Didn’t make it to the Renewal Plan sessions? Here’s the video and Q&A

There was a big turnout to the five Renewal Plan presentations last week, held at the Wharenui at Mt Albert and Waitakere campus.

If you missed it, you can view the slide pack or watch the video of the full presentation

Each presentation was followed by a Q&A session. A compilation of frequently asked questions can be found below.

Q&A

1.  When will a decision on programmes be shared?
We aim to share the proposed changes the week beginning 13 August, with decisions before the end of the month

2.  It is likely that following a reduction in headcount, there will be an increased workload for staff. For many, there is still a requirement to undertake research. Will there be a reduction in expectations around outputs for affected staff?
Yes, that makes sense under the circumstances and can be raised within your teams as to specific requirements for each staff member

3.  How will we manage the impact of course changes going into 2019?
This will be case-by-case with a mix of teaching out and transition to other providers if needed. Other options will also be considered where it is in the best interest of our students

4.  Can we postpone the EER?
We are investigating options around this and are awaiting feedback from our governing bodies

5.  Why are we basing our model on catering to 6,000 EFTS?
It’s a conservative budget number we are using for 2019/2020 planning. We need to resource at this level, as a minimum number, and then organise to scale up if we do better

6.  Will there be voluntary redundancies?
No. Any changes to staff numbers will be related to the rationalised portfolio, and service and delivery changes

7.  What does the ELT look like under our new model?
The roles of the ELT are not yet confirmed for 2019 and will depend on wider sector changes

8.  Will the ELT be taking a pay cut?
The current ELT are on a lower scale than the previous ELT and have taken on extra responsibilities and portfolios following the reduction of the team from eight to just four

9.  What about the Roadmap 2020 project? Are we merging with MIT?
We are part of the sector group which is working to inform and help shape the Roadmap 2020 project. There are a number of groups assessing the best ways for us all to work together, but nothing is confirmed at this stage

10.  Will blended learning continue?
Each programme is different with decisions based on the most appropriate pedagogy and student outcomes. We will be having further conversations on this

11. Are we bringing all enrolment work back in-house?
We have already brought much of our enrolments process back in-house. This will continue in a phased approach

12. Why is money going into SEAtS at this time?
This is a compliance requirement for monitoring attendance of international students and is a less expensive option than the manual system

13. How do we ensure our students receive the best possible experience over the next 12+ months?
This relates to the principles discussed in our renewal plan sessions (and shared in the slides). Focus on the student journey, best delivery and effective support

14. Is Unitec paying PWC to provide independent advisors?
They are appointed and paid by the TEC. For the Renewal Plan we aim to minimise the use of external consultants

15. Are staff still able to collaborate with other institutes?
Yes, this is encouraged

16. Will any of the recommendations from the TEU’s recent report be considered?
We are aware of the pain points identified in the report and these have been taken into consideration under the ATOM project and other parts of the Renewal Plan. Many of the recommendations had already been implemented by the ELT prior to the report’s publication

17. Will there be any salary increases?
At this time we do not anticipate any salary increases will be included in the budget forecast