Level 2, Wintec House
P 0800 86 22 84
Corner Anglesea and Nisbet Sts
info@tepūkenga.ac.nz
Hamilton 3204
tepūkenga.ac.nz
13 June 2023
M D Stewart
By email: [FYI request #22790 email]
Tēnā koe M D Stewart
Request under the Official Information Act 1982 – Unitec Osteopathy Programme
Thank you for your email of 12 May 2023, requesting the fol owing information from Te
Pūkenga trading as Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec) – we have numbered your request
for ease of reference:
1. I request documents from the 2018 Renewal Plan relating to the review and
closure of the osteopathy department, the programmes, (BAppSc, MOst), and the
student osteopathy clinic in particular, documents relating to financial
performance, profit and loss statements, revenue and operating expenses,
student EFS and associated funding used in reviewing and closing these
programmes.
2. Also in particular documentary evidence related to the consultation that has been
stated by Unitec staff was undertaken with the Osteopathic Council, Osteopaths
New Zealand, the profession, alumni, and staff regarding the closure or transfer
of the course in 2017-18.
This letter provides a formal response to your request under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA).
The decision
With respect to the first part of your request, unfortunately the information you requested
does not exist. Specifically, the decision to close Unitec’s osteopathy programmes was made
prior to the release of the 2018 Renewal Plan. Accordingly, there are no documents from the
Renewal Plan that relate to the review and closure of the osteopathy programmes. We are
therefore refusing this part of your request under section 18(e) of the OIA because the
requested information does not exist.
With respect to the second part of your request, Unitec did not directly consult with either
external stakeholders or kaimahi (staff) regarding the decision to close the osteopathy
programmes. This was an internal business decision.
Unitec did seek feedback from external stakeholders as to whether Unitec should reconsider
its decision to close the Unitec osteopathy programmes, following Auckland University of
Technology’s 2018 decision not to proceed with an osteopathy programme. The only record
of this is contained within specific Advisory Group meeting minutes.
We enclose copies of the
Advisory Group meeting minutes that refer to this feedback as
Appendix One. Please note
that we have withheld some names from within the documents under section 9(2)(a) of the
OIA to protect the privacy of natural persons. We have considered the public interest in
releasing this information and do not believe it outweighs the need to withhold it at this time.
You have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the OIA if
you are not happy with this response. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by cal ing 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Peter Winder
Tumuaki | Chief Executive
Page |
2