Stakeholders Breakfast: Chancellor Jim Bolger welcomes community leaders.
Waikato University has hosted its annual Stakeholders’ Breakfast, designed to keep the community informed about the organisation’s financial and student situation.
Chancellor Jim Bolger and Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford welcomed guests to the April 1 event held at the University of Waikato’s Academy of Performing Arts.
Among them were MPs Nanaia Mahuta, Tim Macindoe, David Bennett and Sue Moroney, Hamilton City Council and Environment Waikato representatives and business leaders. They were joined by senior members of the university.
Mr Bolger thanked community leaders for their turnout and encouraged them to stay connected with the university because it is a very important part of the region.
Professor Crawford revealed the university’s surplus of $9.4 million (up from a budgeted $7.5 million), and spoke about the organisation’s student numbers. By late March, the university had 8215 Ministry-funded (ie domestic) Equivalent Full Time Students, up 2.5% on the same time last year.
All universities must work to a maximum of 103% of their Ministry-funded EFTS target and Waikato University finished 2010 on 102% of its target. The university is sitting on about 94% of its target for 2011 and continues to manage enrolments carefully, Professor Crawford said.
The key message for the community to take away was that the university was growing steadily in all areas but was not becoming complacent, Professor Crawford said. The organisation was already deciding its next major capital project; the $30 million Student Centre project will be complete later this year.
See the video below to hear what Professor Crawford says about the breakfast or visit VC On Demand for more photographs.