University Sellout

The growth sector education-wise in Gods Own at the moment, is capitalism. Free enterprise is getting into the top notch of New Zealands "state" education system, and nobody gives a stuff.

Marketing, Finance, Business Studies, Industrial Relations—are all coming or have already arrived at Victoria University. Even the proposed Education Research Centre is being originally financed by the Mckenzie Foundation—the philanthropic arm of the store chain.

All of these efforts are either financed by, or are catering directly to, the business community. Is this what a university is for? Academics are too stuck in their own little niches to think about it, and sit silently by as academic standards, integrity, and university independence go flying out the window.

Most of the money comes without apparent strings, but most of it runs out after a few years leaving the baby in the University's lap. And will the U.G.C. come running with the extra dollars then? Like hell they will! "It wasn't our idea in the first place." And they'll be right—it wasn't. But their overhead axeman, the National Government is doing its bit to help.

It was interesting to note in the Evening Post of Sat. 22nd August that Robbing Rob Muldoon, the Tory Minister of Finesse, had announced that all donations to the Industrial Relations Centre will be tax deductible.

So the local Fat Caps are laughing. They work a tax dodge and turn out little Brierlies by the hundred to make more money to bribe more ministers to work more tax dodges for them. Bloody good business, but is it the function of a university?

The offers of thousands of dollars look pretty good to a university suffering from economic malnutrition, and the bait is snapped up thoughtlessly. The Library has to buy extra books (or whatever it is that apprentice businessmen read) for the new subjects—but money for the Library is going down, not up.

The university administration is overtaxed now. How many more departments can it handle?

How much assurance do we have that the money which is coming from business is without strings? I can find little. The threat of withdrawal of funds must always hang over the department or centre concerned.

At Victoria we don't even have a Stage III course in Maori—there is no advanced study of the language or culture of our native people. Why is there no money for this?

The social sciences are all crying out for money and facilities for research into the social problems of the country. Why is there no money for this?

The Library can only afford about half of the purchases regarded as essential by academic departments. Why is there no money for books?

The pattern must be clear by now. The almighty dollar is taking over.