WHOA. This is interesting. It would seem that some solidarity busting is going on. Management knows that students support staff and have explicitly told staff to not communicate with students regarding upcoming cuts to professional staff. "It would also not be appropriate for staff to engage with students or involve them in any responses or process relating to the proposal"
Also management is using two different inflation rates to justify their actions. One for staff pay and one for their own costs. SUSS AF.
Additional bolding has been provided for emphasis.
Original bolding.
Additional bolding by Java.
Tēnā koutou kātoa
“Optimisation”. We continue to seek members’ views on what is happening with respect to course cutting and ‘optimisation’ issues at the padlet here. A group of senators persuaded the VC to call an Extraordinary meeting of Senate on Tuesday of this week at which the following motion was presented: We move that the implementation of the Curriculum Framework Transformation (CFT) be paused, to allow Senate to fully discuss the implications of the proposed course optimisation processes, in particular, their relationship to the CFT, and the academic coherence and integrity of teaching and research programmes..
A couple of reviews of the Senate meeting, lightly edited:
“There was considerable initial debate about process, and just what Senate’s standing orders mandate. The motion was then presented and its mover and seconder spoke to it. Various members of the leadership team responded, with some being less convincing than others. General discussion followed, with most speakers supporting the motion. The main concerns were the degree of urgency for course ‘optimisation’, lack of communication, and just how much of this can be attributed to the CFT implementation. A few people spoke passionately in favour of aspects of the CFT and how vital they thought it was to UoA. As provided in standing orders, an amendment was then proposed by one of the main architects of the CFT, essentially to remove the request to pause the CFT and just pause the course optimization process instead. (Quite how that could be done, since the meeting seemed generally convinced that the CFT was the main driver making course optimization urgent, because of timetabling and room availability, was unclear.) Voting ensued. The amendment was roundly defeated (I estimate 15% support at best). The motion was carried with probably about 80% in favour. Quite what happens now is unclear. Certainly Senate’s views will be conveyed to Council, and it should be clear to the SLT and PDDC that there is grave concern among senior academics about the consequences of the CFT and the way communication about them has been handled. (The proposers of the motion did not debate the value of the CFT in the first place, because that’s not what the motion was about.)”
“It was ‘standing room only’ at Senate. Trust me, you don’t often need to queue to get in! I wanted to add something that came as a result of a question – how the PG courses with enrolments under 30 was decided on – and the reply made it clear there was no evidence, or pedagogy, or financial, or indeed apparent other basis for that being determined as the cut- off. To me it really validated our “misinformation-based” suspicions and concerns about the process. To me what was most powerful was that it sent senior management a strong message that we have had enough of the way we have been treated again and again in the decision-making processes.”
News media have begun to notice: University of Auckland academics in ‘unprecedented’ revolt over controversial course shake-up - NZ Herald. At the all-staff Zoom, the VC noted that the meeting took place but otherwise did not comment on it. We are closely watching how this develops.
Also at the all-staff Zoom meeting the Director of HR reported on (a) his “excitement” at Hono’s introduction but advised of the three week gap between the disabling of the previous systems and Hono’s go-live (without any explanation of the necessity of this major complicating pause), (b) the new faculty arrangements which are proceeding “fantastically well”; and (c) a consultation process that is beginning this week “on the new professional staff structure and the academic governance structure” in the newly merged faculty.
Speaking of the latter, changes in staffing in anticipation of the faculty restructure have begun. Formal documentation of the new organisational charts/structures will be made available to professional staff in the affected faculties today as part of a month-long consultation today. TEU leadership has attended several pre-release meetings in support of the numerous affected staff.
We note that the documentation reads: “It would also not be appropriate for staff to engage with students or involve them in any responses or process relating to the proposal”. Because?
Nicole sent information yesterday with some guidance for those invited to such meetings. The best way to contact her is via text on 027 438 7254. I might add to her advice:
When making submissions, members should think about your job in all its facets. A box in an organisational scheme might be convenient for planners, but it is referring to your work, your experience, your skills, your knowledge, your mana, and your various challenges as you meet them. We are aware that a job description often only vaguely corresponds to what you do or are asked to do.
And before making your submission, consider undertaking a pre-mortem: imagine 5y from now that this process has been a disaster. What, hypothetically, may been the cause(s)? Your experience may offer various possibilities, many of which no planner has anticipated. Put these in your submission. It is not negativity; it is an intellectual exercise that HR and the change managers should already have done as part of due diligence.
We will be holding meetings for affected members over the coming weeks to collate information for feedback, so keep an eye out for invitations.
Financial problems around the corner? Senior management quietly report that “professional staff resourcing” is one of three streams from which they plan to extract $15m each ($45 in total) in the immediate future, not because the university is facing a deficit, but because the projected surplus is not large enough to satisfy. This was discussed in less than 10 minutes by Tim Bluet and Adrienne Cleland –without financial detail-- at the All-staff forum and Town Hall: August 2024 - The University of Auckland. Other staff will need to look on intranet to find this bad news: it is buried among the Pānui with the heading Financial Update -August 2024. “The recent period of high inflation has driven up the University’s cost base while core revenues, including Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) and student tuition, have not kept pace with inflation, leading to a meaningful decline in the University’s operating surplus.” (Perhaps the employer would be more optimistic if they use the same inflation calculation they invoke when arguing staff pay is keeping pace with inflation – which is noticeably lower than the inflation calculation used when presenting their own costs.)
Their plan “consists of three $15m work streams covering:
More information on this will be shared as it becomes available.”
We are considering our formal response to this.
Planning hui at Waipapa marae. Protest veterans eye new action - Waatea News: Māori Radio Station. In a press release, Hone Harawira, Annette Sykes, Mereana Pittman, Ken Mair and Tame Iti have called the government’s policies a “blitzkrieg that the coalition government is undertaking against Māori”. A potential nationwide hīkoi to Wellington may be discussed at the 31 August hui to be held at Waipapa Marae on campus. We encourage our members to attend if they are able. We do have formal representatives of our local branch contributing to the kaupapa but the more the merrier.
TEU national conference on Academic Freedom. There has been a change in dates for this. It will now be on Thursday 7 November and Friday 8 November 2024. The deadline for abstracts has also been extended, please send abstracts to jordyn.broughton@teu.ac.nz
Registrations are still open so please send the registration link to your colleagues who may be interested in attending the online conference.
Registration link – https://www.cognitoforms.com/NZTEU/_2024AcademicFreedomConference
Password – [REDACTED]
Or go the TEU website - https://teu.ac.nz/campaigns/academic-freedom-aotearoa/
The deadline for abstracts has also been extended. Please send abstracts to jordyn.broughton@teu.ac.nz
Finally, spare a thought for your mental health. “It is impossible to be a top-line manager and administrator and mentor and researcher and writer and outreach officer and IT expert and online instructor and pedagogical innovator and recruiter and teacher and marker and external examiner and press pundit and grant bidder and editor and look after your own wellbeing.” It’s Not Your Fault That Academic Life is Getting Harder by Glen O’Hara – Voices of Academia
Please consider sharing this and subsequent Updates (electronically or print) with colleagues who may benefit from knowing what we are doing.
fraternally
b
Barry Hughes, PhD
302.363 Science Centre
School of Psychology
University of Auckland / Waipapa Taumata Rau