Andrew McSweeney, who previously was a director at the national mega-polytechnic Te Pukenga, said he had spent his first few weeks on the job getting his feet under the table.
‘‘My first weeks were about rebuilding the communication and the connection because, as you know, we went through a significant restructure last year.’’
After the government break-up of Te Pukenga, Otago Polytechnic’s 2025 was beset with restructures and cost-cutting, and it ultimately ended up being lumped in a ‘‘federation’’ model with the Open Polytechnic and the Universal College of Learning.
Mr McSweeney said this year was about moving on from that turbulence.
‘‘We lost more than 85 good staff last year, and yet those who remain here are hugely loyal to the idea of Otago Polytechnic.
‘‘Let’s ensure we deliver outstanding education as we always have, look after our learners and provide them with the right support so they can be successful, look to be efficient and effective, and meet our financial commitments.’’
He did not foresee any restructures ‘‘major or minor’’ this year — but he did predict some changes in courses and overall student recruitment strategies by the second half of this year.
‘‘Whether it’s about more international students coming to Dunedin, whether it’s about new programmes or growing programmes, it’s getting the right recipe for it to grow.’’
The polytech had budgeted for a ‘‘small surplus’’, which meant things would still be ‘‘tight’’.
‘‘The message to all the troops ... is eyes down, bum up.’’
Otago Polytechnic would remain in the federation model for at least the first half of the year, Mr McSweeney said.
‘‘But for all intents and purposes, we’re our own council.
‘‘We make our own decisions. The federation doesn’t take any of that away.
‘‘It provides an opportunity to find the best collaborative opportunities to be more efficient or effective.’’
There would also be a ‘‘lot of communication’’ with the university and Dunedin’s industries.
Otago Polytechnic was budgeted for 4218 equivalent fulltime students this year.
At this stage, the polytechnic was sitting at about 92% of this budget, but more students were expected to arrive in the second semester.
‘‘Restoring Otago Polytechnic’s role in the region and resetting where we want to grow is my priority.
‘‘We’ve got a fairly stable structure, if you like, and it’s delivering well.’’
Tertiary Education Union delegate for Otago Polytechnic Craig West met Mr McSweeney yesterday.
He said he was ‘‘encouraged’’ by Mr McSweeney’s overall message, especially the fact that major restructuring was unlikely.
Mr West said the challenge for the coming year was to convince the government to introduce a more stable funding model for the entire polytechnic sector.
