The destruction of Sciences at Massey University and why we need an independent entity that can investigate universities

Abstract

This article summarises the events that led to the dismantling of the school of Natural and Computational Sciences at Massey University, Albany campus, and the unsuccessful attempts to prevent it by staff, the public and the New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS). Although challenging to prove, we argue that the dismantling was unnecessary, senseless and counterproductive. The unsuccessful attempts to save an academically and financially viable school exposed a weakness in the current Education and Training Act and demonstrated why New Zealand (NZ) needs an independent entity that could investigate universities, guard the national interests, ensure accountability of tertiary institutions’ administration, and protect the academic freedom of individual academics.