University of Otago design students have vowed to fight against a bid by the university's management to merge the design studies department with another department.
A proposal has been put to staff in the departments of design studies and clothing and textile sciences to merge the two into a new department of applied sciences.
The suggestion has left some staff fearing for their jobs and many students "hysterical" about whether they will be able to complete their degrees.
Design student Lisa Jankowska said while no decision had been made, there was a risk "to our beautiful, awesome department and our wonder-ful supportive staff".
"People aren't going to take it lying down.
The students especially, present and future, are ready to fight this," she said.
Otago University Students Association president Harriet Geoghegan said a formal proposal had not yet been written for the future of the departments.
However, if the formal proposal aimed to merge the design studies department, the university might face large student protests.
The university has said it was open to alternative proposals, and staff in the department were working on one.
Ms Geoghegan was advising affected students to liaise with staff and help with the staff proposal.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz