Topical FAQs

We’ve started a body of work to reset Capable NZ.

Q: Why? 

Our Capable NZ enrolments have been declining with a 51.6% decrease over the last four years. So, it’s time for us to find a more sustainable way for Capable NZ to operate.

Currently, our Capable NZ team don’t sit within a structure consistent with that of other OP colleges/schools. This has led to a lack of consistency around strategy, operations, processes and support functions.

Q: What’s the plan?

1. We will continue to offer all Capable NZ programmes.
   
   
2. We will retain the Capable NZ brand as this is well-known and well-respected. Our intent is to strengthen and grow the brand rather than diminish or remove it.
   
   
3. We are proposing to move each Capable NZ programme into the relevant corresponding OP college (i.e. we propose that the Capable NZ Bachelor of Engineering Technology moves within the School of Engineering in the College of Engineering, Construction and Living Sciences).
    
   a) This will ensure each Capable NZ programme is attached to an existing area and leadership structure. It will also ensure each programme has sufficient administrative support. 
   
   b) Other ITPs currently do not have a standalone work-based learning unit, it’s integrated into their mainstream offerings. We have successfully done this with our Bachelor of Culinary Arts programme which is offered through the Food Design Institute as a standard, three-year degree, as well as through an Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) model and a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) model. 
   
   
4. We are also proposing to establish a School of Professional Practice to support the current community of practice within the Capable NZ team (this will support the research activities and outputs produced by that team). This School would sit within Te Maru Pumanawa I College of Creative Practice and Enterprise. This is the School from which we would offer and teach our Professional Practice programmes (graduate diploma, master, and doctorate).

Q: What else potentially needs to happen?

Unfortunately, our current enrolments don’t support the FTE we have in the Capable NZ team. To ensure we are operating sustainably, we are proposing to downsize by 19.8FTE (this includes a currently vacant Head of College position and vacant Head of Programme leadership positions).

Q: How are the Capable team being supported? 

Senior leadership met with the Capable NZ team in-person to explain the proposed changes and the process we will follow to seek feedback. We will ensure that kaimahi are offered continual support during this process. 

Q: Is there not another way of making this work? 

We wouldn’t be proposing these changes unless it was absolutely necessary. We believe that what we are proposing is a way forward to ensure we can still keep offering the same variety of programmes through Capable NZ. However, we are very open to feedback and alternative suggestions from affected kaimahi. 

Q: I'm finding this change quite difficult, where can I get support?

If you need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Formal Leader, your People and Culture Business Partner, our Health and Wellbeing partner, Hayley Laughton, or tap into the Telus Health Employer Assistance programme. 

We have decided to move the Kōwhai Centre and English Language Centre out of their current locations on St David Street and Forth Street. 

Q: Why is this happening?

There are a few primary reasons for this:  

1. The current Kōwhai Centre site only has four available spaces which will not enable this programme to grow. Increasing the number of rooms will allow us to increase the cohort size for the Bachelor of Social Services.  
2. As part of our drive for good business practice and continual reflection on how we’re operating, we have been reviewing our space utilisation. Due to this, we’ve found that there is plenty of available space around the campus.  
3. The English Language property on Forth Street is an ageing asset that would require more capital to keep up to an acceptable standard and we are able to fit kaimahi on our main campus.  

We will therefore be moving the Kōwhai Centre into H Block, and we are working to finalise the location for English Language. This will enable us to lower our current operating costs and to sell the St David Street and Forth Street properties.  

Q: What are the details?  

The Kōwhai Centre will be moving to the sixth floor of H Block. This is a natural fit given that Social Services staff already work in this block and the existing rooms will require minimal change to convert them into counselling rooms.  

When the counselling rooms are not in use, they will be able to be used as breakout spaces for H Block staff. We’ll also be converting H612 into a new Adobe suite and developing a new counter space.

We will let you know the details we land on for English Language when we can.  

Q: When will this happen?

We will be working with staff to confirm these desk moves during April. The desk moves will then take place during July, and the H Block rooms will be prepared as counselling rooms during August – October.  

In November, we will exit the Kōwhai Centre, and the new Kōwhai Centre will be operational from January 2026.  

We will sell the two properties in late 2025 – 2026. 

Q: Why is this happening? 

The Professorial Appointments policy was introduced in July 2005 to recognise and appoint senior academic staff.   

The first full professor was appointed in late 2005. 

The Professoriate has expanded significantly since then, peaking at 28 members in 2023.  

Te Kahui Manukura (TKM) has decided to undertake a review of the Professoriate to fully understand its contribution across Otago Polytechnic and how it can best contribute to our viability and longevity.  

Now is an excellent time to re-establish why we do things and not just rest on what has always been done. We need to continually review and re-set our operations as part of our ongoing business practice.   

By reviewing the current outputs of the Professoriate, we can ensure it is positioned to contribute effectively to our purpose and vision, and to support kaimahi to achieve our strategic priorities.

Q: What’s the purpose of the review?  

The purpose of this review is to: 

• evaluate what the Professoriate currently do against our purpose and strategic direction 
• identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for the development of the Professoriate. 

Q: What’s the process? 

An external panel has been appointed to conduct this review.  

The Professoriate will meet with members from TKM and be invited to make written and/or verbal submissions.  

Key stakeholders will also be asked to supply information to the panel.  

The panel will create a final report for TKM (due end April 2025) which will give a series of recommendations about the future focus for the Professoriate. As well as an analysis of the current outputs of the Professoriate, the report will also include identified opportunities for development and growth.  

Q: Who’s on the panel?  

To ensure an independent review, the panel consists of three external experts:  

• Emeritus Professor Lachy Paterson (University of Otago) (Chair)    
• Jamie Smiler (Head of Research, Te Pūkenga)  
• Dr Kate Timms-Dean (General Manager, Aukaha)   

Q: What’s the timeframe?  

• TKM meet with the Professoriate in late February 2025. 
• The panel will then gather the information they need during March 2025.  
• The final report will be given from the panel to TKM at the end of April 2025. 
• Recommendations and new focuses will be rolled out during 2025.  

Q: Can I get involved?  

The panel will be actively reaching out to key stakeholders who have been identified as having relevant connections to the work that the Professoriate do. 

As part of our mahi towards ensuring a financially viable future for the Polytechnic, we are proposing to stop programme delivery at Mosgiel Community Learning Centre and to discontinue the lease of the Mosgiel Library space.

Q: Why?

We have been offering the Introduction to Computing programme and various computing short courses to the community for many years but have seen a downward trend in ākonga numbers since 2021. This initiative has fallen below an acceptable level of contributing margin due to the lack of uptake.

Unfortunately, due to a staff absence following an injury, we also haven’t been running this programme or the short courses since 2024.

Q: What’s been proposed? 

We are proposing to stop delivery of the programmes and short courses. If the proposal proceeds, it will impact 1FTE.

We are also proposing to discontinue the lease of the Mosgiel Library space and to exit the Memorandum of Understanding that is currently in place.

A community-led organisation called Com2Tech (Community Communications Technology Trust) are currently running a similar programme in Mosgiel in collaboration with the Library. They have indicated that they would like to take over the building space lease if we discontinue it. We have a good relationship with Com2Tech and donate IT equipment to them quite regularly to support community initiatives.

Q: What are the next steps? 

We have met with affected kaimahi and will be working closely with them throughout this process, offering any support that they need. 
This morning, we will be connecting with any external stakeholders involved with this initiative and will also contact the handful of ākonga who have enquired about this programme. We will be offering them advice and guidance about similar options and will work with them to find a relevant pathway.

Once we reach a final decision, we will communicate this via Haumi ē and Tūhono.

Q: Any questions? 

If you have any questions, please send me an email. And, if you need any support, please reach out to your Formal Leader, your People and Culture Business Partner, our Health and Wellbeing Partner, Hayley Laughton, or access the Employee Assistance Programme. 

I know there is a lot of change happening around us all and I’m very happy to talk anytime to anyone. We need to remain focused on what we are trying to achieve as a collective, whilst supporting and taking care of each other.