loss of revenue arising from student withdrawals, and lower recruitment related to the earthquakes and some reduction in student numbers from the record high enrolments in 2010 as demographics and the economic cycle play out.
- Increased costs associated with the earthquakes – including insurance premiums and building remediation not covered by insurance, as well as cost increases in items such as energy, information technology and scholarships.

As a result, the University is facing a potential budget shortfall of the order of $12- $18 million on an expenditure base of around $300 million.

The University’s senior management team (SMT) is currently working on a budget for 2012 which will be presented to the University Council for approval in November.  The senior management team is seeking input from staff and external parties, such as the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), as appropriate. At this stage, the process is at the information gathering stage and no decisions have been made.

However, the SMT will be recommending to the University Council and the TEC that the University adopt a three to five year framework for decision making, which will balance immediate recovery from the financial impact of the earthquake events with long term strategic imperatives for renewal and recovery.  There are three main areas of focus:

1.      Revenue
We will be assessing how best to recruit and retain students for 2012 to maximise our TEC funding and student tuition fee income. We have plans in place to recruit more international students, although we must be realistic about the earthquake associations with Christchurch likely in the immediate term. With scholarships, increased marketing and engagement with schools we hope to keep as many students as possible in Canterbury and attract as many as we can to Canterbury.

2.      Concentrating our resources
In line with our long-term strategy, we need to continuously assess our mix of provision of courses and programmes.  The Pro-Vice-Chancellors will be undertaking a UC-wide review to ensure that our mix of provision is sustainable and relevant, informed by student interest, the Government’s tertiary education strategy and our established areas of recognised expertise. There may also be new programmes that could be launched to support recovery in the broader community.

3.      Cost savings
As with any organisation, we will be taking a hard look at all costs to ensure that any dollar we spend is justified.

As a result of all that, Canterbury is likely to run a deficit over the next couple of years.

So, on to some informed speculation. Yesterday I pointed out that international student numbers at Christchurch universities were down 32% in July 2011 from the same month last year (that is on early figures and should be treated with caution).  Once domestic students are factored in, Canterbury could be looking at a 15% drop in total students, which is a number I’ve heard has been discussed internally. Such a drop would have an enormous impact and there’s no knowing how long student numbers (and income) would stay low. I’d expect at least 5 years for Canterbury to reach its 2010 student numbers (the pipeline effect will be significant), but that’s just a guess.

Some of the obvious things we can expect to see at Canterbury include courses not being offered and staff being made redundant, but there could be some creative ideas as well like staff cutting their hours and salaries for a period. The impact of the loss of international students will be greater in some areas, such as business. Around the rest of the country, there may be pressure to lift funded domestic EFTS at other universities (although I should stress how supportive other universities have been to date).

Now you may wonder whether the government will provide extra support. They did guarantee domestic student funding in 2011 at budgeted levels, which has provided Canterbury, CPIT and Lincoln with an important cushion. So far, there has been nothing public about any support for 2012 for public tertiary institutions, while the NZEI has been calling for extra funding for schools in 2012. I’d suspect that the government will encourage education providers to downsize for 2012, recognising that Christchurch will take some years to rebuild population and its attractiveness to out of towners (whether from NZ or offshore).

Overall, we can expect some tough decisions coming out of Canterbury in the next couple of months – I’m sure we all wish the people there well as they cope with an enormous challenge in their path.

This is the second in a series of posts on tertiary education in post-quake Christchurch – the first covered international student numbers. This series will look at the market/policy implications for tertiary education organisations but it will also look at topics suggested by readers.

The re-development is a joint University-Crown funded project, which has resulted in a second storey of library space and a thoroughly re-designed modern and landscaped building frontage on Union Street. The design is by Dunedin architectural firm McCoy and Wixon. New facilities include extra study spaces for students and student groups, vastly enhanced online access, new windows providing natural light, a new social area extending to a landscaped courtyard and a total refurbishment throughout.

The ODT has a picture of the pre-upgrade library here when it was an incredibly boring institutional building, but the front and rear shots of the building below show that it’s looking a lot sharper now.

I love their new study group booths, as shown below. Great look and quite practical.

Check out the study carrels in the next photo - while they’re quite functional in themselves, the second photo shows how they overlook an atrium, which has great natural light coming in and should allow bored students to do some good people-spotting while taking a break from study.

I’m a sucker for design that looks great even if it might not always be practical. For instance, I love the snaky seats below as they add great interest from the aerial view, but have no idea whether they are effective as group seating.

I figure that readers are keen to see new facilities at other institutions and there aren’t many other places where you can get good photos of new buildings (outside the dignitary cutting a ribbon). Since I’m not constrained by printing costs or space, I’m keen to run high quality photos of any new facility around the country. In this case, thanks to the very helpful Jo Galer from Otago Uni for the photos, and congrats to the project team that made this all happen.