• UNIVERSITY
HAPPENINGS
SURVEYING OUR RECRUITMENT Richard Hemi
A
s the surveying and spatial
ue to provide generous scholarships
industry in New Zealand and
and awards for our students, as well
school had the luxury of turning
abroad continues to feel the
as those companies that are able to
away even moderate numbers of
effects of high workloads and a short-
provide financial assistance to run our
good students who have met the
age of skilled staff, we need to look
traditional awards event afternoon
minimum first-year standards, and
carefully at providing the appropriate
tea.
we encourage any student who
resourcing for effective recruitment,
It has been many years since the
wants to continue with surveying but
marketing and publicity. While
AS ONE CLASS graduates and moves
hasn’t succeeded in their first year to
global events, inflation and changes
out into the profession, another starts
continue on in one of the other BScs
in immigration patterns will create
at ground zero – our intermediate
on offer.
differing effects on our economy and
year. This year we are pleased to see
housing demands, the longer term
an increase of almost 10% in first-year
and spatial degrees, and ultimately
need for trained S+S professionals is
students.
produce more graduates, our
unlikely to be reduced.
This increase in numbers is timely
The immediate situation is
To increase numbers in all survey
first-year intake needs to increase. A
as the university has officially raised
further interesting point that could
likely to become worse, with the
the Bachelor of Surveying acceptance
greatly increase student numbers
temporary loss of the recently
number to 70; something that may
would be for the profession to
qualified 20-somethings from our
not be well known by members. The
improve its gender balance in re-
profession and others – something
school feels it would be capable of
cruitment and honour a commitment
that I am experiencing first hand
accommodating further students if
S+SNZ made to the Diversity Agenda
with the upcoming departure of my
a larger numbers of students met
in 2020.
two older children on their ‘overseas
the entry requirements. Also, there
experiences’.
is no limit on the entry into the BScs
important to our two polytechnic
Student numbers are also
surveying and spatial courses so this is
institutions offering the NZ Diploma
AT THE TIME of writing this article, the
another area where student numbers
in Surveying under the governance
School of Surveying is preparing to
could increase.
of the new national polytechnics
welcome back our kaiwhakapotae –
body – Te Pūkenga. Both Unitec in
graduates – of 2021 for their grad-
WHILE LAST YEAR’S SURV101 class had
Auckland, and Toi Ohomai in Tauranga
uation ceremony. After two years of
100 students, a number of these
(teaching students by distance
disrupted graduations, we are looking
students either did not pass the
in various locations around the
forward to celebrating and honouring
minimum standard of seven papers
country) report positive numbers and
the achievement of this class.
for entry into the BSurv, or were
busy teaching workloads. The two
taking the paper as part of another
institutions are currently working
degree.
hard on a unification programme
The school thanks the companies and survey organisations that contin-
42 SURVEYING+SPATIAL
•
Issue 108 June 2022
