VUWSA Statement - $128 Million - 27/06/2023

We welcome the Government’s announcement of $128 million towards universities and review of the university funding model. Thank you, Minister Tinetti and Minister Robertson, for listening to the voices of students, staff and our Vice Chancellor, and for acknowledging that we need a more sustainable funding model.  

In response to this governmental support, we call for a moratorium on the current redundancies plan here at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington and other universities across the motu. We need time to pause, carefully reconsider and plan so that short-term decisions do not result in long-term consequences. We said it prior to today’s announcement, and we will continue to say it: Our people – educators, researchers, and support staff - are our best asset. They are essential to the lives and futures of students. 

This has been a collective campaign effort. Thank you to the VUW-TEU for their leadership and everyone who backed the #savingtertiary campaign in the last few weeks, with vocal support from across the world, including members of the New Zealand Order of Merit, former politicians, prominent members of the arts community, academics, students, staff, and ordinary New Zealanders.  

We started this campaign believing this could be a turning point in the history of tertiary education in Aotearoa. Less competition and more collaboration across universities, sustainable funding mechanisms and universities that are treated as a public good rather than businesses are an entirely possible future. This tertiary education review proves that to be true. We need the redundancy plans to be halted so we can engage in this process with our sector intact. We look forward to robust engagement during the review. 

This is only the beginning of a campaign to reform tertiary education to be a public good. We will stay persistent in the fight to save VUW and tertiary education.