University places caps on undergrad programmes

Enrolling at the University of Otago has just become more difficult.

Enrolment caps have been placed on 20 undergraduate and sub-degree programmes next semester, with vice-chancellor Prof Sir David Skegg saying caps will also be required next year.

Enrolments were increasing faster than the university or Government funding agency, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), had expected, he said at a university council meeting yesterday.

"Otago is in a difficult position and we can't ignore that."

A comprehensive enrolment-cap policy was adopted by the council yesterday.

The accompanying report did not say how many, if any, students might miss out on places in semester two, but said half the programmes named typically attracted no more than one or two additional enrolments in semester two.

Enrolment caps would also be required next year, Prof Skegg said.

"There are many issues to explore as to how that is to be done."

Otago has had restricted entry to many specialised programmes, such as law, medicine and dentistry, which begin in year two of study.

But until now, it has never restricted entry to first-year study or open-entry courses.

Under new funding rules introduced in 2008, New Zealand's tertiary institutions negotiate a total number of funded equivalent full-time student (efts) places.

They are allowed to exceed the total by 3% but are not funded for those students.

Prof Skegg said Otago's domestic efts this year were 4.4% up on the corresponding time last year and it appeared the final domestic enrolment result would be somewhere between 103.2% and 103.7%.

In practical terms, the university would carry between 550 and 650 efts and the only source of income from those students would be their tuition fees.

That was a concern because those students needed the same support and resources as fully funded students, he said.

The TEC also wanted to limit the number of students entering study and accessing student loans and allowances.

Unexpected enrolment growth also affected staffing, Prof Skegg said.

Already, the student-to-academic-staff ratio at Otago had worsened from 14.6:1 in 2007 to 15.9:1 this year.

"We can't afford to hire more staff and we have no offices for them anyway, because we are short of space."

Otago is not alone in facing unexpected enrolment growth this year.

The University of Auckland introduced enrolment caps from the start of last year and NZPA reported yesterday Victoria University in Wellington had advised undergraduate student places would not be guaranteed from the second semester of this year.

allison.rudd@odt.co.nz