The National University of Samoa is under instructions to look seriously into where its cost cuting knife should start slashing, to ease the financial pressures of keeping its survival nose above water.

The University ProChancellor and Minister of Education, Toomata Alapati, told Newsline on Friday that the Senate has been asked to come up with suggestions for the Executive Committee of the Council to consider.

Getting rid of the NUS Foundation Programme has been floated but the notion has been strongly denied by the ProChancellor.

The Foundation Programme takes in the brightest young minds culled from the college level every year, and it is also where most of the scholarship students for higher studies overseas are recruited. 

 “It is inaccurate (reports on the Foundation), we have discussed the issue as the Executive Committee of Council and resolved that the Senate look into the situation as part of our exercise of cost saving measures, because we are experiencing financial difficulties,” Toomata says.

“All areas of academic activities of the University has to be taken into consideration and that includes the Foundation Programme.

“At present we do not have any intention of doing away with it for the simple reason that we don’t know where to put them.

“Our colleges around the country are not ready or equipped to take in that extra year for students, but right now I don’t see the Foundation programme being phased out for the next 5 years at least.”

The ProChancellor assured that it is only when the Ministry of Education has fully developed its curriculum programme at the college level in the rural areas, will the NUS consider shifting the responsibility away.

 ‘Althoughy we are in financial difficulties that is part of education, it seldom has enough money to last the financial year, but when it comes to the education of the young children that is foremost for us.”

Toomata admitted that if there is to be any cutting done ‘it will probabaly come from the academic staffing and support services like electricity, water consumption and phone usage,

He added that the administrative arm of the University is doing their own assesment as part of the overall exercise.

Findings from the exercise are expected to be worked into the NUS budget to be submitted for approval in the new financial year for 2008/2009.

The NUS annual budget of between $12 -$15 million is funded mostly by Government with the main source of revenue for the institution coming from student fees.

A consulting firm of the univeristy has been set up as well as a new source of revenue for consultancy work done by the academic staff, and according to the ProChancellor it has already accumalated earnings of $50,000 on its second year.

Toomata expects another avenue of revenue to come from the Institute of Technology now that it has merged with the Institute of Higher Learning to form the National University.

Student fees for the Institute of Technology were raised by a 100 per cent at the beginning of this year as well.

‘We were concerned at first that it might affect the number of students wishing to enroll, but that has not been the case.”

Toomata was quick to add that there are no immediate plans to raise the fees any time sooner.

He noted also that while student fees are the major source of revenues for the university, most of the students are on Government scholarships, which means, “ generating money from one pocket and into another.”

The Ministry of Finance is exerting pressure on the educational institution to look at ways to recover some of the costs involved in running the University.

Toomata believes that budgetwise the merging of the two institutes is an added burden because instead of two separate budgets, the NUS is reduced to a single shared budget.

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Comments (2)

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how to save money?
written by samalo, April 16, 2008

What are you talking about Hon.minister of education? We have too much money, see we are now going to change the side of the road to drive on because we have more than enough in the reserve bank. Why are you contradicting your leader the PM? Your cabinet and your Human Rights Pepelo Party brought up this RHD bill, an idea by your leader the PM, and now you are saying you are trying to save money because you are running out of it? You are a joke Hon minister!!!

unbelievable
written by heartbreaker, April 16, 2008

Yeah, too much money to throw away. See, even our white elephants of the 2007 SPG are starting to look like brownies
ITs unbelievable the govt wants to do the switch so fast knowing that there are so many other prioritized areas that needed attention first.
Heres the NUS saying they dont have much money, and look at the Health with their own complaints about lack of funds to tackle the diabetic and heart problems among so many things.

Soga loloke fua le iku o le auala e feoai ai ae le loloke muamua lakou magava ua ova le kaukau koeikiki le mafai oga savavali )

People have limits to their patience...not everyone is soft and not everyone is a fool mr mp.

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