Polytech appointees' names not out yet

`Tertiary Minister Steve Joyce has selected his appointees to the restructured Otago Polytechnic council but is not releasing the names yet.

Polytechnic councils throughout the country are being dissolved at the end of next month.

Under legislation passed in December, the present structure of up to 20 seats will be replaced with eight-person councils, four of whom will be ministerial appointees.

The minister will appoint the chairmen and deputies.

The Otago Polytechnic council, which meets tomorrow for the final time in its current form, had expected to know by now who the ministerial appointees would be.

But a spokeswoman for Mr Joyce's office said yesterday the names of appointees would not be released until at least next week.

She could not say when the announcement might be made but said "it would not be this week".

Otago will lose seven places from its council, meaning the end of guaranteed seats for interest groups such as staff, students, unions and employers.

After much discussion, the present council has decided the four non-ministerial vacancies should include at least one Maori representative and should "as far as possible" reflect the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the community.

In a draft statute likely to be endorsed at tomorrow's meeting, it says expressions of interest should be sought by advertising and by inviting nominations from Maori.

In addition, the council and polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker should approach individuals and groups to identify suitable candidates.

The key skills required of candidates should be financial, educational, business management and Maori knowledge and perspective, plus general skills in marketing and communication, governance, networking and political processes.

If passed, the statute will also see the formation of staff and student subcommittees to advise the slimmed-down council on pertinent issues.