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The sacking of Auckland University lecturer Paul Buchanan has turned into a debate not only about the merits of his case but also whether high-paying foreigners are lowering academic standards.
The outspoken political studies figure was dismissed following an email denying an "under-performing and under-qualified" student from the United Arab Emirates an assignment extension.
Dr Buchanan later lashed out at low-quality candidates being accepted into courses.
The issue sparked a flurry of debate but the lecturer's acerbic manner divided responses on the issue. A letter from nine of Dr Buchanan's political science colleagues did not condone the email but wanted "everyone to get a fair go".
The letter said: "We would like to see the dispute resolved amicably."
A former student of Dr Buchanan, Glen Snelgar, said he got an "insensitive and abrasive" email from the lecturer in 2005 when he was honours student.
Mr Snelgar said it was a response to an email he sent Dr Buchanan asking for notes because he was unable to attend the first day of a military politics course due to work commitments.
He said the lecturer told him he was not a suitable student if he could not make it to the first class and suggested he should drop the paper.
However, Dr Buchanan was one of his best teachers and he called for him to be reinstated.
An employment law expert, Hesketh Henry partner Jim Roberts, said Dr Buchanan's actions were "up there" but it was a complex case and had a long way to run. "It's clearly inappropriate but that's always a matter of degree," he said. "Did it justify dismissal? I think that goes on to look at the circumstances."
The lecturer's senior position would be taken into account.
Academics described the situation as indicative of the tension brewing within the university over international fee-paying students.
University of Auckland spokesman Bill Williams said the suggestion overseas students were favoured over domestic students was nonsense. He said the visitors met strict entry criteria. "Far from being wealthy, many of our international student come here on scholarships and other kinds of support."
This year, 4566 - or 12 per cent - of the university's students were from overseas. Their fees made up 7.9 per cent of the total operating revenue.
But a former university business school lecturer said there was a feeling standards had dropped in a bid to get the numbers up.
The man, who would not be named, said the problem was not isolated to Auckland and blamed wider funding cuts in the 1990s.
He said students had told lecturers their level of English was below the International English Language Testing System standard university officials said was the minimum.
Academic staff from several departments complained about the problem, collectively, five years ago.
"If you go to Oxford [University], say, you'll find heaps of international students and they are all really good," he said. "If you go to a second-class university ... you will find lots and lots of overseas students - and try striking up a conversation with them."
Former University of Otago senior lecturer Stuart Greif said: "I took early retirement in 1997 for many reasons but one of them was my continued disgust at seeing the moneychangers running the temple of tertiary education."
Students expressed frustration at "babysitting" students with poor English via group work.
Official figures showed a 325 per cent rise in the number of foreign fee paying students at universities, nationally, between 1996 and 2006.
Most came from from Asia.
The Government secured a Saudi Government-sponsored programme that saw the first of about 200 Saudi Arabian students arrive earlier this year.
Gulf States students have studied here since 2001.
