On June 29, the university opened consultation on a proposal to close the department of applied sciences and stop offering design studies, which had been housed within applied sciences since the department was created in 2010.
At that time, the decision was expected to be made in mid-August, but the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) said in a release the decision had been put off ''after the consultation was extended because of the large number of submissions from students and graduates of the programme''.
Design student representative Ben Alder said following meetings with sciences pro-vice-chancellor Prof Keith Hunter, he had formed the impression a decision on the design school had already been made.
''At our meeting, [Prof Hunter] had pretty much said that he couldn't see any other way of [the design school] being continued,'' he said.
''I asked him, `Honestly, are we going to exist after 2017?', [and he said] `At this stage, I can't see any way of that happening'.''
Prof Hunter said the design school closure proposal was ''with the vice-chancellor''.
He said closing the department of applied sciences seemed to be ''the only viable option''.
''So naturally that was the basis for my proposal and is what I told the student representatives,'' he said.
''As with any proposal, whether or not it remains the best solution once the views of others have been considered, particularly the views of those most affected, is a decision which can be made only after those views are known; that is the point of consultation.''
TEU organiser Shaun Scott said he hoped the ''lengthened process'' of decision-making meant the university was ''seriously reconsidering the initial proposal to close it down''.
But the process being longer than expected was not abnormal, Mr Scott said.
''Often through these processes, dates shift a bit, depending on the amount of information that comes through,'' he said.
''There were a significant number of submissions in support of design, so hopefully they are being considered.
But we certainly haven't been given any indication that it's changed''.
He said the proposed closure and consultation process had been ''really stressful for affected staff who are confronting the possibility of losing their jobs''.
The formation of the department of applied sciences in 2010 ''didn't work'', he said.
''But design as a discipline shouldn't be made to pay the price and nor should the staff who've worked there for so long.''
A university spokeswoman declined to confirm or deny whether the decision had been put off, saying only ''no decisions have been made at this point''.
''We are considering the submissions. Once final decisions have been made, staff and students will be fully informed.''
Consultation timeframe
June 29: Consultation on the proposal to close the department of applied sciences opens, consultation document is circulated to staff.
July 6: Design students are notified via email the department of applied sciences may cease to exist and the design major along with it.
July 20: Submissions on the consultation document officially close.
Mid-August: A decision on the future of the design school/department of applied sciences was supposed to be made.
