Massey’s Food and Technology degree cut in Albany

Food and Technology at Massey has been cut in Albany, while other degrees are suddenly switching online.

Albany Nutrition student, Sydney Coop, said her social skills in the workplace will suffer from studying online. 

Many students across Massey campuses have been moved online, many without consultation or warning of these changes. 

Some employers have been known to not respect a degree that was earned online, sometimes assuming students could have cheated or plagiarized their work easily. 

Coop felt employers may not trust her degree due to “online stigma”.  

Additionally, such changes also affect student's chances of getting the full experience that comes with university. 

“The whole university experience is going to class, interacting with people around you”. 

Furthermore, these changes affect student’s ability to adapt to a learning style they didn’t originally sign up for.  

Coops said learning online would “affect my confidence as well as my social skills”. 

She was nervous to do chemistry labs online, assuming this will be difficult. 

Social Work student Maya was surprised her courses were moved online, saying social work is an interactive career.  

“I think I might feel less connected to the people I’m learning from like my classmates and lecturers.” 

She wondered whether employers would see that she learned via distance and question whether she could be fit for work.  

“I do have some fears that it would affect my employment.” 

A Massey University spokesperson said more than 50% of its students choose to study online.

“The university does prioritise social interaction and collaborative learning in our online courses and programmes. Social work in particular has block courses, placements and a noho marae experience specifically for this.”

“In regards to online chemistry labs, these were developed during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and were designed specifically with students in mind. We have received positive feedback from students about them.”

“We understand that studying online will be a new experience for some students, however, there are a range of resources and support systems in place to help students”.