Canterbury earthquake - Vice-Chancellor’s message to staff and students

Wed Feb 23 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Canterbury earthquake - Vice-Chancellor’s message to staff and students

I am writing to bring you up to date with matters relating to the devastating earthquake that occurred in Canterbury yesterday.

I have been in touch with the Vice-Chancellors of Canterbury University, Lincoln University and Otago University (in regards to the Christchurch Medical School). The Vice-Chancellors of Canterbury and Lincoln have advised that they have not experienced loss of life or serious injury among their staff or students and that damage to their campuses has been quite limited. I have, on behalf of The University of Auckland, offered them any assistance that would be useful and I am waiting to hear back from them as they assess the situation at each of their universities. I do not yet know the situation at the Christchurch Medical School.

A number of our staff and students were in Christchurch at the time of the earthquake. We are not at this point aware of any serious injuries among them and are providing what assistance we can to support staff returning to the University and students who were intending to travel here for the start of the academic year. The University’s home page provides details of counselling services available to support staff and students affected by the earthquake, and of the AUSA street appeal to raise funds to support earthquake victims.

I will, later this week, be participating in a conference call meeting of Universities New Zealand to discuss with the Vice-Chancellors of the Canterbury-based universities and our other colleagues how we can best support those institutions, their staff and their students.

I am sure that you will all join with me in expressing our condolences to those who have experienced loss of life and serious injury among their family and friends.

Stuart N. McCutcheon
Vice-Chancellor