It is clear students don't feel heard and are frustrated with the lack of transparency and communication from the university. Here are some of the comments students have made on the course cuts:
Much better than the larger courses in first year, much more engaging
Fantastic and core to my degree.
It was wonderful, I took a french class and met lots of cool people there and learnt a lot about the culture and stuff.
Amazing, Smaller courses provide better education in my opinion, easier to know your peers and lecturers, and my best work came from courses with under 60 individuals
Most of my linguistics courses (all but one) have probably fit under that criteria and if not are very close to it, however they are very good courses and my favourite part of my degree
All my courses have been great. Regardless of the amount enrolled, those showing up in my Arts papers are usually smaller than 60, and it still works efficiently. These papers are courses for a reason, cutting them is unreasonable!
Small courses are far better in terms of class engagement, student-staff interaction, knowledge acquisition, and overall outcome.
It was wonderful! I love the experience of a tight-knit small class. I've had the best discussions and interactive sessions in them!
The small courses have honestly been the most helpful and informative for my learning. I find it much easier to actively participate in a course where you can actually talk to the teacher and the other students in your class - I find it super productive.
Small classes were really nice, generally taught real indepth into interesting subjects and were generally better learning environments than large classes
They were/are great experiences - I do a degree which has a lot of very large courses (computer science and statistics majors), and I prefer the more personal experience of smaller courses.
The majority of the courses I took for my Bachelor of Design were less than 60 students. Having small classes were beneficial for my learning, as they allow for better mentorship from staff within studio sessions. It also allows for the creation of a community of learners, as well as a more effective learning environment. In my smaller classes, lecturers were able to spend more time giving 1 on 1 feedback on our projects, and we were able to have in depth and meaningful feedback from the teaching team.
These small classes allowed for deep class discussions, which not only further developed our understanding of the topics, but also allowed us to learn and understand different perspectives on said topics.
I have had studio classes with 80+ students in them and I often felt that I didn’t have enough time to discuss my project with the lecturer, which made it difficult to know specifically where I needed to improve or make changes. This added to my stress levels, as often I had many questions left unanswered, purely due to the time constraints and the number of students enrolled in the class.
They were so good, much better than larger courses in terms of forming connections with the lecturer and classmates. It was easier to have discussions in class and for course content to change as we went along to suit the pace of the class. Given that I plan to continue with this subject into postgrad, I've found it to be immensely valuable.
loved them, got to know my professor better and also the people in my class, especially in my language class. my language class feels like a small family now because we have kept the same cohort
I took ArtSchol 100 last semester and this semester and I love it so much. It is so engaging, so informative and not only allowed for me to thrive academically but as a human being in general. It is teaching me so many important skills and the guest speakers that we have most week really enhance my university experience. The fact that it is small is the main reason it is so effective because we get to form tight connections and support each other in our university journey and it gives it a special, unique community feeling that I never get from my other courses.
arts scholars is a very precious environment that relies on being small to achieve its purpose. its enchanced my student experience a lot, and has lead to several friendships and connections i couldnt make without it
Very positive! Small courses provide learning experiences otherwise impossible in larger courses; close student-teacher relations, greater focus and attention on student, and the overall tightness of such a community allow efficient learning in a favourable environment. Teachers are able to focus greater on students, and students are able to learn through a more personalised medium.
Fantastic, deeply impacted my worldview
They were very enjoyable. Just because a subject is "niche\
that doesn't mean that it's without value. I particularly enjoyed my linguistics elective, which was an extremely informative course on a fascinating area of study.
These courses (being mainly languages as part of my ancient history degree) were highly beneficial to my understanding of other larger courses under ancient history, and the small-scale of them made it easier to collaborate and seek guidance, overall making it an ideal environment in which to learn.
Stellar! I love how intimate and dedicated the teaching team are and my classmates have all become my friends!
I learned so much in those small courses and it allowed for more interaction with the class so the lecturer wasn't just talking at you.
A smaller and less busier environment is really helpful for learning where you can have more engagement and connections with lecturers and tutors
great!!
Ive enjoyed them more than the bigger courses as I have more meaningful discussions getting to know all class members and staff involved. I learn more and they make me want to come to uni. I have made lifelong friends in these smaller courses. They are the courses that I remember the most, enjoy the most and reccommend the most. My favourite course of all time in my undergrad was maori 230, it was lifechanging and if that course gets cut, that will be heartbreaking for me.
The smaller size was great for Better social engagement and more time spent with lecturers to go over course material. Felt I had better experiences in small classes where I was able to go over the material in more detail!
They are awesome and are all Stage 2 and 3 Physics papers and a few Stage 2 maths papers (Maths 253)
You feel much more involved with the content being taught and also get to know your lecturer much better it has helped me greatly with understanding the very confusing topics in quantum 335 and 356
Some of the best teaching I have got from the university.
Highly positive - smaller class size means that the lecturer can take more time in regards to each student, and it's a much better learning environment due to that. The class is also more tight-knit and it feels much better studying in a class where you can get to know each classmate at least to some degree.
The small courses made up most of my degrees and they were great. I enjoyed being able to learn about more specialised topics and being able to interact more with academic staff.
Amazing as the smaller class allowed for deeper discussions around more frisky topics and deepened bonds between student and the lecturer
Good; I especially liked having the smaller number of people as it meant everyone was close with one another and teacher to student ratio was perfect.
Small courses allowed for greater in-depth discussion, helping me to voice my opinions and hear others. Small courses also allowed for more choices in assignments and how I wish to take course material into my coursework. I was able to better understand the material and engage with the content in a more fulfilling way.
Majoring in Theology, I find courses are better when smaller, as we can have closer discussion and understanding about these matters.
The small courses which I have been a part of were essential to me feeling like university was a place where I belonged, and where my individual thoughts and experiences were valued above and beyond my ability to pay fees.
I loved them! I’ve taken a French course in the summer and am currently taking one now, as well as Arts Scholars. Providing language classes is such an important part of expanding the horizons and perspectives of the population.
They're nice and very focused with an environment that feels safer to ask genuine questions
Amazing courses. Very important to fine arts courses as the majority of all electives (necessary for the degree) are capped at around 30 students per semester.
I love the small courses. Most of my courses in educ were under 5 people so perfect for my learning style and all the education courses would be under review.
I love my small courses. They're essential to my degree and what I love to do. The learning experience is always way more personalised, I'm more motivated to show up to classes and I achieve better grades. The course content is always really great too, just because not many people take these courses doesn't mean they're not fantastic courses with amazing lecturers!
These courses are the only ones where I actually learnt anything. Courses with more than 60 students often do not allow a lecturer enough time to teach students at their level and are often more rushed.
A lot of my personal growth and growth as a mathematician has happened due to these courses. As an aspiring mathematician, University of Auckland already doesn’t offer many courses at first/second year that correctly prepare all of us in our postgraduate studies/ life in academia. They are making sure there will be no good academics who went to the University of Auckland.
The lack of forsight and incompetance shown by administrators that run the university is frankly disturbing.
Excellent
they are and have been my favourite out of all the courses i've taken
Important for my major, provided a well rounded learning experience and sense of community
Absolutely incredible
It has been my favourite course I’ve ever taken has given me so much extra knowledge that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to obtain. I feel as though this course has prepared me for the future unlike any other course I’ve taken and if I hadn’t taken it I likely would be a worse student.
Excellent- necessary for research-centric and conducive to learning languages
I loved them! Even though there were less students, I still got the same (if not a better) quality of teaching and was able to experience the full range of subjects that my majors had to offer - it allowed me to guide my future studies.
I found the teaching much more involved and enjoyable, it is also easier to ask questions and collaborate with the material, allowing me to learn it better.
They were awesome for learning and engaging with tutors and material. I felt I made closer connections with my peers that became serious friendships, and I was more inclined to share in and attend classes because of less social anxiety. Overall great experience.
So good! The personal experience of a smaller classroom allowed me to engage closer to the subjects. Learning a language requires so much patience and a need for an intimate space to ask questions and collaborate with both my peers, lecturers, and tutors! I would hate for these small and effective learning spaces to be ripped away from myself and other students (current or prospective)!
They have been amazing, I (and many of my friends) have benefited greatly from a smaller, more intimate environment because it ensures that the Lecturer/Tutor is able to connect to every student and provide extensive support to everyone.
Great, allowed for amazing communication and rapport with teacher and the rest of the class. I found I learnt a lot and did very well in the smaller classes because of this
The small courses are very good because it’s a lot easier to communicate with classmates, and it allows for lots more interaction with the lecturer which makes content much easier to understand
The smaller classes are often my favourite because I find them more engaging, and I find it easier to communicate with the other students and the lecturer. I really enjoy being able to discuss the content and bounce ideas off one another.
Incredible, some of my favourite classes
I very much enjoyed smaller courses they allowed me to engage with the material and others. It was also essential in learning languages and delving deeper into texts.
It will also affect any future students who will be unable to take the same courses.
I really enjoyed them, they allowed me to engage further with the school and to build a connection with the students and teacher. I also got higher marks in these classes.
I learnt far more efficiently in a smaller learning environment. It allowed me to collaborate more efficiently with my peers and to develop important relationships with teaching staff.
From these small courses I have been able to develop and explore niche research interests that will underpin any further study that I do while they have also allowed me to gain clarity on course content in a way that would be impossible in a bigger class.
In my experience, small courses form into learning communities in a way that is often suggested, but never realised, in larger courses. Building a network to support each other's learning and wellbeing is vital within a University as big as this one and small courses are one of the only current academic pathways to do this. While clubs and other groups support making friends across the university, I am hard pressed to think of anything more impactful than the small courses I have taken for fostering learning community within a particular academic area, major or specialisation.
I am indebted to these small courses for making university more than a place to buy an expensive piece of paper and a genuinely life-changing place to learn.
I found the small class sizes of my language courses hugely beneficial for studying a language. Classes with smaller class sizes means more time to practice with the teacher and more collaboration with peers.
I liked all of them :) it was very engaging with a smaller classroom
Small courses create a strong class culture that is collaborative and invites an inclusive work environment.
Superior by far. All my courses for learning ancient Egyptian had less than 20 students and it sickens me that the uni is considering cutting these.
They say it's not but as far as I'm concerned this is the latest attack on the Arts after the horrid faculty merger.
Shame on UOA
Amazing, interpersonal relationships are better, more time delving into deeper content and asking questions, more accessible in terms of disability
The smaller the class, the better the quality of teaching. Much more opportunity for dialogue and much more attention from the instructor lead to a) a much more enjoyable learning experience overall, b) a much better understanding of the content. A smaller, more niche class also ensures that every one who is there, wants to be (these are also the courses in which I noticed the highest percentage of attendance).
Some of my favorite courses at university were under 60 people. It has completely influenced where I have gone with my degree, and why I choose my masters supervisor. Small courses also are where I have made the best friends of my degree and also means it's amazing for generating a sense of a cohort
The small courses covered chemistry topics that, while more specialised, were integral to my learning and understanding of the subject as a whole
They were key in a greater understanding of mh choices feild
for me it helps in learning more and being more engaged with my lecturers/tutors and other students
These are the best courses in my experience. More engagement and more specific knowledge related to actual jobs and interests
Cutting the small courses is going to massively affect EVERYONE in the school of Biological sciences because we are going to lose half of the courses related to particular pathways. These are most often the courses where we are also getting RELEVANT SKILLS TO FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. Ecological sampling, Botanical preparation, lab skills, phylogenetic analyses. The things employers want on the CV.
These courses also allow much better HANDS ON TRAINING, because we can have labs and field trips with reasonable numbers where each student can get a suitable amount of attention from the teacher.
In contrast the large 300+ person courses are always the ones that feel most general, the ones everyone complains about because they aren't doing subjects they actually like and can't feel a tangible connection to their future interests and don't feel a connection or level of support from staff because it is impossible to do that in a lecture theater with 300 people.
For my sociology courses they are usually 70+ people, but there is always a drop in the quality of feedback the larger courses get. Because Sociology courses typically only have a single TA. At most they will have 2 for the extra large courses like 105. This means that the ability of students to improve in their writing and research or data analysis is hampered by the TAs and lecturers having to either scramble for loads of assignments, or taking an eon to return assignment feedback. This is relevant because the feedback I have received in smaller courses is primarily the type that has helped me to excel more in other larger courses and in the wider world
This doesn't seem like a logical move. A 30 person course costs the student the same $1000 that a 500 person course does.
And you as the university end up likely paying MORE per enrollment for those massive courses as you must employ more TAs to grade work and run tutorials, more lecturers to spread the course load, Have more lab streams or Field trip or practical opportunities to accommodate students.
Finally I would add that a lot of international students who pay Higher tuition come to the school for particular niche specialties often represented by smaller course sizes. By cutting the choice of options you lower your university rank in these areas which means reduced International student attraction.
I think if you undertook a more considered Cost-benefit analysis on this with a wider long term scope than just the short term rationalization measures, you would realize this is a misstep.
They've been some of my favourite courses where I have learned the most, either due to being more focused and/or because of the more attentive prof/student relationship.
Good, I enjoyed the dynamic that was present in a small class
Amazing
I thoroughly enjoyed them. It was more hands on and practical. As it was a smaller course it was easier to get personal and individual feedback
Very good. The small course allows for a better lecturer and student communication, that helped improve grades and class participation.
Amazing! Especially in a Bachelor of Arts. The students don’t take the degree specifically to get a directly related technical job. What makes an arts degree so special is how you’re able to pursue your interests through these smaller classes. Through that we get the opportunity to connect with lecturers, other students, and develop oral and written communication skills. They foster a sense of community that’s unimaginable in larger courses and they’re always the favourite ones I take.
They were the best I've taken. The smaller class sizes meant greater in depth learning opportunities. More diverse teaching techniques were also able to be employed.
I have had a good experience taking small courses at UoA. I have been taking Linguistics courses. While the stage I papers (LING100 and LING101) were bigger classes, the stage II and III papers I am taking this semester (LING203 and LING324) are smaller. I am enjoying the smaller class settings as it gives me an opportunity to learn in a more personal environment and allows for more in depth discussion with the professor about questions and points of interest to me.
They were amazing and engaging
Excellent. Smaller courses make for more opportunity to interact with the professor in a meaningful and helpful way in the classroom setting.
Amazing i feel as if i learnt more, i made friends in the same degree as me i got to know lectures one on one and had personal advice from them on how to steer my studies for a career
Much better than the large scale ones, the interactions between lecturer and student are closer and better for learning
I love small courses! They offer opportunities to build communities, engage with lecturers, and dive deeper into subject material through interactive class conversations and activities. I also feel more supported as a student when I'm in a small course, because the lecturers care about me. This motivates me to attend class, put effort in on assignments, and engage more deeply and critically with course material.
very good, everyone knows each other and are able to comfortably have class discussions during tutorials
I loved having the smaller classes. There is MUCH more room for talking, interacting, and connecting with both the teaching staff and peers. An actual sense of community - which is severely lacking across the university as a whole.
Amazing, so good, great lecturers and class mates and important bonds made.
I take Latin which is quite a small course but it is my favorite. I took it for semester one and got hooked. Not only is it essential to my degree in classical studies, but it is one of the most efficient courses I take. The size of the class makes the learning environment much more enjoyable. It creates community within the class, favoring group work and giving students much more help and assistance for their individual difficulties.
These courses (LATIN 100 and LATIN 101) have been my favourite courses thus far. I feel a lot more comfortable in them than my larger courses.
Great. They are so much more refined for my interests and where I want my career to go. Part of a BA is having the freedom to choose lots of flexible papers in different departments. In smaller courses, I feel like I am much more welcome to speak up in lectures and tutorials and have a closer relationship with my tutors and lecturer.
I have always preferred small courses as it gives me the chance to talk to the lecturer and get feedback on my work, which is almost impossible with the large courses with 1000 students.
Really engaging
They were really good for getting to know other students and the teachers in music faculty. Really helps you get 1 on 1 feedback and share your work for the class which is vital to creative arts like music composition.
I really enjoy them their more specific to topics i’m interested in and I am afforded more opportunities to learn and engage with the topics in lectures and tutorials. and I am able to get more help from my lecturers/tutors because of the smaller class sizes
Small courses and small classes have been the best part of my studies at UoA. Particularly the Arts Scholars Programme.
The arts scholars programme (3 years of small courses!) was the core of my undergraduate experience, so much so that I questioned why all courses weren't supported and structured in the same way. The social benefits of this course stood out from the bleary and famously-isolating experience of the University of Auckland, particularly as a first-in-family, from out-of-town, too-broke-to-afford-student-accomodation 19 year old.
If it hadn't been for the community offered by the arts scholars programme I would have left for AUT 6 months in–barely understanding the value of a research-focused institution and community. I would never have been paired with my now PhD supervisor as part of an undergraduate research project, and I certainly wouldn't have the same life I do today. I drafted this text as I prepare to go to dinner with my best mate who I met through the programme, and his whānau who have taken me in as their own.
The same mate who taught me to cite ideas as I submitted my first ever assignment at university, sitting in the common room allocated to the arts scholars programme.
If it weren't for the arts scholars programme I wouldn't even recognise any of the thousands of clever academics and students beyond my own enrolled majors. Our very own Sara Buttsworth connected familiar food fairytales to their historic moment while Siouxsie Wiles connected the wonderful world of micro-biomes to our social and cultural studies of food. This course reaches across the arts and sciences in way that the university likes to promote, but I've failed to see succeed anywhere beyond the Arts Scholars programme.
Arts Scholars is where I learnt how to be at uni, how to ask questions that span across disciplines, where I turned to for help planning degrees and my own future (because official support systems are impersonal and unfruitful) and where I was able to find the most amazing role models inspiring who I want to be as a person navigating the world, and templated for me how to be a role model too.
So many good things about attending university get taken away from coming generations, because it's so easy to take things from students who don't know what university has been like for everyone else. It came to be accepted that you don't get money to attend university, it came to be accepted that students pay to train for their employment here, it came to be accepted that faculty identities were nonfactors in decision making, it came to be accepted that rankings were the most important attribute of a uni, it has come to be accepted that attending university is a careerist move and is an isolating and lonely experience. Cutting course selection, particularly for small cohorts, is one more step down a dark path that provided a lucky few hope of having not just a uni enrolment, but a uni life. It is one more door shutting off the university as a place of interesting ideas, socialisation and connection with both our fellow citizens and the amazing international communities that higher education brings together.
Friendships were started here, relationships were started here, research careers, mentorships, networks, degrees, dreams were all started within these programmes. When I tell people the stories of meeting my best friends, I don't want to footnote the story with how unfortunately the shortsighted administration cut the brightest part of my university experience to save a buck. Hardly world leading decision making.
They were great and are vital to my degree.
Amazing! Currently enrolled in arthist224, it’s a combined stage 2/3 lecture with an amazing lecturer who puts a lot of thought into making engaging lectures. I really enjoy the content and am considering seeking further study in this area after I finish my conjoint undergrad!
Small courses helped my learning immensely - the smaller groups allowed for class discussions and closer bonds formed with other students (and the lecturer). Having lots of smaller classes gives students a variety of options of specialised topics that we would not otherwise learn about. Doing a deep dive learning about specific topics (compared to more generalised papers that brushes over aspects) is much more interesting and relevant to what I would like to get out of our university experience.
They were the best courses I’ve ever had. I felt fully supported in them and the teaching staff were engaging. I would not have gotten my degree without them
Great, learning a language in a smaller learning environment is perfect
It was excellent. Being in a smaller class allowed me to build a better connection with my lecturers, tutors, and peers. There was little to no competition compared to my larger classes; everyone helped each other. Smaller classes also made asking questions or even finding out information easier. Smaller classes also had better structure and planning compared to larger classes.
Excellent (Currently taking Math 254 with enrolment under 60)
Fantastic - the workload was more tailored to the demands of students because many were beginning to specialise in the course's major and thus students had overlap with other courses. Tutorials and question time in lectures were much more intimate and effective, and Socratic teaching was actually possible and conducive to better faculty-student and student-student action and connections.
All were brilliant. Without a doubt, the patrimonium omnium gentium.
Very positive
Positive
very nice - it is easier to facilitate discussion and share ideas. It is easier to pay attention when a setting is more involved.
More fun than large courses, more engaging, better relationships with peers and teaching staff, provides a more immersive and student focused experience.
Really good and such a privileged opportunity to be in a small course where it is easier to connect with lecturers and Students. It gave me an opportunity to explore my research with interests (arts scholars) which you don't get much of that in another big courses. It has opened my mind to learning so much more of the world and understanding what postgrad potentially would be like. It has also formed a community which the in a massive university is really extremely difficult to find.--- They were far and away my favourite courses. I learnt the most, connected with my peers and the academic staff, and felt the most deeply connected to the university. I would not have stayed studying here for so long if I hadn't had that connection. These courses were the norm for me in my language classes and my Classics classes beyond stage I courses, and they are the reason I loved my degree. I would not have done postgrad without them. In postgrad, small classes allowed me to actually ask questions and engage with course material deeply, which meant I got good grades and kept studying. I also made lifelong friends and got to know the department lecturers well. I loved my small class experience, and the idea of other people not getting the same opportunities as me, when they should be absolutely safe-guarded in a tertiary institution, makes me furious.
The smaller classes were excellent and I learnt better, I felt that I could engage with the content and the lecturer more effectively.
Brilliant, small class sizes create much better learning environments. Most of the 11 undergrad classes that were definitely under 60 (some others were probably not far off) were either language or drama classes, and the most challenging language classes I took were the first semester and/or gen ed ones with too many students and not enough time to ask questions or focus on individual learning (which is crucial with languages, if you can't talk through where you're going wrong or have time to have it explained a different way then you are completely stuck). The core drama course (202A&B) was almost too big actually, for staging a full length play, and if 20 students were the maximum allowed into that course it would be more beneficial for students.
This form asks about undergrad classes specifically, but the information on the reddit post mentioned that postgraduate classes are being considered as well, so I shall comment on them too. There are 8 people in my Classics & Ancient History Honours cohort, and this size is pretty much perfect for effective learning. For the first 9 weeks of semester 1, we had a class with the History honours/ masters students, which had around 20 or so in their cohort, and it was so much more difficult to get involved in the discussion expected and required at postgraduate level in a class of that size, around 30. I don't know how they all manage to maintain a good relationship with their supervisors since there are so many of them and only so many staff available for supervision, but I am sure that if there were any more postgrad classics students for the 6 members of the C&AH faculty to supervise then our work would be poorer as a result.
If Drama 202 (the core 45 point Drama major course) had 60 students in it Dr Rina Kim or Dr Emma Willis would have to teach three cohorts at once, have three intensive 2 week rehearsal periods followed by show week at the same time (which would be impossible because there is only one Drama space on campus), and handle the stage 3 classes too. That intense rehearsal and performance period could not physically be done with 60+ students in a class for a number of reasons. One, every student performs or is part of the crew for the show, and there is no way you could give 60 students something to do. Two, the drama black box studio (206-325) has a safety capacity of something like 80 people, which would mean only 20 audience members could come, and ticket revenue would drop drastically as it currently sits at 50 audience in that space with smaller performance sizes. Once B230 has been built and the 350 pax theatre exists, then you could reconsider staging shows with a larger class size, but even then 60 people are not going to get the learning experience that you do with 20 in a class.
I am currently a Classics & Ancient History Honours student, and part of the requirement for C&AH Honours is two semesters of Latin, Ancient Greek, or Hieroglyphics. This is honestly a bare minimum requirement for entering postgraduate study in classics, and other universities around the world require much more than we currently do. If you cut smaller language classes, especially these ones which are "dead" languages, then you are making a joke of the discipline of Classics & Ancient History at this university. If someone achieves a postgraduate degree in Classics and tries to go anywhere else in the world for further study, they simply will not be accepted as they are because of their lack of language skills. Students who wish to continue in C&AH will just not study here if ancient languages are not offered. The department here is made up of some seriously brilliant academics making huge progress in the field and teaching new innovative courses that never would have been considered twenty years ago, and they deserve to be treated with more respect than having a core tenet of their field slashed.
Very positive. Moderately sized tutorial groups allowed for more involved teaching and connection between tutors and the class, along with more of a group environment as you knew everyone in the group as a whole. This was conducive to attention in both lectures and tutorials, while also encouraging more effort for assignments and study as a whole
I LOVED it, it felt way more closer and I got A+ overall which was heavily due to feeling so close with not only the lecturer but the students as well
Excellent. Small courses were vital for equipping me with the tools, especially language-related, to pursue my present advanced studies.
The course I take are in part my interest and or a requirement to meet my degree requirements. I have found it difficult to find papers that cover the areas I’m interested in such as ethics papers in philosophy and social anthropology
Was still able to get the best out of my learning and the small class created a friendly environment.
Great
Wonderful, life-changing, career-changing
Wonderful, really really great having lectures and discussions with smaller numbers of people. Tutorials in larger courses cannot replace smaller course sizes, as in a smaller course the way content is taught is fundamentally different. Relationships between students and staff are much closer, and it is much easier to feel like you can ask for help. Student relationships are also closer, and it is much easier to grow relationships with your classmates as the people you see in lectures are more often the people you chat with in tutorials and vice versa.
Amazing- my degree has been made up almost entirely of small, specialist courses, all of which I have loved. Smaller classes, especially in a postgrad setting as a current Honours student, have enabled greater contributions and discussion from myself and fellow students. It has also fostered better connections between students and teaching staff; I feel unbelievably grateful for the individualised help and support I have received from my lecturers, who in turn have helped me to achieve my best and inspired me to pursue my studies further and with unbridled passion and enthusiasm. Smaller classes have additionally aided me to form better personal connections with my fellow students- at Honours level, we have now become a distinct, close-knit community of scholars.
It's been my favourite course so far this year
Great
They work well and you get to meet and work with other people much easier than in larger courses
Small courses massively improved my learning, through a more personal learning experience, and ability to study more specific areas especially in 3rd year courses
They provided critical learning skills that would not be possible with larger classes. The ability to foster a community with your classmates in order to focus on specific topics is not something that should be abolished in order to maximise profits, or to streamline courses.
Arts Scholars was actually part of the reason I came to UoA, both because it seemed very interesting and valuable, and because of the community it provides. It's been a really enjoyable class, especially this first year when I didn't know anyone at the university. It feels way more like a community, and we can have more in depth discussions which help our understanding more than simple lectures. We also allow for more focused learning since small class sizes mean everyone involved is super keen to get involved.
The proposed course cuts would risk the later stages of my majors, especially philosophy, which has smaller classes by stage 3. This would significantly limit my options for completing my major, which would be frustrating since I already have strong preferences for certain lecturers and disciplines within the subject. Depending on how many courses are cut, I'm worried I wouldn't be able to complete both majors.
Further, they put my arts scholars module at risk - which means risking a wonderful community and also removing an interesting, intersectional course within the arts. Finally, it would take away a lot of my options for electives; I've been really wanting to take a Latin paper, as well as some modern languages, and I'm really loving ancient history. Some of these classes are quite small, but they are also incredibly interesting. Without full choices for my majors and electives I can look forward to, I'm not sure I would want to finish my degree at UoA.
Had some of the best classes in these courses, learned heaps and made heaps of friends, really great experiences.
amazing
I think they are really good as you have a better connection to the lecturer and the lecturer is able to cater the learning of the course to what students are struggling with more efficiently. In a smaller course, there are less students for the lecturer to worry about with regards to understanding the course content
Very good. I really appreciate the lecturers' dedication in the smaller courses. The passion they have for the subjects they teach is inspiring.
I was a Tertiary Foundation Certificate student and am an Arts Scholars student. Both programmes have been invaluable to me! Yes, to my learning and career when I ultimately graduate with my degree, but more so to my character. I am a better academic because I have completed these programmes, but more importantly, I am a better person. If future students lose the opportunity to do all of the TFC courses I did or cannot take part in Arts Scholars, I will be devastated.
Lecturer dependent but generally good group energy and helpful for making friends.
Fantastic, the in-depth learning and guidance given could not be replicated in any way with a larger class.
Great course, high quality engagement with lecturer, and allowed a niche subject - Greek philosophy.
I find small courses tend to be a better learning experience than large classes. It means you can have a more personal relationship with the lecturer and engage with the content better
The smaller student body was beneficial for developing our skills (as the lecturers were able to dedicate more time one-on-one and cater their material to their heir specific group of students) and for developing relationships with other students. Having a smaller cohort made things a lot more personal and enjoyable.
Small courses have allowed for more one on one and small group training which has been integral to my creative arts degree. That level of mentorship is incredibly important for a music degree
I love them. The discussion-oriented, small-group style of lecture is by far my favourite, and prepares students well for professional and postgraduate contexts. Small courses are a vital component of my degree and experience here, and cutting them would be a horrific misjudgement from administration and feels entirely out-of-touch with student perspective and voice. I have made best friends through small courses, and suit my learning preferences very well.
Further, I have done five music composition papers over my degree, which I have adored. These would all fall well below the 60 threshold, putting an entire discipline on the block at a time when music education has never been so uncertain in this country, with Victoria University Wellington slashing many courses there, leading to exodus among their student body. UoA has an opportunity to capitalise on this, rather than letting the music faculty blow up spectacularly. My education and time at UoA without these courses would be orders of magnitude worse. These proposals are near-sighted, far removed from student voice, and risk the student body voting with their feet.
Fine
Difficult to enrol in as quite a lot of courses under arts / area studies have low attendance counts which means some courses are only available every 3-4 years with 30 seats max at the worst .
I enjoyed these courses much more than large ones. We were able to have much more human relationships with lecturers/teachers and TAs, engage in meaningful discussion, and form more of a tight-knit class.
Small classes allow much more efficient learning, and make for a more enjoyable, productive and logistically better semester
Having only large papers would make my time at uni much harder, more stressful, harder to organise, and impossible to learn for some papers.
Very very good. LOVE SMALL COURSES!
I generally found it easier to make friends and associate with peers, as well as approach teaching staff. I also enjoyed some of them the most! It’s valuable to your learning spending time in a smaller course
Excellent
Absolutely amazing, they were my third year maths courses and I would be really sad if I would not be able to learn in that environment. We are paying a fortune to attend here with some of the world's best lecturers, they should have the platform to teach courses even if they are small, especially if they are in final year. Don't generalise and centralise everything. We're a specialist society.
i loved them and they have been some of my favourite courses to date
Being in a small course was very beneficial for the type of courses I took. My required language courses for the global studies part of my degree were much more productive when I was able to be in a classroom environment with limited numbers so that I could effectively communicate with my peers and teacher.
Very insightful, most of the composition courses have a very small amount of people as the stages progress which encourages more fruitful discussion and more close bonds.
Loved them and consider them integral to where I am today
These courses were the most valuable of my degree, ultimately shaping the course of my career. It was these courses, the smaller and more 'niche' papers that sparked my interest in postgraduate/further study. My research interests were developed in small courses.
Love the class! the smaller the class the better and more help from staff! honestly the best!
It’s an incredibly valuable course taught by an incredibly passionate team.
The small courses were more niche and meant we could dig into super intriguing topics that were specifically what I enjoyed. Broadening the courses will end up with students not truly learning anything at all, as we'll barely scratch the surface without the opportunity to actually dig deeper. I loved the small class environments and ability to share our thoughts collectively. We had such close-knit community experiences in these small classes that really enhanced our learning.
Incredibly positive; well-taught, engaging, and thought-provoking. The reflective, philosophical, and humanity-oriented nature of arts cannot be replicated elsewhere, nor could it be imparted should classes be shifted to a more blended or online approach as changes risk. Arts requires thorough, interactive, in-person teaching and the security in their existence necessary for future students to follow their passion into arts, rather than choosing conservatively for fear their academic future could be undermined by their own learning institution.
Fantastic
The wide selection of courses that Waipapa Taumata Rau offers is what initially drew me to apply for postgraduate study, among other factors. It would be in the best interest for Waipapa Taumata Rau to continue to offer these more niche subjects in order both attract students, and have a reason for current students to return.
My small french classes have been the most fulfilling part of my degree. I always look forward to going to class! I have been able to get to know my classmates and teacher which has created a positive environment for language learning where I feel comfortable to speak and participate. As a result, my french has improved!
Great. It is a great experience where it feels more close to the students and is unbelievably helpful for me who has difficulty learning in large class environments
they were really good, i get a lot more out of smaller group sessions because the discussion can flow easier and less time is wasted wrangling a big class
The small courses are niche but absolutely essential for a deeper understanding on specific topics. Not only that, it provides a closer relationship with the lecturer and their passion. As students, we can feel that passion. Having course cuts is not going to do anything but limit our knowledge.
They were incredible and invaluable to my learning
I absolutely loved them. The course I’m currently doing is a small one and I got told by the lecturer that the class may be cut. I love coming to uni now because these are classes I genuinely enjoy, to the point where I have to rewatch the lecture to write notes because I’m too occupied listening. You get to know your peers a little more as they’re usually always the same faces, and the class is more interactive and easy to engage in because of its size.
Excellent, the small number of students meant I could contact the lecturers easily and have a closer relationship with fellow students
Excellent. Small course provide a constant opportunity to uncover and discuss the nuance of the topics we are covering. They provide greater support, which as shown by research, generates better educational outcomes.
It was very good, my degree means there’s a high level of specialisation and therefore small classes with experienced teachers.
They were some of my favourite courses. The smaller sizes enabled more interaction with one another and the lecturer/tutors.
Korean 205 is currently really good, I'm learning quite a lot and the course is extremely engaging. It's important to learn Korean media literacy to provide an understanding of Korean history, culture and society and can open the door to understanding wider East Asian culture.
Asian 200 was very eye-opening, it made me re-think about myself and understand a lot of things and perspectives around me. I felt that I learnt a lot about myself, how I thought about my identity and how others perceive Asian identity as a whole.
This applies to all part 2 language courses:
We cannot get through an entire language textbook and its lessons in a single semester. Even with 2 semesters, we barely make it to the final lesson with like no spare days left. If the part 2 language courses are cut, all of its contents will have to be combined with part 1 language courses, making them extremely difficult, stressful and bloated. Otherwise, we will be getting objectively worse education because we will be missing a lot of crucial language material and cause us to overall learn less of said language. This applies to German 102, Italian 107 and 201, Japanese 131, 232 and 332, etc. This would negatively affect so many language students, including Global Studies students among others.
Korean 120, although is not required and I'm currently not planning on taking it, I believe is important. It's similar to Japanese 150 and Chinese 130, where it gives a basis on the respective East Asian countries that we learn about. This course would be the basis for which a Korean major would start when learning about Korean history and culture, and will be very important. I can't imagine how unprepared and inadequately educated a Korean major would be if they didn't have Korean 120 as a starting point to their degree.
I hope something can be done about this, cutting courses has already been prevalent in the Chinese and Asian Studies department due to lack of teachers. Small classes are important back bones to many Arts subjects and doesn't force us to study STEM and conform to old and outdated notions of a "good education." If this goes forward, it will be catastrophic to so many people, UoA would be a very unpalatable university to attend if it's clear they value capital over education.
For one of the courses i took when i was doing TFC and i really enjoyed it. As for Chinese 306, i wabt to do sonething in translation once I graduate and this course really helped me understand what translating and interpreting is.
amazing!! all of my favorite courses so far have been the smaller ones. much better at teaching and helping students.
more effective
I’m glad i was able to take them as they all interested me
Very good, the smaller number meant the lectures could be more interactive, and i felt there was more pressure to do the work and do it well.
So worth it. It enables you to really connect with the lecturer and your fellow students. Many of the smaller courses are arts courses that enable people to learn about the world and how to make it a better one.
I felt i learned more with small courses and had meaningful conversations with tutors/lecturers
Brilliant, better than bigger ones
They are wonderful classes to learn in. The small class sizes foster an environment of collaboration and kinship with others. Making frienda ar university can often times be difficult considering the usually massive cohorts and the fast pace of it all, and having the opportunity to actually connect with your classmates is a welcome change.
They’re helpful and engaging and facilitate better relationships between students and teachers. They also facilitate more dialogue as people are generally less willing to speak in larger groups. Small courses and classrooms are conducive to a productive and engaging learning environment.
The courses were great, really valuable and learnt more in general than in large courses because we could spend more time with the lecturers, TAs, etc.
I really enjoy small course, it is more comfortable to share opinions and ideas and I feel the quality of teaching is more personal which I like.
Very good! some courses need to be small (like language) to be taught effectively
There are already not many options available for us, cutting our courses will stop us from being able to major in these respective fields
Out of all the papers I am doing, the small courses are the ones I look forward to most. Because the class is small, it felt like my individual learning needs are met due to being able to interact closely with the lecturer and other students.
I loved my smaller courses and I had a great experience in them as it was easy to discuss things with lecturers and/or tutors. It also meant that I had a genuine interest in all my courses because I was able to choose based on what I prefer to study, which in a field such as history can be hugely varied and therefore important to have choice.
Small courses are in my opinion a much better way of learning. There is more opportunity for class discussion and one-to-one teaching time.
They were amazing courses. Both were gen ed but I really enjoyed them.
I love the range of courses available in Arts and Global Studies, it has made my studies very interesting, which in turn keeps me motivated throughout the semester and exam period, and makes doing assignments much more interesting and I want to engage more with them. The smaller structure of classes in stage 2 and 3 Arts and Global Studies allows me to engage with the content, teaching staff and other students in a more significant way. Smaller class structure has also allowed me to actively engage in my learning during class and make friends in classes, these friends then make attending class more fun. I also love the range of languages available to study, I have been able to do multiple classes in 2 languages that I have wanted to learn for a while. The small structure is very helpful in these classes as you can get meaningful help with areas where you are confused, which is essential to learning a language.
The smaller class sizes results in a highly effective learning environment and enables are broader range of subjects
Very good!
It has been incredible. I really enjoy the smaller classes, it feels like I can connect with other people easier this way.
Many are vital to my degree and all of my favorite courses fit into this category
I loved them!! Those were the classes that i enjoyed the most and the ones were i felt like the teaching was more personalised
Small courses foster an ideal learning environment as they permit you to easily engage with scholars & peers, ask questions, and participate in small group work. The majority of my undergrad and postgrad courses have been small, which allowed me to follow my academic interests as well as create a sense of community and belonging.
The proposed cuts will have a massive detrimental impact on undergrad and postgrad students.
They are great and I love them
Great level of engagement and learning
Really good, please don’t cut
I lived them so much
I loved having a smaller cohort/ class because it allowed me to learn better, have better communication with my lecturer and get to know my peers within my class. Without this I wouldn’t have made many friends at university.
Pretty good
High quality, more intimate, and the teaching was more effective
I enjoyed going to class with small courses because it allowed for a more intimate enviroment where both student and lecturer can engage with the topic at hand. I felt less pressure to ask questions, without feeling guilty about wasting the class's time.
Very interesting courses that explore interests that while not part of my degree were things I was passionate about. One of the small courses I have been taking Science Scholars is a very important source of information preparing us for what to do after university as well as teaching important skills and providing a space where the vast variety of networks of science can come together both in topics and people.
very good
Really well laid out, I really enjoyed it and found that overall, the class was a lot more enjoyable in terms of interactions with the lecturer.
I really enjoyed them. I think i was lucky to have the option of learning different subjects as electives and as part of my pre requisites
They are always so much more fun than any other courses, the students tend to be more engaged, the professors get to talk about things they really care about
My experience was excellent. Smaller class numbers meant improved discussion and engagement with researchers who were running the course. I have always had a great experience with an environment that is made for and fosters discussion and this was partially the draw is doing a postgraduate degree at UoA.
I’m beyond disappointed in the university in how it has managed its finances in all this, not to mention how it is treating its students. International students are granted entry to UoA regardless of whether they have met English Language requirements and subsequently place an undue strain on the actual teaching staff to support them enough to get them through the course. What inevitably happens, and I have seen this on a daily basis, is that the needs of these students are not met and they inevitably end up failing a course they shouldn’t have been allowed entry to in the first place. This shatters confidence and ultimately does a disservice to students who are more than capable of sitting these courses in their native language, but because they’ve been allowed entry to an English-delivered course, are given the false sense of security that they will be able to pass. This university takes their money at three times the domestic student rate and tells them to try again next year in order to pass the course. This is despicable behaviour on the University’s part and demonstrates the blatant disregard for student welfare and standards.
To further cut courses at UoA is to narrow us to a numbers-centric business, detracting from the true goal of education in the first place.
Loved them
Great experience, found the classes to be very productive. Was able to have valuable discussions in class and in office hours. I liked that the lecturer was giving us feedback on assignments directly rather than a TA.
They were really great, I really enjoyed the content of all of these courses. Sometimes the smaller classes allowed the lecturer to get to know us on a more personal level, which really helped with the delivery of the course.
I took infosys 310 last semester this year, it is a one year course but only 15 students took it (the maximum number of students in the course) It gave me an internship in a real industry in New Zealand, applying what I learned in school. I think I learned more in this course than in 10 so-called large classes.
The small courses I've taken have been the most beneficial to me. One particular course, LATINAM 301, was the most impactful course I've taken, that introduced me to Latin American and social studies, and changed my perspective on academia itself (as a recovering STEM student). I wouldn't be doing this survey if that course didn't have such an impact on me, I hate doing things like this but never has it been so important. As an arts student, the small courses I'm doing are those which are most interesting and relevant to me and my career path, and those which I've just enjoyed most and gained the most from.
Small courses allow more connection with fellow students as well as our professors. I've been more involved in these classes than my larger ones and this has definitely impacted my engagement with the courses and my learning.
This course cutting would effectively cut entire majors in the School of Environment. As a top university in Auckland, it would be incredibly disappointing to limit the capacity to teach an important and relevant subject
I enjoyed the intimacy of smaller courses- I found it easier to keep up and was more confident asking for help and support from lecturers and tutors. Smaller courses also allowed me to diver into further depths of interest with ideas and concepts surrounding them, which fueled my interest in niche and general areas.
I find it is easier to participate and discuss in small courses, which really helps with learning. Small groups tend to feel more supportive and are more engaging, it would be a shame to cut them. I have learnt an incredible amount from these small courses.
Very nice, some of them are like a familt bondinf experience.
They have been the highlight of University experience and the only time I did not simply feel like a ‘number’ and instead like a human being
great
I am a Maths student so pretty much all of my courses are small courses. They are all great courses with great professors. I think that other majors would benefit greatly from all of these courses.
I enjoyed the small classes as it allowed for more one on one help and aided in whanaungatanga with students and lecturers. It made it feel like they wanted us to succeed and that we weren’t alone in this journey of acquiring our degrees
I cannot EVER imagine a Japanese/Spanish paper being taught in large classes, this would be horrible for engagement and learning environment.
They have been the highlight of University experience and the only time I did not simply feel like a ‘number’ and instead like a human being
Nice and focused good vibe
Great opportunity to learn about niche feilds particularly in anthropology
they attended to align more with my interest and I had a much better time at uni because of it
These small courses are from anthropology which because it’s under arts it’s more likely to experience cuts which is plain unfair. The best experiences I’ve had learning is from these small unique courses. I’m still upset about anthro 109 which inspired me greatly in my current path. I feel awful for these incredible lecturers who want to educate the incoming generation of learners.
Good
Fantastic. These small courses have enabled me to continue on into postgraduate studies and form a specialised career path. Without these small courses I could not do my current PhD.
Interactive, engaging, build deeper connection among students and tutors.
Interactive, engaging, deeper connection among students and tutors.
Amazing, it actually allows for interaction between the teacher and students and is a compulsory for language courses I believe
Regardless of environment or experience, course cuts should be based more around student goals and feedback rather than size. Streamlining courses in this way alone runs the risk of creating a monoculture, especially in degrees with large cohorts like psychology. Small class environments also allow students to get to know their lecturers which is actually very important for future study in honours or master's. The environment students will be working or studying further in will be very different to a large class cohort, smaller classes are more similar to future.
Great! They’ve been some of my favourite courses, the size honestly lets you meet more people and get more time with the lecturer
I vastly prefer them. There is much more opportunity for class discussions (which is really beneficial), staff are better able to give help, and it’s easier to make relationships with students and staff. I am neurodivergent (Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD), and smaller classes are much better for my sensory issues as well. They are less overwhelming and overstimulating. I attended small classes much more often in person.
Most of my degree has consisted of small courses. I enjoy being able to be incredibly specific and study in line with my interests. I think there is a general preference against humanities, arts and culture courses, which isn't a result of small amounts of students interested in the arts, it just shows how diverse knowledge-making can be within a Bachelor of Arts. This goes to show how important small courses are in the complex webs of knowledge people need to gain to be strong and empowered human beings.
"more specialised courses (i.e. not feeding into the main research pipelines) being cut could close of pathways for students and force them into a reduced set of specialties. Not to mention the university using this to further justify their campaign against the already beleaguered arts faculties
Make the gender studies part of my degree unattainable
honestly, I don't think it would but i still don't like it. So i would just dislike the university even more than I already do. Some of the smaller electives might be affected though and that would be awful
It puts about two thirds of my degree under review , and at risk of removal which I feel would be an injustice as my favorite courses and the courses I did best in were all under 60 people
As almost all the classes for my arts major would probably fall under the criteria for cuts, it could risk me not being able to complete that major as I currently plan, and would most likely mean I would not be able to take papers I am really interested in taking, simply because they are niche papers in an already small field
My friends negatively!
The university knows this change will only affect smaller degrees and majors such as those in the BA, Cai, and EDSW, course which are constantly and currently the source of course cuts and rearrangement. Students are fed up, and the University needs to start treating Non-STEM degrees as equally important or the Uni and it's finances will suffer. I am already considering moving to Victoria Uni due to the utter disrespect and lack of care shown to studies in 'lesser' degrees and these changes will only further my want to leave.
This will severely affect my English classes, particularly in stages 2 and 3, and will deprive students of further opportunities in English. With so many faculty cuts already within the English department, this will only make it worse. The humanities are so important and the english department is already lacking resources, this will make it so much worse.
It would take away my favourite course: Art Scholars! Art Scholars is my favourite part of the week and honestly a large part about why I am still at uni. I have had a lot of struggles over the past few years and my Art Scholars class feels like a safe space where I can feel comfortable and valued - due to the smaller class size and the course coordinators (Deb and Sara) being more like mentors than lecturers/teachers. It would be absolutely devastating if Art Scholars were to be taken away, and I know it would affect hundreds of current, past, and future students at UoA.
I know many of my friends do degrees where their courses only have few students. It’s unfair to those students everyone should be able to study what the want without being held back just because there’s not many people studying those degrees. It gives our future generations more diversity in opportunities and jobs, we should not be limiting this.
Would significantly reduce the variety in avalible classes especially for third year as basically all my third year courses are small enough to meet cut requirements. Would likely reduce variety in topics availible for third year
They wouldn't, just signing for the good of others :)
The proposed course cuts would be very stupid. I mainly do courses offered by the Faculty of Science, in some of the more popular majors, and small course cuts could limit my degree to a standard of education far below the world standard university which UoA claims to be. I want to take interesting advanced classes, and do the degree I want, not just the degree everyone else in my cohort does.--- The majority of the electives for my design degree had less than 80 people in them. The courses that I enjoyed the most, often had small numbers of students (with some classes having less than 30, and even less than 10 students enrolled in the class). If courses under 60 students were cut, a lot of the electives available would be cut, which would mean that students are unable to complete all their degree requirements within the three year time period (for BDes students) or 4+ year period (for conjoint students). This could completely change the structure of the design undergraduate program.
If the cuts occur quickly, then I won't be able to complete my degree. If they are phased in slowly, I'll be able to finish my degree, but given that I want to continue with postgraduate studies, there's a possibility that I'll leave the University of Auckland to continue elsewhere if the honours programs I am interested in become unavailable or less secure. I am also concerned about the impact of these course cuts on the linguistics department, which could very well be my future place of employment, except I am likely to again think otherwise in light of the current proposals.
literally my entire arts degree lol
It would negatively impact my wellbeing as it would make my University experience worse by taking away such a unique and special experience that I chose to be a part of. It could therefore potentially impact how well I do in my studies and it would lead to me being a less well-rounded academic at the end of my degree. As a result I would be less ready for any postgraduate study I chose to take up.
i wouldnt be able to continue in arts scholars, cutting off both an important social network and a valuable means of learning postgraduate style research (i intend to do a postgraduate degree)
My degree would be significantly impacted; it would cease to exist. Japanese, like other languages majors, operates in small class sizes at higher levels. These classes allow for more one-on-one teaching and create an environment of consistency in language learning. The friendly communal social environment is also essential in language learning. Philosophy and history based education courses are also of a smaller size. If these cuts were to come into play, I would literally have no courses to choose from. This is already an existing problem with Japanese cultural studies courses which are essentially available once a blue moon, so further cuts would render my degree impossible to complete.
It would create an emphasis on the parts of my degree that is popular rather than knowledge
It would severely limit the options available to me in the BA component of my degree. As things stand, I will likely try to squash all of my remaining BA courses into 2025 as many of them will likely not be offered in 2026. This prospect is extremely stressful and not at all the way I imagined my degree.
Courses such as ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Latin are cornerstone subjects for many students studying ancient history, and are detrimental to our understanding of these ancient cultures and are required for many post-graduate study options within this field. These courses being cut would make it impossible for students within the ancient history field to complete their degrees to the best of their ability, especially with the already limited course options within this field.
Our teaching team will leave and I'll be in the last first year cohort for the UoA BSW program :(
It would limit the options in my arts degree and put the classes I wanted to take with my entire degree at serious risk of being cut. It could also take out my whole major which would be seriously unfortunate and detrimental to students, staff, and wider society.
It would limit so much of my options
would be really inconvenient and give us much less options :((
Already graduated
I majored in French and History. These cuts would get rid of every french paper I took as well as the niche history papers (which were the ones that I enjoyed most/ did better in). I also took Art Scholars for the full 3 years of my undergrad which was an amazing programme. The thought of other students not being able to experience the learning and the sense of community of a small course would ensure that I ward off anyone that considers studying at the university. And im about to graduate as a high school teacher so i have direct access to your clientelle... just sayin.. 😗 stop fucking up uoa i stg
Japanese as a degree would completely disappear, as well as many arts electives courses I have had to take. Many stage 3 population health courses would be in the chopping block too.
It would completely kill my degree as it could affect my postgraduate study and if anyone wanted to go down the same path as me. Physics is small because there's only a small subset of students passionate enough to take the course. This is not grounds for the courses to be removed.
Limiting my future options for more specialized courses
All courses I want to take in my last few semesters are small courses and would be at risk of being cut if more than one was cut I would change universities to complete my studies as there would no longer be anything of interest to me here at UOA.
For some global studies specialisation courses that may be too small or not fill the quota and be cut, is a huge part of education missed out. It's worse for students whose degrees revolve around smaller and more select courses if they are all cut.
Proportionally, there arent alot of physics and math students so if courses are cut exactly by the critereon as mentioned prior, then most courses would be cut.
I wouldn't have been able to have any choice in the structuring of my Arts work and would not have been able to take my engineering elective
My degree would NOT exist, or would be impossible to complete in the way that I'd been planning. If the cuts happen and my degree is greatly affected, I would consider dropping out before I ever consider finishing the degree at UoA, or in New Zealand at all.
My degree would not have had any courses beyond stage two, and several stage two courses would also be cut.
Wouldn't be able to finish. I already have almost had to drop my chinese degree because a course i was doing didnt count to my degree and all the other courses had been thrown out.
My whole degree consists of courses under 60 students.--- Theology is already a small course with very little options to fill out this major. The proposed cuts would severely impact fulfilling this major, and thus make fulfilling my degree more difficult.
My degree would no longer be possible
Cutting smaller courses would reduce the choice of English papers available to me, and reduce the diversity of voices/writers/styles that I would be exposed to over the course of my degree. Students would be pushed away from pursuing their specific interests in literature and towards studying the tired canon: Shakespeare, etcetera.
For Arts Scholars, The program has been one of my favourite courses at the university. The interdisciplinary nature and research experience are incredibly valuable. Further, the sense of community and friendships built through Arts Scholars has made university so much more enjoyable for me. Deborah and Sara have worked so hard to build this: I would hate to see it lost for future generations. I’m sure there are many other stories like this for a wide variety of small courses at UoA.
I've done most of my papers for this part of my degree but it would be a shame to see a lot of the philosophy papers and some of the gender studies papers I took for sociol to end up on the block, as I think future students deserve the opportunity to engage with these topics
Would limit my ability to complete the art portion of my conjoint
Former student
Logic and Computation is a tiny degree that most people take as a double major. I doubt it would survive if the cuts happen.--- They would make my third/half my second year undoable. You simply cannot cover enough content in these courses. The University is making it certain it will get none of the great research benefits of having students affiliated with this university actually be good reasearchers that succeed in their fields.--- Lack of cohesion and order, difficulty in planning the degree, and the disappearance of integral areas of study
my arts subjects already have really limited options so I would really just lose the opportunity to study anything I enjoy and probably have to drop my Ba
It may take longer for me to finish my degree, classes are already limited for anthropological science.
I’d probably be screwed cause not many people take art history further than stage 1 gen eds
Cutting the course would affect my degree in that the course fulfils a requirement for my degree. And would affect me as it would rob me of knowledge and experience I am unable to obtain from any other course. In my next year I plan on taking courses I know will be under the limit, however they too further my degree and my personal understanding, losing out on these courses would be a shame for everyone and a major failing on the universities part especially for their care of and respect for students, their experience and their future.
Could compromise the ability for ancient history majors to fulfill the language requirements necessary for postgraduate study and the dissolving of small, research-based anthropology courses
Majorly - almost all of my courses from Stage 2 onwards would not be running
All of stage 3 mathematics courses (apart from 340) have less than 60 people enrolled in them. It would severely affect my future years studying maths.
It would be detrimental for my degree because my BA majors in english and gender studies which are small majors. Majority of my courses would be gone. Same with global studies, as it is a new degree. I would be really sad to only be in huge classes and have limited options.
There would be so many lost opportunities to learn niche subjects, further expand my knowledge on my chosen majors, and potentially affect the way in which my entire degree is taught and the way that I learn. The intimate learning space which is so common in the arts faculty would affect so many students and be a catalyst for a lack of interest in humanities in general.
If these smaller courses would be cut it would be detrimental to my learning, as I simply cannot thrive in a large class because of how disconnected it feels. My chosen majors need these intimate environments as the arts degree focus on how you internalise knowledge. I know that I, and many of my friends, would consider switching universities if these cuts were implemented.
I’m worried that my degree could be severely impacted by course cuts if my classes were to be cancelled. I would be unable to complete my degree at UOA, and would have to transfer to other universities
It would limit what courses I am able to take for my degree in the future, and has me worried about whether my degree would even be able to be completed at this uni
My area of study is likely to be impacted, and I’m not sure how it will affect my degree. I’m also worried about the more specialised classes which I find really interesting and crucial to my goals after studying.
Much more difficult, boring, and generic
Potential affect to any post grad I might want to do.--- It would give prevent me from being able to pursue Drama as a post-graduate it would also limit my choices in courses to take under my degree as an undergrad. This would make me lose passion in what I’m studying as I would no longer be able to focus on it with the specific niche in which I take these smaller classes. I would also feel like my study at UOA would end as soon as I get my undergraduate diploma and I would have to get a PHD or Masters at another University.
Ruin the future education of the students that I teach by removing their access to niche and special ideas--- While I am close to finishing my undergraduate studies and these cuts will have little impact on my current programme, these cuts willl certainly make me think twice about whether UoA is the kind of place I would want to return to for post-grad. Sacrificing the quality of classes for quantities of students does not seem at all beneficial for educational outcomes, nor for the wellbeing of students or staff. These proposals will colour the UoA that I describe when asked to by prospective students and almost certainly keep me from pursuing further study here.
All of my language courses were 60ppl or less. The removal of these courses would mean the destruction of not only the mandarin language program but language courses at the University in general.
Everyone deserves the opportunity of knowledges- especially when budget cuts can come from many areas not harming students
I would've had to choose much less interesting UG papers
The cuts would limit the electives I could take within my course making it less enjoyable and ultimately, not worth it for some students.--- I wouldn't be able to graduate anymore lmao. All my postgrade CS courses were tiny too, so no Honours degree. You know there's only 2 BAdvSci Hons students in their final year aye???!!!
I would not be able to complete my degree. I would need to leave UOA. Coarse sits have already impacted my degree.
Fundamentally. I would not be able to pursue my major in Lain, or my module in Italian; both core elements of my degree. Essentially, UOA would no longer be a place worth studying at.
All of my postgraduate courses are under 60 people, so no classes for postgrad, which simplely means I wouldn't be able to finish my degree
The removal of small courses will either lead to existing courses needing to be combined to cover broader topics, or they will be removed altogether. Either option will lead to important specialisations in chemistry being forgotten about or given to the way-side. As postgraduate research often delves into these topics, students would be put at a severe disadvantage by not learning in depth about these topic in undergraduate studies
It would result in the lose of almost all of the 3rd year Chemistry courses
courses that i have wanted to take as i have interest in them for my future career have previously been cut - further cuts would then exacerbate this.
In Biology especially there are a lot of specialties and pathways. We start off in MASSIVE 300+ person courses and then as people split up to go down their pathways, classes get smaller and more applicable to the actual biological specialty you want to be employed in. Whether its Plant science, microbiology, genetics, Conservation ecology, Marine science Zoology etc.--- The proposed course cuts would take away a majority of the classes I value and of which contributed significantly to the enjoyment and quality of my degree. In particular, I dislike how there has been little to no student consultation on this matter
I think a few philosophy courses which I would like to take would be affected.
I would not be able to complete my degree if courses were cut next year, most courses I am taking would not be possible
UoA is one of the only universities in nz that offer a proper physics or maths degree. Under this new plan, nearly every maths and physics course would be cut. I would literally have to leave nz to get a similar standard of education in those fields
There would be a lack of practical courses where you get to learn the technicalities of subjects/concepts such as film and archeology.
It would force me to apply for other bigger courses that don't interest me, thus lowering my motivation to study.
I’m an Ancient History student, and this initiative would get the Ancient languages under scope which is absolutely necessary to continue into postgraduate studies and/or field work. Even the bigger holistic Ancient History courses are already so limited and we aren’t given the opportunity to specialise, so these proposed cuts would only make all of this work and significantly negatively impact people in the major.
It would greatly narrow the scope of information I could acquire from my degree. Scope of knowledge is important for subjects such as mine as the subjects that have many different angles of approach. Particularly in philosophy understanding arguments from all different faucets of the subject and their counters is necessary to claim knowledge of the subject and to be able to apply it outside of university.
It would affect my friends and other students who work so hard to attain their degrees but won’t even get the chance to pursue higher education in something they’re actually passionate about because of these course cuts.
The proposed cuts could impact my Linguistics degree by no longer offering the courses I would need to complete my degree. I transferred from AUT in order to have access to courses like this, and language courses, as similar cuts were made at AUT. I would have to transfer universities again and look for another university that offers Linguistics, as I want to use my Linguistics degree as a pathway into studying Speech Language Pathology.
Well I’m planning on doing post grad in sem 2 next year and field school in semester 1 which I believe counts as a small class and I don’t want that to be taken away as it’s the only undergraduate archaeology field school in the country
I would likely be unable to complete my degree, and would lose my student visa status, forcing me to leave the country. Even if classes are moved online, I would no longer qualify to stay under the terms of my student visa, which requires them to be in person. As such, I am deeply concerned that these proposed changes would force me to unenroll in this university, and ultimately separate me from my sister and her family, with whom I am very close, and who live in NZ as permanent residents.
It won't affect me, but this is in support of my friends and their degrees
my degree is small as is, there’s only a handful of classes but the students who take said classes are the most passionate hard working students i have ever met, taking away our classes takes away a future in which we can be happy with our career choices ultimately if the university decides to cut our smaller classes they decide to limit us
Significantly, Anthro is a smaller field so i would be greatly affected. shameful that i even have to defend my studying from being removed.
It may not affect my degree, but I have significant concern for the students who come after me. For example, the Arts Scholars programme has been a huge part of my uni life and community, and under this regime it would be cut. This would be a huge loss for students, and for the institution at large! Additionally, I worry that these changes will mean the end of specialised learning, with university being turned into high school part 2 - nobody wants that! Specialised learning defines university - without small courses, UoA degrees will become meaningless, and UoA will plunge in the rankings. This will cost UoA, as fewer students will come to study here, but it will also cost NZ with our brightest high school leavers moving overseas, exacerbating the "brain drain" we are already experiencing.
less options and likeable subjects to take as part of finishing the degree
I would not have been able to take some of the papers that were most fascinating to me and helped me find my academic niche. Additionally, I know a lot of anthropology (under arts) students ALREADY struggle to find enough stage 2 & 3 papers to complete their degrees, with many of these classes being small. It would be a serious issue for me and my peers in terms of literally being able to finish our major.
Potentially wiping out a lot of stage 2 and 3 papers as large amounts of maths and physics papers are small courses, this would give me less options and limit what I could do with my degree.
It would prevent me from acquiring skills necessary for my classics degree and future postgraduate degrees. Moreover, I really fell in love with this specific course and would like to get specialized in Latin. Cutting this course would take away my main reason of enrollment at the University of Auckland.
If small courses were cut, I'd be able to complete my degree but I likely wouldn't be able to do postgrad because those courses would no longer be available.
I would not be able to do literally half of my degree. All of my art history papers are less than 60 people.
I'm keen on pursuing a Bachelor or Graduate Diploma in Arts after I've finished my BE (Hons), mainly out of intellectual curiosity. There are many niche and fascinating papers in the arts faculty, and it would be a shame to see these opportunities thrown to the wayside. It would likely affect where I choose to study.
My cohort has about 40 people, with courses having around 50 including repeats. So each year 6/8 of my courses are under 60 people, which would make my degree impossible and I would have to move to Australia.
i need options to be able to finish my arts degree as soon as possible! and i don’t wanna be doing courses that i don’t find any interest in
It would stop me from learning about the topics useful to the my future work route
Not any more as I dropped the conjoint earlier this year due to workload, but taking that degree wouldn't have been possible. For the record, by doing this UoA is effectively killing Music Composition as an option. All the composition classes have small sizes.
all of my art history classes this year have had considerably less than 60 people so I do not know what would happen to my classes if the cuts went through. and my media/film degree has already been altered due to cuts since registering at this university while it has more students in the courses any more alterations would be detrimental to that section of my degree--- I would mourn for the social lives of students to come.
they would narrow down the selection of electives I could/will take, limiting my education.
They would significantly hinder my progress, there already aren’t THAT many philosophy courses at UOA, it would likely force me to drop it.
I might not be able to take the courses I want to!! The best part about arts is the choice to learn what you want in the areas you are interested in.
These proposed course cuts worry me greatly because my global studies (GS) degree is made up of many small course papers that I will not be able to take. The language papers I took will not be an option for future students if the proposed cuts go ahead, which is ridiculous because languages are part of a GS degree. Alternative large courses does not bode with me well because I learn better in small course classes with lecturers who are more attentive to their students. In addition, large course alternatives are not why I took the global studies degree in the first place - I do not want to learn a broad overview of "arts\
I want to learn specialised content through a variety of perspectives. Course cuts will limit my options at this university and do not make sense at all because they are not putting the students' interests first.
I wouldn’t consider UoA for my postgraduate studies
Majorly, language specializations are key to any successful academic career in the Classics field - the university would not be able to produce any academics without Latin and Ancient Greek
I wouldn't be able to take courses necessary for what I want to do in the future. This would also mean that the number of psychology classes available to complete the degree is reduced, leaving little room to explore multiple types/areas of psychology. For criminology, the same thing will happen. It is also decreasing my interest in post-graduate study because I am more cautious in case classes become removed. It would mean more students in the arts will look to other institutions to fulfil their needs.
Many core papers in the study of pure mathematics have less than 60 enrolled e.g 254, 333. Without these papers The University of Auckland will cease to produce pure mathematics graduates. In the long term this would essentially mean death to The University of Auckland Mathematics department. (At least outside of an applied mathematics domain)
I wouldn't be able to take some of the higher-level courses in my major which are not taught concurrently with lower levels.
I wouldn't be able to finish my degree.
Would radically alter and remove some of my favourite courses I have taken
I think it’s a dumb idea to cut small courses.
Negatively
I am a COPEX student and would not be able to continue my exchange and have to leave early
It'd slim down an already not extensive selection of courses, and make it feel more bland and generalized. Feels less like a specialist, personally fulfilling education, more of a jump to "I have a degree in _"--- Fortunately, I am in my last year of art scholars but It would be a devastating thing to cut it for other students who are interested and wanting to be there and currently taking it. If cut it makes it even more harder for students to become part of a community and also further expand their knowledge aswell as research project opportunities.
It could cut the Classics department entirely, which would be a tragedy. So many students - although apparently not enough - adore the subject and find meaning and community in its study. The university is operating at a profit, so cutting these courses makes so sense when they truly are the lifeblood of the Arts faculty. If they happen, I would very likely leave the institution, as these values are so abhorrent to me I would not want to be associated with them.
With the proposed course cuts I would be unable to complete my Masters program and I would've been unable to complete my undergraduate degree (due to my Latin major). It is not acceptable to propose course cuts.--- In regards to drama, you physically cannot teach a practical drama class with more than about 20-30 students in it, and that it pushing it too. If you cannot teach a practical drama class, then your degree is severely lacking in any standards for what someone might consider sufficient in being awarded a degree in drama.--- A small number of courses to choose between would make the quality of the degree worse and devalue the student experience, as there will be less opportunities to specialise your degree making it harder to attain the knowledge/experience need for post-grade work or career paths. It was also reduce the potential for teachers to engage with students as most papers will have larger student numbers
It could potentially make me need to swap majors which I DO NOT want to happen as I am very passionate about both of them.
I am no longer taking taught courses, but for others pursuing postgrad studies in my discipline cuts to language courses would severely reduce the international standing of their degree and possibly prevent them from having the opportunity to continue studying overseas
Can’t complete my degree in a way that means I can pursue my interests in specific subjects
Most of the theology causes have a small class this would really limit my options and I would have to potentially have to change my major which makes my studying here feel pointless with such limited options.
Don't know what my degree will be when I get there which could change the plan
Far fewer students to teach, perpetuates epistemic injustice and colonial violence as already demonstrated in previous studies about how universities as a whole devalue and diminish the knowledge of marginalised groups, makes the world a worse place to be in for me and many Other people
I am unsure what my degree will look like in a couple years, as the cources I intend to take after I graduate the tertiary foundation certificate may not be available anymore.
It would be catastrophic, potentially changing the shape of my education journey. Even just losing Artscholars would be incredibly sad and disappointing as it is built on community and small course sizes. But the real danger is to lose the possibility of being able to study and learn about different topics in the future that may end up being removed or cut from the University's study options. I would hate to see niche subjects being treated as less important or useful just because less people are interested in studying them (that's the point of niche subjects).
It wouldn't but I'd be pretty sad about it anyways
The proposed course cuts would essentially eliminate my entire degree, both at an undergrad and postgrad level. My studies at UoA have been almost entirely composed of small courses, mostly in Classical Studies & Ancient History and in English, departments which have already been subject to significant funding and course cuts irrespective of the proposed changes. These subjects are more than just areas of study to me- they are life-long passions, the former of which I plan to pursue as an academic career and which have enabled me to find a passionate community of friends and fellow scholars within and beyond the university. Under the proposed cuts, the amazing experience I have had throughout my time at university would be completely unavailable to future students. Even with some curriculum or department changes, e.g. merging Classical Studies & Ancient History with History into one department and providing joint courses, this wouldn't necessarily guarantee classes would meet the new thresholds of minimum 60 students for undergrad and 20 for postgrad. Alternatively, if they did, this would have detrimental effects on classes which are best suited for smaller numbers, especially in a seminar-style postgrad setting which relies on student contributions and discussions. Cutting such a large number of classes, even with potential solutions such as merging departments, would result in effectively eliminating said departments and risks the loss of staff who have been inspirations and mentors to me and to countless students (especially concerning Classics), and who are leaders in their respective academic fields and sub-fields. These cuts are short-sighted, ill-conceived, and would hurt students and staff throughout a wide range of subjects; I implore those responsible to reconsider.
It would cut papers that are very important to what I want to study and would serious curtail my ability to study what I want at UoA
Wouldn’t be able to finish my degree
My capstone is one of these courses as we only have 28 people in it, I have another course that I need for my degree as other courses clash
In mathematics, almost all 3rd year papers have very small numbers because the degree is extremely varied and must allow people to specialize while in undergraduate.
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I am majoring in English and Philosophy, both of which already combine second and third year papers to be more efficient. This means there are not many options of which papers I can take to complete my majors, especially for English. Further, I've been really looking forward to reaching the later stages of courses, as smaller class sizes make for better learning and interaction with teaching staff.--- Will not affect me much as my degree is one year, however if I study further, this will leave me with fewer options than there are.
make it harder to complete and less options
It would mean that some stage 3 and 2 courses that I am keen on taking as a part of my BA would likely be cut and I would lose the choice to properly specialise in my field of study
It would delay my graduation and make degree planning more complicated
Being a Latin major, my major would simply disappear! Additionally, I am taking ancient Greek, which only has around 15 or so students in it. A lot of smaller language courses would simply disappear with the proposed cuts. Furthermore, an academically-centred university like UOA without classical languages like Greek and Latin is a very poor state of affairs indeed.
Based on the information received, the UoA believes they should be offering vocational degrees alone. Narrowing courses through deletion and combining stages 2 and 3 will limit the depth of knowledge, study, and research available to students. Okay for those looking for a 'tick-box' vocational accreditation, but not for those who came to UoA for more than that. I appreciate that vocational studies are a large part of what universities do and that this is the end goal for many students. Still, I am a mature student who already possesses vocational skills from my career previous to becoming a student, and I am not here to secure myself a career change alone. I want to learn skills and ways of thinking that will better me - life skills, not just work skills. Therefore, I resent the idea that I may be funnelled into predetermined 'pipelines' for my majors with little regard to what personally interests me.
It will dramatically impact my decision to continue my study and maybe postgraduate ambition.
Anthropology courses are usually smaller in scope and so it may cause a great number of choices being cut and reducing the diversity of options. Nicher communications & periphery subjects also fall somewhat under the same boat.
I do anthropology, and want to do postgraduate study in cultural anthropology with an archaeological element. To remove smaller classes would hinder my further studies, maybe even forcing me to go overseas to do so.
Many of the courses I plan on taking in the future would be completely removed and it’s unlikely I could complete my degree with the speciality and niche information I was hoping to receive. I would’ve gone to a different university if niche courses weren’t available.
Being an arts student it would likely limit my options and make my degree a lot less interesting and personalised. My favourite course this semester, politics 233, would likely be cut and as I move into second and third year this would probably get worse
It would basically cut my entire degree because a BMus has lots of specialisations/majors made up of smaller cohorts.
It would basically get rid of my degree as almost all my courses are small
Cutting Ancient History's language papers would produce significantly worse ancient historians. Learning Greek at uni has done wonders for my engagement with and understanding of larger courses.--- Greatly reduce choice, which is what I valued so highly and made me want to do a conjoint. If small courses were cut and I had less options in my arts degree I would probably just be forced to drop it. Furthermore, the extra choice helped logistically, there were a few politics papers and sociology papers that I wanted to take but couldn't due to them clashing with the mandatory and unmovable law courses. I assume this issue would get worse with less small courses.
The course cuts would mean that I would have to spend more than 5-6 years completing my conjoint Removing any courses under the new proposal would be very Unfair to those who have been waiting as it leaves people unable to complete degrees--- Most of the stage II and III science papers I have taken and will take, and all bar one of the arts papers I have taken so far were less than 60 people. These cuts would make it impossible to finish my degree, and remove any amount of choice I have in my papers.--- My whole degree would disappear if small courses were cut.
I’m not sure if it would affect my current degree, but I know it would most definitely have affected my previous degree. I’m certain that a lot of valuable learning and classes are going to be lost if these small courses are cut.
I would not have taken my degree without the small courses
Would not be able to specialize in what I want to
Anthropology particularly is already a fairly small course at UoA, and cuts would greatly restrict the amount of courses available for my degree. Anthro has many different directions to specialise in, but with cuts this would just not be possible. I love medical anthro but there is hardly anything on offer as there is. For a Uni that advertises itself as having a good Anthro department, it sure is not holding up to that reputation, and would only be made worse with course cuts.
I would be impacted in the future courses that I could take to fulfil both my global studies and law requirements My plans to take another language in the future at UoA would also be greatly affected. I sincerely hope these cuts are dismissed to preserve the diversity of the courses and ensure that current and future students have many quality options to choose from.
Most of the stage 2 and 3 papers are composed of these smaller courses so it would affect my degree to a point where I don’t know if I would be able to take the courses I need to finish my degree. Some of the degree majors like composition would also completely be cut as the numbers for that course are typically small
Many of the smaller classes will be upper level linguistics classes. Without these classes, many of which are stage 3, no students can advance past stage 1/2 linguistics. That means no more linguistics majors or postgraduates. I will have no cohort and the linguistics department will be threatened. Please do not cut these!
I have my degree, so I am not imminently affected. However, I am deeply concerned about the quality of education for those still studying at UoA. It is very disappointing and worrying.
It would mean can't take papers truly interested in and papers that I need for my degree too!!
They would remove my ability to study Spanish entirely, one of the key goals I have under this period of study.
The arts side of my degree (majoring in English and Linguistics) would be heavily affected. It means I'll probably miss some of the courses I want to take as they'll only be running once every few years! This would be so disappointing. Also, as stated above, making the courses more vague is just so uninteresting, it'd be a waste of time and money as well as boring :( PLEASE UOA STOP THIS MADNESS
It would make me far less inclined to pursue classes that interest me
They would affect my sense of security in my degree, the quality of learning and experience, and the richness and breadth of options available for me as I progress through course stages.
I want to continue learning Spanish, particularly in class as conversion with tutors and fellow students is vital for learning. Spanish courses I believe are all small courses, and as such this may not be possible and will have knock on effects to my Global Studies area of interest. Global Studies itself likely also consists of small courses, and as such I fear that the proposed cuts will limit my opportunities and force a change in my Global Studies degree.
While these cuts possibly wouldn't affect me personally, I know that some of the courses I have taken over the course of my degree definitely had under 60 students. If these courses were cut, there would have been no feasible way to complete my qualification in the timeframe requirement for my programme.--- I transferred to UOA this year after beginning my studies at AUT. I decided to transfer as AUT does not offer French as a language. I have nearly finished the required courses for my psych major but still need about 6 courses to finish my french major. This is about 1 year of study ( including some courses I plan to take in 2025 summer school).
Extremely. This will negatively effect both myself and anyone else within my position.
it would stop me from being able to do a vast amount of the courses that i personally find most interesting
They could set a precedent which could snowball into the more niche papers of my music degree. The arts are vital to humanity and I cant believe the the lack of respect shown to these very important areas of academia.
My degree would take longer to complete because of the clashes and limitations. I also would probably feel that I am not learning enough or satisfied by the content because there are such limited options.
Fundamentally weaken the ability of my disciplines to be taught effectively and lessen the quality of education provided at this university
it may affect me later on in the 3rd year courses that definitely won't reach 60 people - these proposals are bonkers!
It wouldn’t affect me because it’s my last year and I graduate at the end of this year, just would be a little sad if small courses are cut out because they are often the most enjoyable.
A less enriching degree.
It would mean that I would struggle to finish courses with less support, and possibly prolong my degree
My entire degree has been made up of small courses. This pulls all of these courses into question and makes me concerned for the future of my department, especially as I head into postgraduate study next year
Well I just wouldn’t be able to complete it
They may hinder my options for post graduate study and limit arts classes/courses in general--- I quite literally cannot finish my degree if these courses are cut. Specifically Asian 303 and Chinese 301 are integral to my degree, as they are a lot of basis on my majors and are straight up required. I have no idea what I would do if these required courses are cut.--- I need to pass Asian 303 to graduate Asian Studies and if this course gets cut, I have absolutely no idea how to graduate.
it would gut it from the inside out, my degree may not even be able to be completed
would make previous courses invalid for future atudents
Limiting my choices so much. Smaller classes are so much better than bigger too
i wouldn’t have been able to do my exchange year as these high level physics courses were what i needed to pass my year
I would not have been able to complete my degree.
It would mean I couldn’t take a minor in Aerospace or Biomedical Engineering
It would probably affect my Latin American classes and more advanced Spanish classes. However, the Latin American classes really add value to the University and are important to expand the students minds and decenter Euro-American academia.
A lot of gen-ed options would be gone and electives would be gone too
Very sad, would impact obtaining critical knowledge effectively
missed opportunities to take courses that because of their smaller size make them unique as a more intimate and hands on learning environment
My whole cohort consists of less than 40 people so I am unsure of how this would change things.
Virtually all of my global studies courses will be affected. My French language courses will be the most dire as you CANNOT learn a language by combining it with other courses or whatever the hell they’re planning to do.
All stage two and three physics courses would be eligible to be cut, and I would not be able to finish my degree if this were the case. This is ridiculous, and additionally, all honours physics courses would be eligible to be cut, and I would not be able to do an honours or masters at uoa. Our entire physics degree pathway would be at risk of cuts.
They would limit my choices for course options, especially for the arts side of my degree.
For my Japanese and Drama degrees, this would affect my stage 2 and 3 options.--- I enrolled in a Diploma in Languages because I was under the impression I will be able to do the papers required in the future, but if they are going to be cut then I will not be able to complete it. What is the point of offering a Diploma in Languages at the university if most of the courses available for it are going to be cut?
The proposed course cuts would affect my degree by eliminating any choice in what I study. With courses such as history and art history everybody has different interests and there are a huge and varied amount of topics meaning that options are needed to cover all the important periods etc. Therefore, would most likely end up finishing my degree never being able to study the field of history I would want to do my postgraduate in or work in later on. It would therefore also take a huge amount of the enjoyment and passion out of my degree. I would also definitely not continue to do my postgraduate degree at Auckland University. If it got to the point where in my second or third year there was so little choice I courses to the point where I would get no enjoyment out of my degree then I would consider finishing my degree overseas.
Won’t be able continue studying
At this stage it wouldn't but in my last year it might. Heavily structured course so many students in all classes, around 140, even if most dont physically show up
It would make it very difficult, if not impossible to continue my degree at UoA as I need quite a few more stage 2 & 3 papers to finish and a lot of these options would be cut under the new proposal
The cuts would prevent me continuing my study under Diploma in Languages. I would be forced to end my studies.
It would be frustrating as smaller classes are extremely valuable for learning, more time with lecturers etc
I honestly don't know what will happen. My degree primarily consist of smaller courses. I might have to change directions and pick a different degree that I have no interest in.
I could no longer statisfy my requirements on 300 level Phsyics papers and my Capstone course would be at risk.
My degree would get fully affected, global studies is nothing without the small courses and without languages. Besides they are so essential for the outside world its ironic how they r cutting them. Also it looks really bad on the University to cut maori courses but at the same time promote maori inclusion in other areas.--- I would have been unable to complete my BA and BA Hons with the proposed cuts. As an undergrad student, I struggled to do well in large courses. Had the proposed cuts occurred when I was in undergrad, they would have negatively impacted my chances at pursuing postgraduate studies.
Yes, I love having a closer connection to the lectures and they are just so important for expanding my knowledge
It would take out the lab and high level learnings
It will significantly impact my degree and I won’t be able to choose the courses I’m interested in.
I probably won't have enough courses to take to finish my degree.
Most of my degree
I wouldn’t have stage 3 physics courses under the proposal
Would not affect mine but would affect many of my peers
Less cool math paper
It would hinder my pathways into a career that I am interested in.
I wouldn't get the niche, unique study style that science scholars offers. Really cool opportunity to network and talk with people from different science majors gone
I take a module that has a small cohort and this has been the highlight of my degree so far. It’s provided me so many opportunities and helped me feel accepted and comfortable at this university.
In my third year there will be very unique and smaller courses for people aiming to specialise and so if this goes through we cannot be trained adequately for the highly specific fields we as biomedical science students want to go into,
Not by much
If it extends to postrgraduate courses, I may have less options for learning in my degree
I intend to do a postgraduate degree in physics, which is uncommon and will likely have students per class. Without these classes, I will not be able to complete a postgraduate degree, or likely spend more time in classes I do not need to fulfill requirements.
I would lose the science scholars module of courses that have helped me adjust to university and would cause future students to lose the great opportunity. I also may not be able to take courses which keep my love of science alive while taking heavy courses.
It would give me less options to choose from, which makes my degree feel less flexible and it also makes timetabling stressful if my choices are narrow. I pay a lot of money to go to UoA and Dawn Freshwater always boasts about the University being high in whatever rankings in her uni-wide emails, I feel it’s hypocritical to flaunt about our prestige/reputation yet cut courses that will affect not only student’s learning experiences but also the roles of teaching staff.
I think some of the physics and Astro courses would be due for removal under these changes. That’s not a pleasant prospect in the least, especially when I still have so much of my future to plan.
my degree just over，haha. Stop cutting everything…they have already cut faculty of Arts and Education and CAI dont you？？？Stop make UoA die.
It would most likely result in a lot of classes being “scrapped”, which would have been enjoyable and fun to take as third or second year papers - and I feel like our options will be very limited - and could potentially harm degrees in terms of having to do certain classes to complete the degrees (but due to the classes being scrapped, having requirements shift and overall just end up really messy) - not just for criminology or sociology, but across the whole board.
It would definitely limit my decisions in finishing my degree. Ultimately because i’m taking Anthropology under a science degree my capstone would be eliminated. Which is not fun or something I should have to worry about
likely not to affect me but proposed cuts affects a lot of friends and small courses are extremely valuable to students
it will affect my friends university experience.
Limits course selection. Makes me feel sad, uncertain, and disregarded.
Without small courses i wouldn’t have a degree. All of my favourite courses have been small classes and without them i would’ve dropped out ages ago. Cutting small courses cuts a huge hole in the heart of the university and would ruin a lot of the parts of university that i really care about
They would reduce the variety of courses I could take and subsequently narrow the degree to such an extent that it would barely be applicable to the specialty I chose. The variety of interesting courses available was the reason I decided to do a postgraduate diploma at UoA, so to hear that these offerings will be reduced is not only dismaying but downright disappointing. I understand that the university needs to make enough money to continue running, but perhaps the cuts that should be on the table are those of high level employees earning $750,000 in a year instead of the actual academic content available.--- I don’t think course cut is a good idea for affected students.
Smaller specific courses, often arts, are vital for diversifying degrees and allowing students to study desired niches for their careers. Cutting smaller courses forces students like me to follow broad and potentially irrelevant courses, preventing the learning necessary for many aspects of society!
Would mean a lot less opportunities and further growth of learning
Wouldn't have been able to learn some of the more technical and specialized things that have been useful in my career.
I am graduating soon, however if I were to keep studying the course would impact quite a few of the Global Studies courses I am required to take, particularly in the language and area studies aspect, which are fixed requirements for my degree.
electives that i wanted to take
This class will be canceled after I finish it, and while it won't affect me, I still feel that it is one of the best courses at UOA. I feel bad if students after me are not able to learn about such a great course!
It already looks like I won't be able to complete my degree due to cost cutting in the Spanish and Latin American departments. If any more small courses are axed, I might as well just give up on my degree.
Probably not but is still good to have small course for others
It would cut majority of GISCI papers and a significant portion of relevant geography papers in Bachelors. It would cut off any opportunity for me to pursue PostGrad in Environmental Science.--- While it may not affect me as much, I am worried that my friends doing arts courses may have to compromise their enjoyment of papers and conglomerate with a larger cohort with fewer chances of support. I worry about both majors, especially since geography, as both a science and arts major, may be affected by the restructuring. In my current position, I fear the cuts may risk reducing the market further than what it was for the skills I have gained, and I will lose the network of connections I have fostered throughout my years here.
There are courses I want to (and have to) take in order to complete my degree and this would affect me greatly. More niche subject areas are equally as important!!
Go somewhere else that offers the supposedly cut courses.
I won’t be able to continue on with postgraduate studies, given the reason I am completing my degree is to get into research and development my entire degree with the university in my eyes will be a massive waste
if they cut the linguistics papers (there are already barely enough to get through a degree) i will probably drop out and go to a different uni where they give a shit about arts students
It would greatly affect every maths major if any number of these courses are cut. It would also affect all students who study any discipline that uses maths. I am strongly opposed to any cuts in the courses that are being offered currently, as they are all important courses.
I’m in my last semester so the affect would not concern me I more or so wanted to fill this out because I know without these smaller classes I would have struggled to finish my degree as there are not many options in Māori Studies if you took those small classes out. I basically know my Māori studies cohort as we came through together and it’s always the same mix of people. It would have affected a lot of us if this had happened earlier and for that I wouldn’t want those who are still in their degree or wanting to pursue this degree but opts not to because there are lack of classes available for them to complete it.
This would deal a heavy blow to my learning process and significantly cut out my interest and engagement in class.
I won’t be able to continue on with postgraduate studies, given the reason I am completing my degree is to get into research and development my entire degree with the university in my eyes will be a massive waste
One of my current classes would get cut and potentially some later year classes would be cut as they often have less
It would significantly impact my ability to graduate with a bachelors in anthropology and would likely make postgraduate studies in my field impossible at UOA
it would make my experience much worse at uni, but I would graduate the same
These cuts could affect my choices next year as third year Anthropology courses are being targeted. It’s really hard avoiding clashes with biology and I really want anthropology to be my main subject, this slashes could impact my chances of graduating with the choices I wanted.--- My course options will become very limited
My current degree would no longer be able to exist in its current form. The postgraduate degrees in Anthropology and other subjects like this which have received recognised QS rankings would no longer exist. Also undegraduate courses and the student experience will take a severe blow.
Loss the opportunity to pursue specific area of interest and limited options of career path.
It can prevent me from exploring and dive deeper into my area of interest and potential limit my career choice by not be able to develop those specific skills.
I'm genuinely considering if continuing this degree if worthwhile with the massive removal, especially of languages, that is so essential to a GLOBAL studies degree. Auckland uni can say it offers good, well rounded degrees, but removing courses that students would genuinely be interested in because it's not over 60 students in a field as diverse as arts and humanities is going to seriously harm what I can get out of this degree, as well as many others.
While I have not taken courses with a < 60 student size, I've taken courses where the amount of students in attendance met this criteria and so have experienced the environment.
It could really affect me completing my arts degree, especially the art history major - it could really impact my choice of courses and we’re paying so much for this, giving us less option is fucked
Many papers I have done since first year are “small” courses. If these were dropped, I wouldn’t be able to take the courses relevant to my career path. Generic courses are less interesting and engaging.
I only have one year left and Stage III is definitely the stage most at risk of consisting of small classes. I am very worried about my ability to take courses that I am remotely interested in that are part of my degree. Already I am struggling to choose courses because of so many courses being unavailable already due to less lecturers. I'm scared about how the end of my degree will go, and if I will learn skills that will hone my specialties and interests.
I’m opposed to the elimination of general education courses in favor of the new “transdisciplinary” courses. This would eliminate the only way for engineering students to take any course outside of our fairly narrow degree and specialization, preventing real learning beyond engineering and transfisciplinary possibilities