Staff shortages at university

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 25

Staff shortages at university

Staff shortages in some departments at the University of Canterbury were “quite serious,” the ViceChancellor (Professor A. D. Brownlie) told the university council yesterday. In 1975 the university had one tutor to every 13 students. On July 1 this year the ratio was one tutor to 15 students, he said.

The figures made allowances for part-time staff, and for the fact that students who took advanced units enrolled for fewer courses.

The deterioration had been forced on the university by the inflation of non-salary costs and the increase in the salaries bill as staff moved up the salary scales. t

I Professor Brownlie said ! the university had not been able to employ enough staff for several departments this year. The number of students enrolled over the last five years had risen 12.3 per cent, while staff had remained stable over all, with a slight drop in administration staff. Commerce and law seemed to be the subjects gaining in popularity: 72.6 per cent more students taking commerce and 19.9 per cqnt more studying law. Professor Brownlie said that the engineering, fine arts, arts, and forestry [courses had entry limits on I them.