7 March 2013
Lincoln backs away from radical qualifications change
Lincoln University decided yesterday that it would delete only two of its undergraduate qualifications instead of the 13 it initially proposed a few weeks ago. The university had been proposing to compress its undergraduate qualifications down to just three degrees.
However, after receiving very critical submissions from TEU and individual staff members, the university is now proposing a much more limited change that will see 13 degrees available in 2014.
TEU’s national president Lesley Francey welcomed the decision but said staff at Lincoln still faced significant uncertainty.
“The university’s feedback document shows that it still needs to do a significant amount of work. We are concerned about the deletion of degrees, significant changes to majors and courses with fewer than 3 EFTS to be deleted. In particular we are concerned that the Bachelor of Software and IT degree will be discontinued. That degree which combines specialist IT courses alongside other disciplines is one employers particularly value.”
“It is disappointing that the university will not have substantial specialist IT in the majority of its degrees. Given the minister’s stated priority for science and IT this is a surprise.”
Lesley Francey says the university’s change of position indicates the power of people participating through their union, and individually, in the submission process.
“Lincoln’s TEU branch worked incredibly hard to write a comprehensive and compelling submission on the qualifications reform, and they can feel proud to see their comments from that submission reflected throughout Lincoln’s feedback document.”
ENDS