Meanwhile, in Nelson and Marlborough TEU members at NMIT ratified a new collective agreement last Thursday. Members at NMIT will get a two percent pay rise from 3 March 2011 and a one off payment of 0.5 percent paid in April 2012 subject to NMIT achieving a three percent surplus.

At the University of Auckland this provoked the protest de jour of the month – an occupation. At Lincoln University the council is seeking an exemption so it can increase the fee to eight percent for its animal science and agriculture courses. Accompanying fee rises at Lincoln are an undisclosed projected deficit and a fall in student numbers.

Rachel Boyack, the students’ association president at NMIT, would like to see more transparency across the sector when setting fees.

“It does appear that the four percent policy is now being treated as ‘business as usual’, where all programmes at all institutions are having a four percent increase applied without a deep analysis of the cost of each programme.”

“There is no doubt that high fees limit access, even if there is a student loan to pay the initial cost.”

Ms Boyack says the combination of requirements on institutions to deliver a minimum three percent return, combined with the four percent fee increase allowable, cuts to funding and a tertiary education strategy that suggests ‘flexibility’ around fees “all leads to students as the easy option for making up for shortfalls in revenue”.

TEU’s policy on fees is that institutions and the government need to ensure that tertiary education is accessible, affordable, and supportive: “That means lower fees, more investment in our public tertiary education institutions, transparent, equitable admission and selection criteria and processes, and supportive grants that help families to get by while individuals take the opportunity to study.”

The polytechnic is also offering a two percent pay rise and a one off bonus for a one-year agreement. That will mean the two parties will be negotiating again in February 2012. NMIT’s suggested one-year term is based upon their perceived uncertainty of government funding.  The TEU belives a settlement can be reached that is acceptable to both parties.

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 University of Canterbury has reached the midpoint of its three-year collective agreement and is negotiating to make variations to that collective agreement on issues not involving pay or money. The university has agreed to TEU claims to extend coverage to a larger group of general staff. It seems likely that the CPI adjusted pay rise for TEU members at the university will be five percent. (TEU members agreed that their pay rise for the second and third years of their three-year collective agreement would be based on CPI.)

TEU members at CPIT are disappointed by claims from their employer to ‘buy’ their discretionary leave and their workload limit on duty weeks off them with an offer of 4 percent and 2 percent over two years. Negotiations are continuing there.

TEU members at Weltec are also facing claims to remove their discretionary leave. Their employer wants to phase out discretionary leave by 2014, remove it entirely from all new staff employed before 2014 and, remove quarterly timetabled teaching hour limits and some entitlements to professional development. In return, Weltec is offering its TEU members 1.5 and 1.5 percent for two years. Staff are discussing, among other things, whether to take industrial action in response to the employer’s offer.

Academics at the University of Auckland have all been moved onto individual agreements on 30 June after their collective agreement expired over a year ago. Those 954 members will now be meeting on Wednesday 27 July to consider their employer’s latest offer and the TEU’s counter offer, and to decide whether to send the employer’s offer to ratification. In the meantime, industrial action and picketing continues at the university.

Negotiations are also underway or about to start at NMIT and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Massey University and Auckland University of Technology. TEU has initiated for its first ever allied (general) staff collective agreement at AUT.

Polytechnics and one wānanga were big losers in this year’s Government’s Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding for the tertiary education sector.

Figures released last year from the Tertiary Education Commission show that eight polytechnics will receive less SAC money this year than last. The figures reveal that Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, UCOL, NMIT, Northtec, SIT, WITT, Waiāriki and Te Tai Poutini all receive funding cuts this year. Te Wānanga o Raukawa also lost a million dollars of funding this year.

Universities on the whole did better, with a $56 million, or 5 percent increase in SAC funding – although $10 million of that relates to funding that last year went to Telford Rural Polytechnic and this year is moved into Lincoln University’s budget due to a merger of the two institutions.

Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) were the hardest hit by the commission’s funding announcement with 31 of 37 receiving funding cuts. Overall ITOs lost $28 million of funding.

The polytechnics and wānanga that are the worst hit by funding cuts are all outside the major urban cities.  Waiāriki Institute of Technology, for instance, faces a 6 percent reduction in its SAC grant this year.  That is $1.5 million, or over $400 for every equivalent full time student.

Overall, the total funding increase to the SAC grant (2 percent) does not quite match the 2.2 percent price increase that the commission says is included in its calculations – in other words there is an overall funding cut for the institutions, which is particularly given the significant roll growth that tertiary institutions are experiencing.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. PM claims better results for less money
2. Will new trade agreement let foreign universities sue NZ?
3. Education International’s first global women’s conference
4. Early childhood cuts won’t heal

Other news

Professor Harlene Hayne has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of the University of Otago and becomes the second woman vice-chancellor of a New Zealand university, following Judith Kinnear who left Massey in 2009. TEU’s Otago university branch welcomed Dr Hayne and looks forward to working constructively with her.

The number of Equivalent Full Time Students aged 18 – 25 years engaged in formal tertiary study increased by 15,648 (13.5%) between 2008 and 2010 – TVNZ

The Labour Party has announced a new Tertiary Education spokesperson, Darren Hughes, will replace Grant Robertson. Mr Hughes takes on the entire Education portfolio including tertiary and compulsory education – Labour Party

“I take issue with an underlying assumption in the report that academics and institutions aren’t very good at career planning. Academics work with their institutions to set out clear career plans – the problem is the rules of progression and attainment for academics are being set by managerial approaches to tertiary education, which have been in continual flux for more than two decades” – Sandra Grey

Dame Margaret Clark, who has worked at Victoria University for more than three decades, says it is not the lifestyle choice it used to be. “I think the future is a lot tougher than my past was. I think that universities were much more gentlemanly, much more relaxed, much less judgemental,” she said. The pressure has also increased in her department, where student teacher ratios are 1:47, when they should be 1:15 – TVNZ

The Government is cutting support for teaching in higher education by 80 per cent, and forcing universities to charge up to £9,000 per year. With the median wage in the UK at £22,000, the majority of the UK population will be unable to pay some of the highest fees in the world –Open letter from academics in the Time Educational Supplement

The Dutch coalition government has announced cuts of up to EUR500 million (US$681 million) a year for higher education, penalties for students and universities if they fail to complete their degree after four years, and the abolition of grants for masters students. University rectors and the mayors of university cities warned that the cuts would “push the Netherlands out of the world’s top 10 knowledge economies” – University World News

—

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.

TEU Women’s Fiesta

When the going gets tough… women get resourceful

Hosted by TEU (national and local) for all women at NMIT

Friday 27th August 2010 Kowhai Lounge at the Student Centre, Nelson Campus

Our programme for the day includes a variety of events; inspirational speakers Maryann Street MP, Dr Sandra Grey MMP Campaign,TEU women’s vice president; morning tea, lunch, women’s fun quiz over wine and nibbles, and opportunities to explore work-related issues.

Don’t miss this one-off event organised especially for you. Gather your women colleagues together and come along to all or any event.

Full agenda

To register please complete the form below:

TEU Women’s Fiesta

When the going gets tough… women get resourceful

Hosted by TEU (national and local) for all women at NMIT

Friday 27th August 2010 Kowhai Lounge at the Student Centre, Nelson Campus

Our programme for the day includes a variety of events; inspirational speakers Maryann Street MP, Dr Sandra Grey MMP Campaign,TEU women’s vice president; morning tea, lunch, women’s fun quiz over wine and nibbles, and opportunities to explore work-related issues.

Don’t miss this one-off event organised especially for you. Gather your women colleagues together and come along to all or any event.

Full agenda

To register please complete the form below:

Collective Agreement Bargaining

2010

Hello TEU Members

Your negotiation team Phil Dodds (Advocate), David Ayre and Phil Dyhrberg met with the Polytechnic representatives Kay Chapman, Graham Bell and Donna Schofield on 1 and 2 June 2010.

The Employer claims consisted of:

TEU claims consisted of:

Next date for negotiations

We will be meeting again with the employer representatives mid July as their lead advocate will be on leave. Whilst we had some initial feedback from members during a meeting on 2 June, we urge you to participate in the next meeting – date to be advised in mid July.

In any case, the salary offer is backdated to expiry of current agreement. The employer is still considering their response to our claims 5 and 6.

Thank you for your support to the TEU negotiating team. If you are unable to attend any scheduled meeting, please email any comments to the lead advocate – email below.

Tū Kotahi – Stand as One

Phil Dodds, Advocate – http://scr.im/phildodds

On behalf of your bargaining team – David Ayre and myself

Mr Harawira used his question in parliament yesterday to find out if those assets are able to be retained as part of the redress options for Treaty of Waitangi settlement claims for iwi.

In response Mr Joyce identified that the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) and Massey University have both identified surplus Crown assets and are going through a disposal process that includes consultation with iwi. Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Maryan Street later suggested that the current Te Tau Ihu Treaty settlement negotiations may also impact upon land and properties currently occupied by the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

Mr Joyce said that if a tertiary institution wants to dispose of surplus land that is in Crown title, then Māori interests in that land are considered through the existing processes.

“These processes are managed by the Office of Treaty Settlements and are unchanged by the new policy regarding Crown assets in the tertiary sector. If a tertiary education institution wants to dispose of surplus land that it owns, it does not need to go through these processes, but it must honour any right of first refusal on the title of the land.”

However Mr Harawira was concerned that Cabinet had recently agreed to a plan “to make it easier for tertiary institutions to sell their Crown-owned assets” and wanted to know what consultation has been undertaken between the Crown and iwi over that plan.

The policy Mr Harawira was referring to was announced last month by the Tertiary Education Commission and enables tertiary institutions to acquire or sell Crown assets. However, if such an asset is currently being considered for inclusion in a Treaty of Waitangi settlement the Ministers might instead decide to lease the asset to the institute until all Treaty claims in the area are settled. This would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Thanks to Br3nda @ Flickr for the photo