Tutors to lose jobs in ‘death by cuts’

Tutors caught in the proposed axing of art and computer courses at Ucol Wairarapa have branded the plan an overture to wider closures.
Scott Reiri, Ucol Wairarapa arts programme co-ordinator and key tutor and computer graphics tutor AJ Hunter have each worked at the Masterton campus for the past five years with the Faculty of Humanities and Business.
Ucol management last week announced a plan to axe from their syllabus a diploma class in visual art, and certificate programmes in information technology, advanced computers users, networking and desktop support, and computer graphics.
The proposal will put out of work two full-time tutors including Mr Reiri - one each in art and computing - and two part-time art tutors, including Mr Hunter.
The proposals come in the wake of Government budget announcements in May that warned Ucol is to lose $4 million in funding across all their operations by 2011.
Mr Hunter is to focus on freelancing, he said, which has paced his tutoring work in Masterton.
"Of all the dumb, short-sighted things to do, this has to be the dumbest and most short-sighted. I believe Ucol are actually killing off the provinces and the actual agenda seems to be death by a thousand cuts."
He said nursing and carpentry programmes are today well patronised in Wairarapa but a lack of students led to a cut this year of cookery classes, which are being revived for 2010.
His class includes tuition in technologies that are pervasive through several industries, he said, including 3D computer animation, video graphics and digital image manipulation.
"What I teach rules the Internet and television but I guess management don't see computer graphics as legitimate or on par with nursing or carpentry - and we always need more cooks."
Mr Reiri, a father of four young children and graduate from the foundation Masterton art course in 1994, said he is to seek other work in Wairarapa, and beyond if unsuccessful, or go on a benefit if forced.
He said the axing of the arts department came as a surprise and he agreed with Mr Hunter that Ucol seems to be gradually withdrawing from provincial areas.
"I'm happy to run a one year program and take a pay cut because Wairarapa is going to be left without any art courses on offer here, which will a first since at least before I graduated," he said.
He said the proposed cuts also beggar an opportunity to deliver degree papers from the Ucol Wanganui campus in Masterton for 2010.
"I feel most sorry for the community because there will be nothing left on offer here. This really is a community loss."
Clive Scott, Ucol Wairarapa Faculty Humanities and Business dean, denied Ucol is abandoning the provinces and said the institution is fully committed to Wairarapa.
He said the closure of a campus in Levin five years ago was forced through "a lack of community involvement" and was not part of a wider operational strategy.
He said the revival of the cooking classes despite an earlier lack of enrolments comes as "a last chance for the community" of Wairarapa, which has a successful history of similar courses and a large hospitality industry and work opportunities for graduates.
"The decision to cut a course is always difficult but is based on what we can afford to offer, what the community wants and needs and the cost of running the course," he said.