Dear Erika,

 

I refer to your request of 23 September 2023. The purpose of this email is
to clarify that request.

 

“How many tenure teaching positions are at this institution as of today?”

“I understand about 10 years ago, tenure position's were beginning to be
"phased out".
Would you please share the minutes, memos and correspondence on the
decisions to discontinue offering tenure teaching positions at the
University of Auckland.”

 

Please clarify what you mean by “tenure”. New Zealand universities do not
have tenured positions in the Canadian/American sense. The specific terms
of the University’s employment agreements with its staff are publicly
available here: [1]https://uoacollectiveagreements.blogs.au...

 

“How many total teaching positions are at the University of Auckland as of
today?”

Please clarify whether by “teaching positions” you mean teaching-only
roles, with no research or service component, or whether you wish to
request information about the total number of academic staff. I note that
information about the number of academic staff employed by the University
is publicly available in our annual reports:
[2]https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/a...

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

 

From: Erika Whittome <[3][FOI #24212 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 23 September 2023 8:07 am
To: legal <[4][University of Auckland request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tenure positions are the U of
Auckland

 

Dear University of Auckland,
How many tenure teaching positions are at this institution as of today?

How many total teaching positions are at the University of Auckland as of
today?

I understand about 10 years ago, tenure position's were beginning to be
"phased out".

Would you please share the minutes, memos and correspondence on the
decisions to discontinue offering tenure teaching positions at the
University of Auckland.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #24212 email]

Is [6][University of Auckland request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to University of Auckland? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[7]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. https://uoacollectiveagreements.blogs.au...
2. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/a...
3. mailto:[FOI #24212 email]
4. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
5. mailto:[FOI #24212 email]
6. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
7. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
8. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

Dear Erika,

 

I refer to your request of 23 September 2023. As consultations necessary
to make a decision on your request are such that a response cannot
reasonably be given within the original time limit, the University has
extended the time limit for your request under section 15A(1)(b) of the
OIA. The new maximum time limit for the University’s response is 3
November 2023; we will respond to your request as soon as reasonably
practicable. You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you
are dissatisfied with this extension.

Yours sincerely,

 

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

 

From: Erika Whittome <[1][FOI #24212 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 10:58 AM
To: Landon Watt <[2][email address]>
Subject: RE: 2023-OIA-0169-Whittome_2

 

Dear Landon Watt,
Thank you for sharing those links.

I see the collective employment agreement for academic staff has the
following:

10. PUBLIC COMMENTARY & ACADEMIC FREEDOM
10.1 An employee in commenting on matters of public interest outside their
particular areas of
expertise or responsibility must do so in a private capacity unless they
have first obtained
the specific approval of the employer through the appropriate academic
head.

You may say tenure is a Canadian/American term however universities
outside north american have positions that have indefinite academic
appointment. By "tenure" , I am referring academic positions which have an
indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or
under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program
discontinuation. Tenure is a means of defending the principle of academic
freedom.

How many such academic positions exist at the University of Auckland that
do not have limited academic freedom such as outlined in 10.1 above of the
collective agreement?

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

show quoted sections

Dear Erika,

 

The University’s response to your request follows.

 

“How many tenure teaching positions are at this institution as of today?

How many total teaching positions are at the University of Auckland as of
today?”

Although “tenure” is not a term used at the University of Auckland, you
have clarified that you are referring to academic positions which have “an
indefinite academic appointment”. I can confirm that the University
currently has 1,345 full-time equivalent permanent academic staff in roles
that include teaching duties, out of a total of 1,509 full-time equivalent
academic staff in roles that include teaching duties.

 

New Zealand law does not allow the employer to terminate the employment of
permanent employees without cause. All permanent employees in New Zealand
have indefinite appointment by definition. If the appointment is for a
defined period, that is fixed term employment. See
[1]https://www.employment.govt.nz/ for further information about
employment law in New Zealand.

 

“I understand about 10 years ago, tenure position's were beginning to be
"phased out".

Would you please share the minutes, memos and correspondence on the
decisions to discontinue offering tenure teaching positions at the
University of Auckland.”

 

The University has not “phased out” the employment of staff on permanent
academic contracts. This constitutes a refusal of your request under
section 18(e) of the OIA, as the documents requested do not exist.

 

“How many such academic positions exist at the University of Auckland that
do not have limited academic freedom such as outlined in 10.1 above of the
collective agreement?”

 

I note you have cited only part of section 10 of the collective employment
agreement for academic staff – I have reproduced it in full for ease of
reference:

 

“10. PUBLIC COMMENTARY & ACADEMIC FREEDOM

10.1 An employee in commenting on matters of public interest outside their
particular areas of expertise or responsibility must do so in a private
capacity unless they have first obtained the specific approval of the
employer through the appropriate academic head. See the Media, Public
Communication and Statements Policy.

10.2 The disciplinary procedures shall not be applied to any academic
employee as a consequence of exercising their rights and obligations in
relation to academic freedom and the critic and conscience of society
consistent with section 267 of the Education and Training Act of 2020”

 

This section is present in both the collective employment agreement for
academic staff and the individual employment agreement terms and
conditions (both available at
[2]https://uoacollectiveagreements.blogs.au...). All permanent
academic staff at the University of Auckland are employed under the
collective employment agreement or the individual employment agreement.  

 

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response. Requests under the Official Information
Act must specify the information requested with due particularity.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

 

 

From: Erika Whittome <[3][FOI #24212 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 10:58 AM
To: Landon Watt <[4][email address]>
Subject: RE: 2023-OIA-0169-Whittome_2

 

Dear Landon Watt,
Thank you for sharing those links.

I see the collective employment agreement for academic staff has the
following:

10. PUBLIC COMMENTARY & ACADEMIC FREEDOM
10.1 An employee in commenting on matters of public interest outside their
particular areas of
expertise or responsibility must do so in a private capacity unless they
have first obtained
the specific approval of the employer through the appropriate academic
head.

You may say tenure is a Canadian/American term however universities
outside north american have positions that have indefinite academic
appointment. By "tenure" , I am referring academic positions which have an
indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or
under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program
discontinuation. Tenure is a means of defending the principle of academic
freedom.

How many such academic positions exist at the University of Auckland that
do not have limited academic freedom such as outlined in 10.1 above of the
collective agreement?

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

show quoted sections