University of Canterbury - Personnel

Personnel

In September 2011, the University had a total of 18,178 students, 16,862 domestic students and 1,324 international students (students apart from New Zealand citizens or residents). Undergraduate students make up 85% of the total student numbers with 15% being postgraduate students. The University employed 589 full-time equivalent academic staff and 979 full-time equivalent general staff. Of the academic staff, 14.8% are professors, 15.2% are associate professors, 41.7% are senior lecturers, 20.3% are lecturers, and 0.6% are assistant lecturers. However as of September 2012, the University had only 15,608 students, 14,087 domestic students and 1,521 international students. This decrease in student enrolments, attributable to the Christchurch earthquakes, resulted in the University announced in September 2011 that it might need to dismiss 350 or more of its staff. The University had eliminated over 100 jobs prior to the earthquakes, losing some prominent scholars. The suggestion has been made that staff eliminations are sometimes based on academic ideology rather than merit. Resignations have occurred by staff who complained about restrictions on academic freedom. The University, in common with some other New Zealand universities, tends to take a litigious approach to managing its staff and, despite increasing its number of human-resources managers, routinely engages lawyers and employment advocates to handle even minor matters. The University's 2006 financial reports list $836,000 as having been paid out as compensation for employment-relationship problems, more than any other New Zealand university. Unlike five other New Zealand universities, the University refused to release to the Association of University Staff records on how much it spends on external lawyers, advocates and consultants for advice and representation.