Massey University students and staff living in limbo

As Massey University proposes to slash jobs and courses while facing a huge financial deficit, students and staff affected by the proposed cuts are operating in limbo.

Post-graduate students in particular say they are unsure if they will be able to carry on their research.

Conservation biology master student James Roberts' work with katipō spiders hangs in the balance. He is in the research phase of his studies and will soon move into writing his findings, aiming to finish about mid-2024.

"It could mean that I can't finish my research," he said of the proposals.

"I'm doing behavioural studies, so these things almost never go to plan. If the cuts go through and I haven't managed to finish these studies, I have nowhere I can finish this research."

Katipō were a threatened species, he said.

Roberts did his research at Massey's recently opened Albany Innovation Complex, which reportedly cost more than $120 million, in specialised, controlled habitats.

"Some of the behavioural study is with males, who are primarily nocturnal, so I need to be able to have the lights naturally shift throughout the night so I can do my research during the day - which has been altered to their night, like you see in a kiwi habitat in a zoo."

Roberts faced the loss of his supervisors and said he worried about the future of researchers if experienced figures were not around to guide those coming through.

"I'm having to try and figure out what's going to happen if these proposals go through.

"What's going to happen to the people I care about in the university? What's going to happen when I finish my studies? I was looking at doing a PhD."

Roberts said he recognised he was in a privileged position in being able to study and research, but he was concerned Massey's proposals - which the Tertiary Education Union says could cost 100 jobs - would negatively affect the future of science in New Zealand.

Molecular biology student Eloise Fleming was not as far through their masters as Roberts, but faced similar uncertainty.

They had completed their coursework and now wanted to start their thesis on the detection and surveillance of pathogens that could affect New Zealand's freshwater species.

"My work is hopefully going to look at what kinds of microbial species are present in New Zealand and whether, maybe, there are ways that we can develop tools for quickly detecting these if they were to come into New Zealand from overseas."

If Massey's science cuts go ahead, Fleming might have to transfer to Auckland University, which could mean it takes longer to finish because of the differences in how the universities offer the qualifications.

Although it could be possible to continue at Massey in Palmerston North, Fleming said that was not practical.

"Moving to Palmy isn't really an option for me, unfortunately. I've just moved back up to the Albany campus from two-three years studying in the Manawatū campus. I moved back up largely for personal reasons - family, friends, partner and so forth are all here - so to have to move back down there would be quite devastating."

Complicating factors further is the timeline for when Massey will say if the proposals go through or not.

Fleming said if a final decision was a month away that would leave little time before University of Auckland enrolments closed, and was after scholarship deadlines had passed.

They would also have to step away from a newly established position at Massey of student representative with disability - one of four, which they helped set up.

And there's the academic disruption.

"I was starting to feel quite prepared and ready to finally do this and I'm really excited because there's very little attention paid to this in New Zealand.

"We do have some specialists, but in terms of molecular techniques it hasn't really been done yet, so I was really looking forward to actually being able to get that research up and started."

'People aren't sleeping well'

Professor Dianne Brunton - an expert in conservation biology whose job was on the line - said staff affected by the proposals were carrying on as best they could, conscious they could not let down their students.

"Everybody is concerned. People aren't sleeping well but, yes, deadlines are there. This time of year we have marking to complete. I've spent the last two days doing marking. In fact, it helps. You just have to get through it."

The uncertainty made planning for the future impossible.

However, Brunton had recently received approval for research from the university's animal ethics committee and was next week going to work in the field with a PhD student.

"You can't just put all that on hold," she said.

"I do catch myself thinking about things. I've just been marking some videos that the post-graduate students had to do for conservation biology.

"It's the first time we've done it this way. It worked really well. I really enjoyed them. I thought to myself, 'Oh, we've got to make sure we do that next year.' Then I thought maybe there isn't a next year."

Staff were supporting each other as best they could, although morale was low.

"I'm more senior, and some of the junior staff are facing the possibility of losing the careers that they have invested in and maybe their home, and what have they done wrong?

"It's hard to see when they have external grants, PhD and masters supervision, good publication, maybe awards."

Joshua Parsons, a Palmerston North-based Massey student from Students Against Cuts, said this time of year was highly stressful anyway, so the proposal to cut science jobs and courses, and another to make cuts to humanities and social sciences subjects, was causing anxiety.

"The cuts are looming over everyone's heads throughout the exam period. Everyone's stressed as hell."

Students Against Cuts this week spoke to a Palmerston North City Council meeting about the situation at Massey.

In a statement, Massey pro-vice-chancellor for the College of Sciences, professor Ray Geor, said the first period of consultation on the proposed changes ended last Sunday. Feedback was being collated.

"A preliminary decision is due to be released in November and the proposed timeline for the full process would see the release of a final decision in early December," he said.

"No decisions will be made until all feedback has been carefully and thoroughly considered by the college, its staff and students, and the wider university community.

"Should any proposed changes be adopted as a result, Massey will contact students to explain what this might mean for them, depending on their individual circumstance."

The university's deficit for the nine months to September is about $29.7m and it expects to finish the year with a shortfall of more than $50m.