Staff at Auckland's Unitec are tired and stressed by the ongoing restructuring of the polytechnic, the Tertiary Education Union says.
Classes from the Albany courses will now be held on the Mt Albert campus. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The institution announced yesterday it would close its Albany campus where 300 students and 20 staff are based.
Unitec said it was closing the Albany base to focus resources on a major redevelopment of its Mount Albert campus, which was announced last year.
Unitec chief executive Rick Ede said the North Shore was a difficult area to get a foothold in.
Tertiary Education Union national president Sandra Grey said staff were working through a period of continuous change and it was taking its toll.
She said it was important for Unitec to have state-of-the-art facilities, but not at the expense of staff.
"A little bit more attention in the sector on the actual people who work in the sector is probably what's needed.
"Of course it's really important to have the latest spaces in terms of teaching and learning. But not at the cost of the health and well-being of the staff and students," she said.
Ms Grey said these latest changes were a response by the institution for the need to do more with less money.