Lincoln University welcomes Government’s support for 2012

21 September 2011

Lincoln University welcomes the Government’s support for 2012

Lincoln University welcomes today’s announcement by Hon Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, outlining the funding for Canterbury’s tertiary education providers for 2012.

Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field sees the news as positive. “This gives us some assurances for 2012 and will enable the University to continue to work towards our national contribution but more importantly at this time, our contribution to Canterbury. Like all organisations in Canterbury, the University has had to modify our activity, due to the recent earthquakes. The Minister’s announcement today gives us at least a clearer picture of what we can and cannot do in the coming year”.

Lincoln University is New Zealand’s specialist land-based university, and as such has a national significance particularly in the area of agricultural land-use and commerce. Specialist areas such as landscape architecture and agri-business, environmental management, conservation and sustainability will all play a key role in Canterbury’s future following the earthquakes and it is important that the University is able to continue to provide these and other areas of study and research.

Lincoln University – along with the University of Canterbury and CPIT – has been given confirmation that the committed funding levels for 2012 will be met.

Professor Field acknowledged that Universities New Zealand supported guaranteed funding for Canterbury-based universities in 2012.

“While the future is now more certain, the shortfall in tuition fee income as a result of the earthquakes continues to present a challenge to the University. Our intention is to retain all our key specialist areas so we will be working hard to ensure we can work within the funding we now have, while continuing with our recruitment efforts to make undergraduate and postgraduate students aware of the benefits of study at Lincoln University, and the opportunities that their study will open up for them.

“We share with the whole of Canterbury the impact of the earthquakes but we are more fortunate than some in our geographical location. We have been able to open our campus up to other organisations and the University is in good spirits. Today’s announcement now gives us the framework to move forward,” says Professor Field.

ENDS

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