“A further $3 million being spent on enhancing facilities, IT and equipment to support student learning includes this summer’s major expansion and refit of Tairäwhiti’s trades facilities.”

EIT’s groundbreaking merger with Tairäwhiti Polytechnic continues to attract keen interest from Government and the wider education sector.

The two institutes officially merged on 1 January 2011, and chief executive Chris Collins says the ongoing exercise is proving very successful.

With 200-plus programmes offered at Taradale and in Gisborne, the pressure was on to harmonise teaching and learning portfolios. More than $1 million was spent pokies online on facilities, IT and equipment to prepare for the first semester.

“Laying the groundwork across finance, IT and HR was a huge exercise completed on schedule – thanks to the significant efforts of management, staff and consultants,” says Tairäwhiti campus director Jan Mogford.

Enrolment systems now encompass a combined role of 4,500 equivalent full time students – 3,300 for Hawke’s Bay and 1,200 for Tairäwhiti – some 12,000 students across both campuses.

“Once the immediate big items were dealt with, we moved to review all core services across the two campuses, looking for sustainability, efficiencies and improvements. That review process is still underway,” Mr Collins says.

Changes being progressively rolled out to achieve further improvements include greater use of video-conferencing, more emphasis on web-based teaching and learning and the upcoming launch of the EIT-led Hawke’s Bay and Tairäwhiti Schools’ Trades Academy.

“While the merger hasn’t been without its pain,” Mr Collins says, pointing to ongoing but necessary job changes and losses, “staff across both campuses have approached the challenges in a very constructive way.”