UCOL vital to city

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

There's a touch of double-speak when an organisation announces "a stronger future" and talks about "re-vitalisation" and then announces job cuts.

On Friday, Whanganui UCOL's re-vitalising plans were revealed to include redundancies among its arts programme staff, with the tertiary provider using the fanciful term "surplus staffing process".

We must hope this rationalisation does, indeed, put the institution on a "secure and sustainable financial" footing for a vibrant student community is important to Wanganui.

The deterioration of UCOL's education provision in the city has been painful to watch and the demise after 22 years of the celebrated - and unique - glass diploma programme a particularly bitter pill. Likewise the loss of the acclaimed fashion degree earlier this year.

A joint taskforce of Wanganui District Council and UCOL has been working to preserve tertiary education in the city. It seems to be an uphill battle with the bottom line the driving force at the expense of educational outcomes and the undoubted value of UCOL to the Wanganui community as a whole.

Some years ago, the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill was in a similar parlous state. Its chief executive Penny Simmonds created a zero fees scheme in 2001 which transformed its fortunes, attracting students from all over New Zealand.

The benefits spread quickly - Invercargill's falling house values started rising; landlords started getting proper rents; retailers welcomed the influx of new customers.

Simmonds had the backing of a wealthy licensing trust which is not the case here, but that is the kind of outside-the-box thinking that is needed.

We need to maintain and grow our tertiary sector. The economic and social boost will ripple across the district.