Claims Wellington Fine Arts and Photography buildings to be sold denied
Multiple sources tell Massive of plans for the Wellington Fine Arts and Photography buildings to be sold or leased next year.
However, the university says there are no current plans, but are deciding how to use space for the College of Creative Arts “refreshed 2025 curriculum”.
As of May, 624 courses faced retirement, and it is unclear whether these cuts will stop.
Film and Photography student, Arlo Macmillan echoed students’ belief saying, “Blocks 2 and 6 are being sold."
“The whole thing is being managed so poorly.”
Regarding suspected property sales he said, “The thing is that students don’t know if they are or aren’t losing it and the staff can’t give them a definite answer because they don’t know.”
While the university decides what to cut down on, the Dominion Building has been undergoing fancy renovations since 2023 for the new Screen Arts Academy.
Max Woolf, co-president of the BSA Film Club, said keeping staff and courses is more important than upgrading buildings, saying this will keep the university’s “foundations strong”.
He sung praises for the upgraded Screen Arts building, however, the fear of course cuts still loomed.
“The thing I’m most scared of is our whole course being cut and us losing everything."
A Massey University spokesperson said there were no current plans to sell Block 2 or Block 6, however, “spaces that are deemed surplus will be assessed to determine their most appropriate future use”.
In an interview in March, vice chancellor Jan Thomas confirmed with Massive that she wished to sell or lease 50% of the university’s property.
The Massey spokesperson said the College of Creative Arts is examining spaces and considering how to best allocate space to suit the refreshed 2025 curriculum.
Late last year, the university sent out a proposal request for realty partners to assist in selling and leasing over $150 million worth of property from all three campuses. However, the document did not list 50% of Massey property.
The spokesperson went on to explain that any funding would go into ensuring “our campuses offer modern and fit-for-purpose spaces for … the current and future needs of our people".