Mrs Tolley also announced this week that Christchurch is to have a new Trades Academy, and that student places are to more than treble at the existing National Trade Academy in Christchurch, which incorporates CPIT.

The number of fees-free places for 16 and 17 year olds will increase to 2000 in 21 Trades Academies from next year.

“Schools are partnering with tertiary providers, employers and industry training organisations to give 16 and 17 year olds a more flexible way of learning, and the vocational skills which will give them more career choices,” Mrs Tolley said.

The ten new Trades Academies which will open during 2012 will involve support from UCOL in in Palmerston North and Manawatu, Horowhenua, Whanganui and the Wairarapa , NMIT in Nelson, Unitec and AUT in West Auckland, MIT in Manurewa, Otago Polytechnic in Central Otago, EIT in the Hawkes Bay, WITT in Taranaki, Te Tai Poutini on the West Coast, Wintec in Taumaranui, and the Open Polytechnic across the country.

“Local economies will also benefit from these new Trades Academies, as businesses will now have more young people with better skills ready to enter the workplace,” said Mrs Tolley.

“By 2014, 12,500 places will be available for 16 and 17 year olds in Trades Academies, Service Academies and the wider Youth Guarantee.”

The papers show that the process was a very rapid one. In September 2010, Tairāwhiti and EIT presented a draft business case to the TEC with their intent to merge. By late November 2010, the Minister and Cabinet noted points and took decisions on the merger. Then on 1 December, the Minister announced the disestablishment of Tairāwhiti and merger with EIT, effective 1 January 2011.

Ed Insider notes that this is the first time in a while that the National-led government has agreed to provide a grant to a tertiary institution or institutions. It also agreed to waive covenants and reporting requirements for Tairāwhiti’s $1.3 million suspensory loan from the Crown.

“It certainly was a tight process. Throughout the documents, there are references to ‘tight timeframes’, ‘needing further work’, ‘would have liked more time’. Almost every time Treasury makes a comment, they start by noting how little time they had to provide advice. ”

“One of the timeframe issues we found particularly interesting was how little time the Minister had to consider EIT’s request of $7.5 million rather than the initial $5 million. Advice shows that Treasury and TEC officials had agreed in principle to the $7.5 million before they had advised the Minister,” said the ED Insider report.

Thanks to Lexinatrix @ Flickr for the photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/lex/43631705/in/photostream/

TEU members at Napier’s Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) are voting on whether to accept a new collective agreement that the union says will help protect academics from losing work to staff on a lower pay scale.

EIT has a new academic position, called a learning facilitator, whose role has been relatively undefined until this point, but essentially involves supporting other academic staff to ‘maximise students’ learning experience.’

TEU’s local bargaining team has negotiated a definition of the tasks that a learning facilitator can, and importantly, cannot do.  A learning facilitator will not for instance be able to take responsibility for programme design, lesson preparation or assessment (except when it is a checklist).

TEU deputy secretary Nanette Cormack says that the intention is that the new definitions will not only protect other staff from losing work or responsibility to the less well-paid learning facilitators, but will also help provide the beginnings of a career path for some learning facilitators to move into other academic positions.

“Currently there is some overlap between the top of the pay scale for learning facilitators and the first five steps on the pay scale for other academic staff.  When EIT merges with Tairāwhiti Polytechnic it is likely that a number of courses will be led by academics on one campus but delivered to smaller groups by learning facilitators on the other campus. It’s important if people are doing the full job of an academic, including programme design and lesson preparation, that they get paid the full salary.”

As well as the new job definitions the proposed new agreement includes two pay increases of 1.9 percent over two years and a one off payment of $700, which members should receive just before Christmas.  It also establishes a $2000 fund to help the two TEU branches at EIT and Tairāwhiti to meet and work through their own union merger issues.  Voting to ratify the agreement closes tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday officially approved the merger between EIT and Tairāwhiti.  The two polytechnics will merge on 1 January next year. The Government has given $7.5 million to help with the transition to clear a backlog of maintenance work at Tairāwhiti and to pay for costs to rearrange courses. EIT told Radio New Zealand all employees of both polytechnics retain their positions for now, but back office jobs will be looked at in the new year.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Ministry’s answer for young Māori and Pacific students is more reviews
2. Cutting budgets won’t necessarily save money
3. TEU mourns Pike River tragedy
4. Majority don’t want govt telling students what to do
5. Communities call for caution in trade negotiations

Other news

TEU national president Dr Tom Ryan said what was is happening in Wellington – as Victoria University plans to close its gender studies course, Massey University considers closing the Wellington campus engineering school and a potential merger of Weltec and Whitireia – reflected a national trend. “Gender studies is an example of the pressure that’s being put on the liberal arts areas seen as less deserving of support than science and technology.” Dr Ryan says there have been more than 50 major restructurings this year, after the Government put pressure on the tertiary education sector to make cutbacks. Liberal arts are suffering, as well as language courses and Māori programmes, he says. –Dominion Post.

Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said restrictions on student places and huge growth led to the sudden closure of summer school enrolments in July. The university revealed on Tuesday that about 20 papers were pulled and enrolments almost halved after the university was forced to close the door on summer school. Of the students who missed out, 1347 lodged an appeal for a place at Massey University. More than half, 715 students, were accepted –Manawatu Standard

The Nelson teaching campus of the University of Canterbury will remain open after pressure from the community got through to decision-makers. Pro-vice-chancellor for the College of Education, Professor Gail Gillon, has confirmed that the 12-year-old Hardy St campus will remain open despite having been earmarked for closure. If the campus had closed, all training teachers who live in Nelson would have to have studied thorough correspondence – The Nelson Mail

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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: stephen.day@teu.ac.nz

Thanks to Joyce Seitzinger @ Flickr for the photo

12 November 2010

For further information please contact:

JoScott

Policy Analyst

Ph: 021-844-526

Email: jo.scott@teu.ac.nz

Introduction

The Tertiary Education Union Te Hautū Kahurangi o Aotearoa (TEU) welcomes this opportunity to respond to the consultation document “Tairāwhiti Polytechnic and Eastern Institute of Technology – case for merger”.  As the largest union and professional association representing staff in the tertiary education sector (in universities, institutes if technology/polytechnics, wānanga, private training establishments, OTEPs and REAPs), we have a significant number of members at both institutions who will be affected by the proposed merger.  The union is also committed to ensuring that our members work in an environment that supports quality teaching, research and learning, and that delivers a positive tertiary education experience to students through the provision of appropriate support and services.

General comments on the proposed merger

In general the TEU is supportive of the direction that the merger consultation document outlines.  We recognise that Tairāwhiti Polytechnic has struggled financially for the past ten years or so, a situation which has been exacerbated by a limited population from which to draw students from.  We also agree that it is important to retain local polytechnic provision for the Gisborne, Poverty Bay and wider Tairāwhiti communities, particularly given the geographical challenges for the region and the social and economic development opportunities that may otherwise be missed without a local polytechnic providing vocational education and training.  We are aware of some of the limitations that EIT has faced in relation to its size and agree that these may be addressed by combining the operations and programmes of the two institutions.

Enhancing the quality of regional provision

The merger consultation document notes that an expected beneficial outcome of the merger would be enhanced educational provision for the Gisborne region, and the opportunity to provide greater depth in programme offerings for EIT (pg. 3).  Pooling resources – both academic and operational – seems likely to result in improved quality for provision in the region, and an expansion of opportunities for a broader spread of qualifications that allow students to ‘staircase’ beyond level four studies.

Part of the analysis of possible advantages to be gained from bringing together the resources of the two institutions should also examine the extent to which both institutions are currently able to provide quality programmes to students in more remote parts of the region.  An evaluation of the effectiveness of this provision will be important in relation to an overall strategy that specifically addresses access, participation and educational outcomes for Māori, as well as ensuring that the new regional institution is addressing vocational and educational training needs for all of its communities.

A broader evaluation of the positive gains that might be obtained from combining regional provision should also assess the role the new institution will play in relation to other tertiary education and training opportunities in the region (Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, REAP and private providers).  We would expect that if the merger goes ahead, the new institution would take a leading role in encouraging collaborative relationships between other providers in the region, as well as providers in other regions and nationally.

In order to achieve the merger goals, both institutions need to examine their current provision and operations to identify the areas which may need further development.  For example, identifying to what extent current staff will need opportunities to study for higher qualifications and/or additional support in order that they can contribute to the goal of lifting the levels of qualifications achieved by students beyond level 4.  It is pleasing to note that the merger consultation document has given this particular issue some consideration with reference to staff training for the transition to blended delivery (pg. 21).  However it is vital that the new institution takes a longer-term view, beyond the period immediately after the merger, to ensure that current staff are supported to meet the requirements of new styles of delivery and/or teaching on higher-level programmes.

Additionally a thorough understanding of regional need and the intersecting opportunities for the two regions (Gisborne and the Hawkes Bay) needs to inform the merger, to ensure that the new institution is able to effectively respond to social and economic development priorities.  A particularly important element to be considered is identification of social and economic development aspirations of iwi and hapū across the two regions and how the merged institution might best respond to these.  The proposal of a 50 EFTs ‘reserve’ for local iwi (pg. 19) is an interesting approach which could provide an immediate benchmark for Māori participation and achievement.  We are also pleased to note the initial proposals for securing the Māori visual arts programme currently being offered by Tairāwhiti Polytechnic (Toihoukura).

Equally important will be a comprehensive overview of current and emerging trends in industry, services, and business development, particularly where there are areas that neither institution is currently providing programmes for.  A thorough understanding of industry, service, and business requirements within the region, and how these connect with national goals and trends will ensure that the new regional polytechnic is well-placed to respond with appropriate programmes.  For example, do the two institutions currently know how well their programme provision is matching the needs of industry and employers in their region?  If there are gaps/weaknesses, what does the merged institution propose to do to address these?

Potential impacts on staff

The TEU would not be opposed to rationalization of programme provision and services in some instances if it supports the goal of quality vocational education and training for the region.  In saying this however, the union is not agreeing in any way that job losses are the natural consequence of such a process.  Indeed the demands for expansion and more in-depth provision that is expected as a result of the merger will require a stable staffing that is appropriately supported to achieving these goals.  Both ITPs are major employers in the region; in our view they have at least a dual responsibility to their local communities – to provide quality tertiary education within the region and to act as a good employer by seeking to minimise the impact of this merger on current staff.

Some specific staffing concerns regarding the merger have begun to be discussed by TEU members.  No doubt these will be more thoroughly canvassed and discussed with staff of both institutions and their union, should a decision be made to go ahead with the merger, and we recognise that the consultation document is the first stage in a longer process that will ‘hammer out’ the finer details.  However initial comments include:

• More detail needs to be provided about how the merger will impact on programmes, staff, students and their communities;
• Concerns about increases in workload, particularly for staff that may be expected to teach or support programmes across regions, (particularly in relation to extended travel and requirements to stay overnight) or where changes to programme delivery are introduced (for example, block courses and online delivery); and
• Concerns that staff at Tairāwhiti Polytechnic may be negatively affected (for example, redundancy, salary differentials, and changes to employment conditions).

Again, we note that many of these types of issues will be discussed in relation to the current collective agreement provisions, however we include them here so that those responsible for making decisions on the merger are reminded of the importance of working closely with staff and their union to ensure the smoothest possible process for bringing the two institutions together.

Communication processes and engagement with community, staff, students and industry

Given the geographical distances between the two institutions, carefully considered processes for communication and consultation will be vital.  The merger consultation document notes this (pg. 19 and 20) and the TEU looks forward to working closely with the two institutions to ensure that staff have a strong voice and that their contributions to the process are valued and recognised.  Should the merger proceed, a seamless transition into the new institution will be important for students, staff, local businesses and the community.  This can be ensured in part by providing robust and transparent consultation and communication processes from the outset.

We are pleased to note that some thought has already been given in the consultation document to how engagement with iwi and hapū might occur (pg. 18 and 19).  If the merger proceeds, the two current institutions have a very good opportunity to extend and deepen iwi/hapū relationships, recognising the whakapapa links that exist between iwi and hapū of the two rohe.  There are likely to be many opportunities to enter into or extend partnership arrangements with iwi and hapū based on these connections and on their development aspirations in the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay areas.

The naming of the new institution will be an important kaupapa also, and is a further opportunity to engage with iwi/hapū and the community from the outset about the formation of the new organisation.

Probably one of the more significant challenges that the proposed merger may face is how to bring together the distinct organisational cultures of each institution in a way that recognises uniqueness whilst also encouraging the development of a new, collegial environment that supports a new organisation.  We expect that the merger team will look to the experiences of other institutions, particularly the staff within those institutions, for suggestions and advice for what is undoubtedly a challenging process for any organisation to undertake.

Sustainability

The proposed merger provides an opportunity for the two institutions to review their overall effectiveness, as the consultation document notes.  Part of this evaluation should involve a sustainability audit that looks at the potential impact of servicing a more geographically spread institution, and that explores a variety of options to reduce the institution’s impact on its environment.  Such an audit would mean that the new institution could position itself as a leader in sustainable operations amongst public tertiary institution, as well as providing an opportunity to further enhance programmes by integrating a focus on sustainable issues into course content.

Budgeting for a merger

Given that the proposed merger is a one-off financial outlay, we would expect that government recognises this with funding support for the two institutions that meets any transitional costs associated with the process.

Conclusion

The TEU recognises the educational and financial imperatives for considering a merger between EIT and Tairāwhiti Polytechnic.  In general we are not opposed to it; however we will be seeking to safeguard our members’ interests in this process, as part of our commitment to ensuring strong and viable ITP provision in Gisborne and the Hawkes Bay that contributes to the success of individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi and industry and businesses within the region.

Ms Campbell says a link with EIT would benefit students and increase the courses open to them. The global financial crisis and the economic condition of the country had affected the Government’s attitude towards polytechnics and in 2009 it signalled that it will reduce funding over the next two years.

Tairāwhiti is projecting it soon will be losing $50,000 a week, or $3 million per annum. Ms Campbell said that the institution had gone on an extensive search to find a partner to enable it to continue operating, and that it had chosen EIT because of its size and cash reserves. “It is an extremely robust organisation,” she said.

It is her hope that a business case for a merger will be completed by October. Then the institutions will consult staff and the public. Finally the minister of tertiary education must run a formal consultation process before giving overall approval. The target date for the merger is 1 January 2012.

“We believe that this marriage might well benefit everybody,” Ms Campbell said.

Show your support

If you are an academic this is the place that you can leave supportive comments about the general staff working at your institution.  Just go to the foot of the page where the comments section is. Otherwise let us know what activity is taking place at your institution by completing this submission form:

Some General Staff Day events:

University of Auckland

General Staff at Auckland University have been invited to a TEU UoA Branch party celebration between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.   The Old Government House lounge is the venue for our celebration which includes a catered lunch,  live entertainment, games and spot prizes.  The vice-chancellor is supportive of managers being flexible around when lunch breaks are taken on the day to enable staff to attend.

We will be organising transport to and from the Epsom, Tamaki and Grafton campuses.

University of Waikato and WINTEC

A 2 hour function with food and fun! There will be quizzes, brief speakers, food, chance to chat with other colleagues.

University of Waikato members have also extended an invitation to colleagues at Wintec who may wish to attend.

For Tauranga members there is a lunch for members at a local cafe to spend time together as they are split across two campuses.

EIT

Your EIT Branch Executive have decided to take part in this and in doing so are putting on a finger food lunch in R101 at 12 noon next Wednesday.  We will be inviting everyone who would like to attend and acknowledge the contribution General Staff make to EIT.

Massey University Palmerston North

A lunch and an update on the shared services project.

Victoria University of Wellington

With the support of the Vice-Chancellor at Victoria, all general staff have the option of taking one extra hour of lunch break on 9 June for the purpose of attending the TEU organized event at Kelburn. This will begin at 12.15pm in the MacLaurin Foyer and will include a lunch of barbecue and salads (with plenty of vegetarian options). The lunch is also open to members of the PSA and SFWU. All general staff can access the additional hour’s lunch break for the purpose of attending the meeting – so please feel free to invite colleagues who could be interested in joining the TEU. Please RSVP to our administrator on http://scr.im/vuwteu by this Friday 4 June – and let your manager know that you will be taking advantage of the two-hour lunch break. Generally it seems most efficient to allow members themselves to organise transport from other campuses to Kelburn for this event but we will reimburse members for transport costs and provide other support as far as possible on request. If you need assistance with transport to Kelburn please include this request in your RSVP.

In the morning of General Staff Day we will be delivering cakes with an appreciative message to general staff workplaces. This is an opportunity to raise the profile of the TEU in your workplace, as well as enjoy a well deserved treat with colleagues.  In 2008 this was a popular option with about 25 cakes distributed. If you would like to request a cake for your work area, please e-mail http://scr.im/vuwteu by this Friday 4 June.

University of Canterbury

12-1pm: Paid Union Meeting in C1 lecture theatre.  Guest speaker will be Tom Ryan, TEU National President.

From 1pm: March to Registry and rally, including open mic (check out the Star Trek promotional video).

From 2pm: A barbecue at TEU House, wet or fine.

Lincoln University

Afternoon tea in the Kauri Room at 3.15 with two speakers.  Then an award ceremony where academics nominate their general staff.

University of Otago

TEU is hosting a two-hour lunch at All Saints Church Hall (Cumberland St opposite the Alhambra Rugby Ground) on Wednesday June 9th. Tea/coffee and cake will be provided from 12pm onwards. There will also be spot prizes on the day. The Vice-Chancellor is in support of this event and a memo has been sent to all departments communicating the expectation that staff be released for the two-hour lunch break.

Resources for branches:

General Staff Day 2010 poster (A3 size, pdf file, 204KB)

General Staff Day 2010 invite (two invites on A4 size, pdf file, 590KB)

Tairāwhiti Polytechnic council chairman Geoff Milner told the Herald that funding cuts “in the millions” were expected next year.

“Given such substantial reduction in funding, the view of our future viability is not good. The council has, therefore, taken the proactive step of looking for a preferred partner organisation… to save money and actually improve service.”

The two institutions would spend the next three-to-four months discussing the various options available, he said. Final decisions would be announced in the next year or two, which could be anything from “status quo to a potential merger and everything in between”.

It was 50 percent likely the institutions would fully merge, Mr Milner said. The council explored UCOL, Wintec and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as options, but settled on EIT.

EIT chief executive Chris Collins said discussions were still in the earlier stages.

“We really just need to establish what the options are. EIT is a very strong and stable institution. We are rated as very low risk.”

This did not mean EIT was bailing Tairāwhiti out of a troubled financial situation, he said. “There are some things we bring, but likewise there are things Tairāwhiti can bring to the table.”

Neither institution would confirm nor deny the likelihood of job losses if a merger was chosen. “We don’t know what the outcome will be,” said Mr Collins.

However Massey academic and general staff at the Ruawharo Centre in Taradale are absolutely determined to maintain teacher training and the Massey facility in” Hawke’s Bay, says the Tertiary Education Union. TEU Massey” branch” president, Harvey Jones says the staff believe that the primary teaching degree offered internally at Hawke’s Bay is viable, cost effective, and important for the region.

“Our Hawke’s Bay members are adamant that this facility continue. Massey has over the years repeatedly committed to on campus pre-service education in” Hawke’s Bay and our members are insisting to Massey that they honour that commitment. Massey staff in Hawke’s Bay have a strong sense of loyalty to local students and the local community and are resolute that they will oppose any withdrawal of the service from the area.”

“Nationally with a baby boom passing through universities and many people choosing to improve their qualifications in the face of the recession, tertiary enrolments are up. University education and research is more important than ever “said Mr Jones.

This is my first conference as branch president. I have undergone a rapid transformation into a political animal. It is early days, but I am enjoying the challenge and the opportunity to meet fair minded people.

Membership

In 2007 our membership was 84. Last year we had 93 and at one stage we had 98 this year although one or resignations to go to other jobs has dropped this number. We only have about 50% density.

I acknowledge the work of Ian Grant in boosting the numbers with his personal visits and letters to prospective members. Ian also took my place at an induction meeting in July when I was swanning off in Turkey. Thanks Ian.

Ian Grant

Ian arrived at the EIT at about the same time as me in 2003. He very quickly stepped into the President role and has been there for the last 5 years. Ian’s quiet friendly manner has seen the growth of ASTE now TEU. He has been instrumental in creating a close working relationship with management which I intend to follow. Thanks for all your hard work Ian.

Representation and Negotiations

I would like to acknowledge the work of Russell Taylor who represented us at early negotiations until illness caused a hiatus and since July the astute work of Kris Smith. Russell is based in Palmerston North and Kris in Dunedin. They have worked very hard on our behalf. Negotiations took five full days this year. Thank you, Helen Stewart McKenzie, Chris Drown and Ian Grant for your hard work in this difficult year.

The negotiations this year have been an arduous affair, dragging on from April to mid September with much behind the scenes work. The influence of the government through the SSC has been a negative one with the EIT Chief Executive being reluctant to “stick his neck out” in case funding is withdrawn as punishment for over stepping the mark set by the SSC.

A very galling aspect of the current situation is: that when we looked like we were nearing agreement in June the tutors on Independent Employment Agreements were sent a letter offering them the same salary increase we had negotiated with no changes to conditions. We still have not received the increase.

While our (yet to be received) monetary recompense is small… 1.5% to salary and 1.7% lump sum we have not yielded any conditions. This is reasonably satisfactory in the current economic climate. At the time of writing this report the branch are being polled to seek ratification of the settlement.

Fortunately we have negotiated a 0.2 time allowance for the chairs role which is very helpful, although still not enough. I find it interesting that when consultation is required for say policy changes that they “consult” with TEU and not people on IEAs. Yet, mention to them that we might be recompensed differently and they run a mile. It seems to me that the IEAs get a free ride in more ways than one.

One good thing to come out of the last negotiation round is that the 23 people on mirror Collective agreements, because they had not signed to either the CA or an IEA, have all signed an IEA and therefore do not get the same privileges as on the CA.

Helen Stewart McKenzie is stepping down as Vice President and Malcolm MacKay was elected at the AGM. Helen has been a great source of advice to me and I have really appreciated her cool head in times of crisis. Malcolm has a long history of union activity with TIASA and I look forward to working with him.

The TEU head office has recognised the importance of the branch secretarial role and has agreed to fund a paid branch administration person. As a result of this initiative Colleen MacKay has agreed to act as an administrative support person.

I believe one unintended outcome of the EITs prevarications is that the members have become much more active. The unfairness of the situation angered many mild mannered people and they were genuinely ready to take industrial action. Fortunately this was not required, but we were within two hours of action when the CE signed the agreement. Talk about brinkmanship!

Workload Issues

“Increasing workloads are an issue with many academic staff, but few seem willing or able to address the matter. This year has seen the introduction of TEC’s new funding model. It seems to have created expectations of greater staff commitment to a new model of teaching that is impacting on members workloads. E learning preparation and delivery allowances are also a cause for concern in some areas.” (Ian Grant 2008)

If anything has changed from Ian’s comments last year they have gotten worse. All ITPs have been expected to “consult” with the SSC. This has been little more than meddling across the sector with efficiency being the catch cry. 825 tth has certainly become the goal not the maximum and the EIT is putting pressure on, for increased research outcomes that many members think are unrealistic. One refereed journal output per year is just not achievable with 200 tth.

I would like to talk to other ITPs and university branches to see what is happening in other areas.

I have been asked to participate in a workload policy review along with two other staff members who are both TEU. I suggested that they might like representation from the IEAs. This seemed to create difficulties for management.

The TEU discourages members from selling discretionary leave although it is reluctantly agreed to. However, it is the EIT that does not allow members to sell leave. I think this creates a problem at two levels. The first is, it creates a barrier for people who would like to join the union. The second is that the EIT is creating situations where the workload is such that that people cannot do it without using their leave. I would like members’ feedback on this issue.” (From the presidents’ report to the AGM in 2009.) I would like to canvas members opinions on this delicate matter at the conference.

Programme Sustainability Projects

The reports from these reviews have now been released and submissions by affected staff made. The review in the Grape and Wine school has made little practical difference to the day to day happenings. However, the review of the Agriculture programmes has resulted in the programme being taught by Taratahi. The outcome was announced on Friday the 25^th of September. One member will be made redundant as a result of this.

Gordon Reid

TEU Branch President