18 December 2020
Rawiri Piahana
By email:
[FYI request #14201 email]
Dear
Rawiri
Official information request for information around University Hall
accommodation advice during lockdown due to COVID
I refer to your request for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
dated
25 November 2020:
“I am requesting information around the University halls being shut and
students impacted from halls during lockdown this year.
Did the University receive legal advice around sending the initial email to
students - from accommodation services - "Subject: Communication to all hall
students COVID-19 - returning home" on the 23rd of March this year.
If the University received legal advice, are you able to provide a copy of the
advice?
Did the University receive legal advice when the decision was made and an
email was sent around the 24th of April to start charging for accommodation
even though students who were not in their halls would not be able to return
because of the lockdown level?
If the University received legal advice, are you able to provide a copy of the
advice?
Am I able to get all correspondence related to the making of this decision,
including who heads the department or division ultimately?
Am I able to all get correspondence related to the change in direction and the
overturning of this decision to charge a fee to students who would not be able to
return?
- A lot of public pressure was put on the University and I am interested in
understanding what was going through the minds of senior staff, because the
Vice-chancellor appeared to be clear that this would happen?
The University has stated how much the lockdown would cause a loss in
accommodation and that this should not be subsidised by academic funds.
Now that we are approaching the end of the year, can you tell me how much the
University has had to cover/pay because students were not in their halls and
thus were not required to pay their fees over lockdown?
- I would not expect this to include any costs for advertising to fill empty beds,
grants that covered accommodation fees, wages for staff positions that have not
existed previously, depreciation and such.
- I would expect this loss calculation to include savings due to lower catering
costs, power costs, staff departing and not being paid, cleaning cost savings (if
they were not paid) and such.
Has the University received or used any grants to cover accommodation costs
for students while they were not in halls?”
The Act requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20
working days after the day we received your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible
to meet that time limit and we are therefore writing to notify you of an extension of the
time to make our decision, to
12 February 2021. This extension is necessary because consultations necessary to make a decision on your
request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original
time limit, taking into account the fact that many University personnel are on leave over
the holiday period.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact me at
[VUW request email]. Yours sincerely
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington