Lincoln University to cut 40 fulltime equivalent jobs

Staff have been told the university was losing some of its government funding and enrolments had not hit targets. Photo / Lincoln University

By Keiller MacDuff of RNZ

Lincoln University has confirmed plans to cut 40 fulltime equivalent jobs, as the union raises concerns about the speed and impact of the changes.

The university informed staff yesterday that it was calling for early retirements and voluntary redundancies, before beginning formal processes in the middle of this year.

A Lincoln University spokesperson said the move was to maintain financial stability in 2026 and beyond, “and to position the university to continue our focus as a specialist university for the land-based sectors”.

Tertiary Education Union (TEU) delegate Professor Cor Vink said the news came as a bombshell.

“People were surprised, they’re obviously upset, people are worried about increasing workload, as well as it doesn’t sound like, if anyone takes redundancy, that they would be replaced.”

Staff were told the university was losing some of its government funding and enrolments had not hit targets, Vink said.

The university revealed the plan at an all-staff meeting yesterday afternoon, where it announced all permanent staff would be offered “enhanced retirement and enhanced voluntary cessation packages”, and had until April 23 to apply.

There was a lack of detail in the announcement, Vink said.

“There wasn’t a lot of clarity in the messaging at the meeting.

“There was supposed to be a memo for people to have a look at after the meeting, but that didn’t come out for another hour, so we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs, wondering what it’s all about.

“There is a degree of vagueness about the whole thing.”

The union would prioritise clarifying details, including information on how and why it had come to this, he said.

The university invited staff to propose ideas to save money, increase student numbers or improve the university’s finances, but Vink said he did not believe it was the staff’s role to propose those types of solutions.

“The vice-chancellor said if anyone can think of ideas to come to him, but I would think that’s why he gets paid the big bucks, because he should be thinking of those sorts of things.”

Questions were raised about the university’s capital programme, which included a number of new buildings, and whether those works could be stopped or put on hold.

“I know students don’t come to a university to see the buildings, they come to university to be taught by the experts.

“That’s certainly how I remember my university – I really don’t remember the buildings much at all, I remember the inspirational lectures I had.”

The speed of the process was worrying, especially given existing concerns about workload, Vink said.

“This is all supposed to be decided on in late May and wrapped up by June.

“That gives us just over a month to try and figure out the workload the people leaving have had and then be able to school up everyone else who’s got to carry the burden on how to do those jobs before the person leaves.”

- RNZ