Long-term planning for tertiary education in the Wanganui region is almost certain to include construction, renovation and relocation of some parts of Whanganui Ucol.
Jule Einhorn is the director of Project Whanganui Converge, which aims to consolidate some if not all of the polytech's seven campuses. She said her background was in tertiary education, especially in art and design, and she was the former principal of Ucol's Wairarapa campus.
She was being helped by a range of consultants.
She said that Ucol made a commitment, at its merger with Wanganui Polytechnic, to continue to provide substantially similar courses and to keep the polytech financially viable.
Project Whanganui Converge began early last year. Its first six months were taken up with consultation and analysing needs. One finding was that Whanganui Ucol had to deliver education in vibrant modern ways. This meant using the latest technology, catering to a variety of learning styles and providing an exciting campus environment where students could mingle, learn from each other and form new friendships. To do this the polytech's campuses had to be consolidated, which would also avoid duplication of services.
Wanganui people will want to know which campuses will be coming together, and where, but Ms Einhorn said this had not been decided.
The project was now in phase two, analysing the options. This was proving complex and taking longer than expected.
The stage of looking at physical sites had not yet been reached, but it would be better if final sites were in the central city. Ms Einhorn said Ucol's Palmerston North experience had shown how much a campus could add to city life, and vice versa. To make sure Whanganui Ucol contributed positively, the project was keeping informed about plans for Wanganui's future development.
The analysis of options would be finished by about July, and decisions on a site or sites would be made by the end of the year. That would leave 2006 for any construction, renovation or shifting and a finish date of early 2007 had been set.
The price of building was escalating, and Ms Einhorn wasn't sure how much money would be available to make any changes. When Associate Education Minister Steve Maharey announced the disestablishment of Wanganui Polytechnic in December 2001, he said its merger with Ucol would require a cash injection of $48 million from Government. About $12 million of that would go to repay debt, and some more to settle lease arrangements. More had been spent on Project Whanganui Converge, and on running costs since the merger in April 2002. Whatever was left would be available for the implementation.
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