Otago Polytechnic is hailing a breakthrough with the government but staff are still living in a "culture of anxiety" worried about the next cuts.
A meeting between Otago Polytechnic executive director Dr Megan Pōtiki and Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds was described by Dr Pōtiki as a turning point that provided assurance they could become independent.
Otago Polytechnic is going through a range of restructuring to address a $10 million deficit and become financially sustainable.
Asked about its restructuring processes, Dr Pōtiki told the Otago Daily Times yesterday they were "making good progress in this space and are on track to meet target savings".
"All of our major change initiatives this year have been completed or have been announced and are in progress."
Tertiary Education Union general secretary Daniel Benson-Guiu said the "pathway to recovery" strategy was a government-mandated cutting programme.
"It’s created a culture of anxiety with reviews coming up almost weekly.
"People are looking over their shoulders. It’s not a pleasant place to be right now, and staff should be left to deliver the high quality teaching we know they can."
A cabinet paper released last month said the polytechnic’s 600 staff for its 4700 fulltime equivalent students was too high.
Dr Pōtiki has also spoken out about the institution being placed under the control of a federation featuring Open Polytechnic and Universal College of Learning.
She said if Otago Polytechnic achieved its financial recovery, then the ability to move out of the federation was available.
"This is a turning point for us — one that gives confidence to our staff, our learners and our community."
The meeting came after weeks of appeals to Ms Simmonds from both the polytechnic and the opposition.
Green MP Francisco Hernandez, who has been critical of Ms Simmonds, was somewhat encouraged by the news of the meeting.
"We are pleased that the minister appears to have listened to the Greens — and many other voices in Otago — who have repeatedly called on her to front up to Otago Polytechnic and give a little more clarity on the pathway ahead.
"However, if the government is serious about establishing thriving, independent polytechs, they must come to the table with a package of financial support for Otago and other tertiary institutions across Aotearoa."
Mr Hernandez said the minister had fought hard for funding for Southland’s Southern Institute of Technology, successfully winning them cabinet funding.
"We look forward to working with her in similar ways, to make funding and support available for Otago and other polytechs around the country."
