Crisis Summit for Universities Called For

The Association of University Staff (AUS) has today called on institutions to think long and hard before deciding their responses to the Government’s coercive budget offer of a notional 5.1% increase on 2000 levels of funding.

“The supplementary funds equate to about 1.7% additional operating expenditure which is considerably below the level of inflation, and nowhere near enough to compensate for exchange rate losses,” said Rob Crozier, AUS Executive Director in Wellington today.

“Nothing in this Budget will prevent the continued loss of talent from our universities, nor will it enhance our ability to recruit highly qualified staff.

“The choices the sector faces are difficult in the extreme. Either choice puts at risk the quality and reputation of New Zealand’s universities as first world institutions, and therefore impacts on both staff and students,” he said.

“We therefore consider that it would be both fruitful and constructive for representatives of University Councils, Vice-Chancellors, staff and students to convene a Universities’ Crisis Summit to give cool, calm and collective consideration to the ramifications of the Budget before responding to the Budget offer.

Contact: Rob Crozier 021 375 661 (04) 915 6691 (wk) (04) 479 1667 (hm)

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