KEY POINTS:
Up to 14 staff face losing their jobs as Auckland University of Technology restructures its computing and mathematical sciences school.
It is believed AUT wants to "find savings" from the school of about $550,000 by the end of the year to meet financial targets. But one staff member
told the Herald teaching maths across the university was important and he feared AUT and its students would lose out if the staff were made redundant.
A copy of the staffing review showed its pre-degree level diploma in IT was facing the axe and majors with less than 20 students be reviewed and possibly discontinued.
It said the Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences was still attracting "only a few" students after two years on offer.
The school's income from international student fees dropped from $3.5 million to $2.9 million in the 12 months to last year. It was expected to fall by another $400,000 this year.
The proposal - open for consultation until next month - was part of a series of staffing reviews and came as the Government shifts from a "bums on seats" style of tertiary education funding model to one requiring institutions to meet agreed goals.
AUT's faculty of design and creative technologies dean Kathy Garden said maths courses were being enhanced.
Two new programmes were set to be introduced from next year - a major in astronomy and a masters in forensic IT, to tap into the growing problem of computer misuse.
"It's notable that there is a global decline in the attraction of mathematics and sciences for students," she said.
"However, there is a great need for maths and science graduates who are motivated to work with others to solve complex environmental, social, business and technological problems."
She said universities had been told to reduce the proportion of students in pre-degree programmes, to better differentiate from other tertiary institutions.
She said less demand for pre-degree maths teaching was one of the review's key drivers, as "obsolete" programmes were closed in other faculties.
She said while the pre-degree diploma in IT was likely to go, a foundation certificate would be introduced.
Figures showed the number of pre-degree students at the school was expected to drop by more than a third by 2012.
