10 staff hit by polytech review

Ten staff have been affected by a staffing review at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art.

Chief executive Phil Ker yesterday announced the loss of four full-time equivalent positions.

Four people lost their positions and six people accepted reductions in their hours, he said.

The changes would take effect from the beginning of next year.

Not all the staff were employed full-time at present, he said.

The review was instigated last month to cut costs before looming government funding reductions of $3 million over the next 14 months.

Originally, Mr Ker said he expected five full-time equivalent positions would go.

But he said yesterday that number had been reduced.

Reducing the hours of more staff or making more people redundant would have cut into "a couple of specialist teaching roles".

That would not have been good for students, or for the school's reputation, he said. Yesterday's result enabled the school to continue to offer all 10 study disciplines.

"I feel confident we have arrived at the best decision in a no-win situation," he said.

The school had been reconfigured so staff would deal with larger classes, Mr Ker said.