News

The University of Canterbury was hard hit by the earthquake that rocked Canterbury on September 4. Two weeks of class have been canceled, and significant damage to University buildings has been reported.
 

Some structures have visible cracks, a chimney fell off the Staff Club, there has been limited structural damage to walkways, stairwells, and lift wells, and substantial dislocation of shelving in the library, with around one million books strewn across the floor. There have also been chemical spills that require a technical clean up, and some ceiling and water damage. 
   “We are very fortunate that the earthquake occurred at the time it did,” Canterbury Vice Chancellor Rod Carr says, referring to the fact that no one died, and that the quake occurred during the mid-semester break. “The extent of damage is certainly in the millions of dollars and will cause distress to staff and students. We now need to get on with our assessment and clean-up.”
   The University of Otago has been regularly updating its website to keep staff and students at the Christchurch campus in the loop. Otago Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Don Roberton, has been to Christchurch this week to survey the damage first-hand. Vice Chancellor Sir Professor David Skegg was at our Christchurch campus on the two days before the earthquake, and hopes to be there again this week after the campus re-opens.
   “St Elmo’s building shows very significant cracking in exterior walls, and it appears unlikely that it will be useable in the near future … Staff housed in the St Elmo’s building should not try to access the building until further notice. This may be some days,” the University says.
   Sir Professor Skegg tells Critic that the University of Otago will no doubt learn from what Canterbury and Lincoln Universities are going through. “Naturally we will be reviewing all of our emergency response plans in the light of the Christchurch experience” he says. “I am sure that Canterbury and Lincoln Universities will have much to teach us about do's and don'ts for the future, but it is too early to be having those conversations.”
   Academic programmes at Otago’s campus are expected to resume today, while Canterbury students will not be allowed on campus until Wednesday, with classes resuming next Monday.
   Meanwhile students from Canterbury and Lincoln Universities have mobilised into a volunteer force, helping locals to recover from Saturday’s events. Heavy labour such as shovelling silt and removing debris are among the tasks being undertaken by the students, and has been met with thanks by Christchurch residents. ENSOC, Canterbury University’s Engineering Society, has been handing out hot pizzas, and has cancelled the planned Undie 500.