Victoria University rewards staff achievements

Victoria University rewards staff achievements

The hard work and achievements of Victoria University's staff in the last year are to be rewarded with the University distributing almost $1.3 million in a one-off payment.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon said the one-off payment represented 1.75 percent of an employee's base salary for the past 11 months. The payment, totalling $1.29 million, will be made before the end of the University year.

"Record enrolments, the introduction of the Performance-Based Research Fund, the development of significant new partnerships and the transition to a multi-campus University have made for a challenging year. "Victoria was able meet these challenges, and succeed, because of the dedication and hard work of its staff and I'm particularly pleased the University's good fortunes can be shared with them."

More than 18,500 students enrolled with Victoria in 2003, about 2,000 more than in the year before, and this, combined with careful financial management means it will achieve a surplus of about $8 million.

"The 2003 surplus will be used to continue this programme of campus expansion and enhancement while improving services to students and staff and expanding our research facilities," Professor McCutcheon said.

The year saw construction on a host of major capital works projects, including enhancement of the Kelburn and a Te Aro campuses, and new lecture theatres and student learning spaces at Rutherford House, part of the University's Pipitea Campus in downtown Wellington.
The University also secured a long-term lease over a third of the Wellington Railway Station which it is upgrading under contract to the building's new owner, the New Zealand Government. It also signed an agreement with the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, New Zealand's leading independent biomedical research centre, that will see it move to the University's Kelburn campus in 2004 and be housed in a specially refurbished building.

Further development of the University strategic alliance with the Wellington College of Education was also a feature of 2003 as was successful implementation of a joint library management system with Auckland University of Technology and Otago and Waikato universities.

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