Open Letter to the Vice Chancellor
PRESS RELEASE: Reclaim UoA
Open Letter to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Auckland regarding the Faculty Administrative Review
Dearest Stuart McCutcheon,
We regret to inform you that your position at the University has been reviewed under the Faculty Administrative Review (FAR). Under this review, we have made the decision that your role as the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Auckland is likely to be reduced or sustainably removed due to international pressures to remain competitive.
As you may be aware the University has insufficient public funding and is under increasing financial pressure due to the income per student declining each year in real terms. We hope that you are understanding of our needs to place international standing above your job security and working conditions to maintain our ‘world ranked’ status.
We believe that the most effective way to sustain a high functioning university is to make small adjustments to the structure, in order to maintain the character of the University as the ‘critic and conscious of society’ as outlined in the University Charter and Mission Statement.
This review has determined that management will be consolidated into one position titled: ‘The University’, and the labour will be outsourced to this body. You are welcome to apply for this position once the review is complete, however, you will be placed in competition with the students, cleaning, maintenance, security, grounds, academic and administrative staff who have demonstrated that they possess the qualifications necessary to fill this position.
FAR will involve the removal of some positions at the University, however it also provides more opportunities and possibilities. We see that having a more specialised and diversified senior management will reduce the burden of labour placed on current management of the University. This will make for a more effective and efficient system of education and research capabilities.
We have made considerable effort to include
all affected staff in the process. We provided retrospective
consultation, which allowed staff to make submissions to our
design, and will place these into consideration during the
remainder of the review process.
If you choose not to
apply for the position, we wish you all the best for the
future and thank you deeply for your contribution to the
history and culture of the University of Auckland.
Kind Regards,The New Management
ENDS