More than 200 redundancies expected at Auckland University of Technology

Up to 230 jobs could go at AUT. Photo / Michael Craig

Up to 230 jobs could be cut at Auckland University of Technology.

Vice-Chancellor Damon Salesa said a significant drop in international students, alongside growing inflation, and economic pressures has driven the university to the proposed restructure.

The university currently has 4354 staff including the equivalent of 2178 full time permanent and fixed term employees.

They have tasked four major groups of faculties with reducing the numbers of staff in each sector by varying amounts according to its student number trajectories, programme closures and investment in strategic priorities to ensure sustainability, as said in a statement by the university.

The Design & Creative Technologies department has been tasked to reduce its staff by 50, and the Culture & Society & Te Ara Poutama department by 40. The Business, Economics & Law department and the Health & Environmental Sciences department have been tasked to reduce by 30 each.

The statement does not say where the remaining 80 out of the 230 jobs will be reduced from.

However, it does detail the programmes that are considered to be "no longer strategically aligned with the future direction" of AUT.

These include a BA major in Social Sciences, BA major in Conflict Resolution, BA major in English and New Media, BA major in Japanese Studies, BA major in Chinese Studies including a minor in Asian Studies and a BA minor in Language Teaching.

Other areas have been listed as "no longer a strategic priority", due to the fact that they are no longer cost-effective or "have the same business diver they once did".

These include the Warkworth radio astronomical observatory, early childhood centre (city campus), the international house, the textile design lab and the AUT drone lab.

Tertiary Education Union's national president Tina Smith told the Herald she believed the move was terrible and short-sighted.

"At a time when businesses around the country are crying out for skilled workers, we need to encourage people into studies.

"They are basing it on their forecast of reduced student numbers in 2023.

"AUT made a $12.866 million surplus in 2021, after a $12.293 million surplus in 2020.

"I note that the 2021 surplus was double their projections ($6.855 million surplus) yet these cuts are based on projections which are regularly not accurate."

Smith said the proposal was for 150 academic staff to be made redundant and 80 general staff.

"It's the staff in university which makes a difference in student experience.

"The academic staff at AUT have secured record amount in research funding even when inflation and staffing costs have gone up.

"Staff are working hard to get revenue."

AUT was looking at a "short term gain" by causing "long term harm", Smith said.

AUT said it was also looking at the closure of a small number of programmes and courses it described as declining.

Student impact would be minimised, and the aim was to communicate any changes to courses and programmes to students by the end of November this year, the statement said.

"This is a difficult time for AUT, and we are focusing on caring for and consulting with our staff so that our way forward is the right one," Salesa said.

- More to come