Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is fighting back against continued cuts at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University, as Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas today released a proposal to make more devastating staffing cuts across key subject areas.
The proposal would make drastic staff cuts across the languages, humanities, and social sciences; including halving staff in Defence & Security Studies, Development Studies, English & Writing, History, and Politics Departments.
Kaiwhakahaere | Organiser Ben Schmidt describes the proposals as “completely short-sighted and damaging.”
"The Massey University Council and Vice Chancellor should immediately halt all staffing cuts and engage with the incoming Government about the future of tertiary education. They need to understand the new Government's priorities before making such drastic decisions.
"It is particularly galling to see Defence & Security studies in the firing line. Defence Force personnel based at Linton and Ohakea get significant value from those courses.
“Capacity and provision would be lost in these subjects at a time when our nation is considering its role in an increasingly unstable world. As a small trading nation New Zealand needs people who can make sense of global geopolitics. All the subjects under threat from this proposal teach skills that are vital to our economic and strategic future."
TEU members are rallying with students against these cuts 12:30PM Wednesday 18 October at the Concourse, Manawatū Campus, Massey University.