News

The fate of the Design Department was sealed last week by the University Council, which voted to pass the proposed recommendations from the Senate.

 
The recommendations state that the Design Department should be disestablished, and deleted as a major subject. Transitional arrangements are to be made for students currently enrolled in a Design degree, to enable them to complete their degree within a reasonable time. Design Studies will continue to exist as a minor subject. 
Vice Chancellor Sir Professor David Skegg once again assured students that Design Studies will be preserved, and that they will not be shipped off to the Polytechnic. No timetable for the changes could be given, with Sir Professor Skegg elusively stating “sometime” and “not in a few weeks.” 
OUSA President Harriet Geoghegan once again spoke out against the move on two grounds. She said that students don’t want the department to be shut, and that the proper process wasn’t followed. Geoghegan ended her spiel by calling for more tertiary funding from the Government for the whole sector. Despite this, the Council was not swayed, and the motion passed with three dissenting. 
A large media contingent was present at the meeting, with the Otago Daily Times being sternly berated by Sir Professor Skegg for their shoddy reporting. Sir Professor Skegg blamed the ODT for much of the miscommunication and misconceptions surrounding the Design Department closure, stating that the ODT is responsible for the understanding around the country that the department has been permanently shut. Critic noted with interest ODT reporter Allison Rudd’s rosy cheeks sudden interest in her notepad at this point.
A number of Design students were also present, including the leaders of the silent protest. None of them spoke during the meeting. 
An additional change that was barely mentioned was the establishment of a Department of Applied Sciences. The department of Food Science / Clothing and Textile Sciences will become the Department of Food Science, and Clothing and Textile Sciences staff will transfer to the new Department of Applied Sciences. This confusing reshuffle is intended to save costs.