Vice-Chancellor’s Report 2010 was a year of challenges and new efforts, they greatly assisted the clean-up Our development of Learning Resources is beginnings for the University of Canterbury. operation, proving to be terrific ambassadors progressing well after a lengthy consultation While some challenges were expected, others for the University and upholding our status period in which staff spoke and the University were unforeseen. as a significant contributor to the community. listened. I would like to thank staff, students The opening of four new centres for research Their efforts prompted the Prime Minister, and other stakeholders for their engagement excellence and teaching strengthened our the Right Honourable John Key, to personally with this process. We are moving toward an commitment to providing a world-class thank UC student Sam Johnson for his role in environment where learning materials can learning environment and took the first galvanising support and organising others. be accessed anywhere, at any time, meeting steps toward delivering on our Statement of The BlueFern supercomputer has also provided the requirements of tomorrow’s students. Strategic Intent. significant data that has enabled national Integral to this is our partnership agreement announced in August with Microsoft New The implementation of Project Star (Supporting emergency response institutions to understand Zealand, the first in New Zealand, under which Teaching and Research) and the Canterbury the earthquake’s effects and provide a more Microsoft becomes a partner in NZi3 and the earthquake provided challenges, which were efficient response in the future. It is greatly University is able to access a vast array of met with resilience and determination. satisfying that our cutting-edge research capabilities are benefiting the country as well products, services and collaborations. Few people had predicted that an earthquake as improving our standing in international The library network will remain our central of 7.1 magnitude would hit Canterbury but the research. To this end, the University is hub of learning, continuing to provide a safe preparations and emergency action plans we preparing to make further investment in High and inspiring place of study, which is being had put in place in recent years proved vital in Performance Computing as part of the National brought into the 21st century. Innovative staff preventing extensive damage and disruption. e-science Infrastructure project. members recognised that the earthquake Thanks to the hard work and commitment In all, the earthquake provided an unparalleled provided an opportunity to bring forward of all staff we were able to minimise the opportunity for the University, as one plans to install radio frequency identification closure of premises and complete much of the of the cornerstones of education in the systems into the library’s print and visual clean up process within days, which was an region, to fulfil its mission of critiquing collections. This will facilitate greater self- outstanding achievement. Within two months and disseminating relevant research and service opportunities for students and greater we were largely “back on track”. Further work information, and in supporting its community. efficiency in stock management, bringing at the James Hight Library continued over We want to build further on this foundation. benefits for staff and students alike. summer in preparation for its re-opening in There were a number of new appointments February 2011. A challenge of equal measure was met with our response to the implementation of Project to the Senior Management Team during the The manner in which staff and students STAR, which was intended to ensure that the year, including Lynn McClelland (Director of responded to delays and changes to the core functions of the University (Finance, HR, Communications and External Relations), delivery of programmes was equally Marketing and Communications, Registry, Professor Sue McKnight (Pro-Vice-Chancellor impressive and ensured minimal disruption Student Services, Library, ICTS and Facilities Learning Resources), Dr Nello Angerilli (Pro-Vice- to our students. We ensured that examination Management) were ably led and appropriately Chancellor Student Services and International) results were posted and graduation resourced. and Professor Ed Adelson (Pro-Vice-Chancellor ceremonies occurred within our original Arts). Professor Steve Weaver was appointed With the project almost complete, we must calendar timetable. Students and staff Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research) and acknowledge the hard work, unity and have also benefitted from greatly expanded Professor Richard Duke was appointed commitment staff have displayed during online resources, thanks to support from our Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic). international publishers. difficult circumstances. I am delighted that Darryn Russell (Ngai The University will now see $2.7 million savings Since 4 September we have played an Tahu) has accepted the position of Assistant in annual personnel costs. Fragmentation important role in informing and assisting the Vice-Chancellor (Māori) and will join the and duplication in service delivery has been wider community to rebuild and progress. University in April. The appointment comes as reduced and the flattened reporting structures The popular earthquake lectures delivered by the University welcomed a record number of mean we now have a logically structured members of the geology department provided students who identify as Māori. The Assistant organisation, with more flexibility and clearly research-based information to the local Vice-Chancellor (Māori) and the newly created defined accountabilities and roles. More community and answered the concerns of Senior Pacific Advisor position are part of a importantly, it allows us to make the most of the public. wider restructuring, which will improve our resources entrusted to us and consequently The response of students was equally cultural connectedness and enhance our allows greater investment in teaching and pleasing. In the wake of the earthquake ability to provide a first-class education to research. I want to acknowledge that, as a several thousand assisted those in the all students. result of these changes, a number of dedicated, community that were most affected. Using long-serving staff have left the University. social networking sites to organise their 6 University of Canterbury I am confident that the sense of purpose our commitment to we have collectively shown throughout helping people make 2010 proves we are able to overcome many a difference in years to obstacles in our quest to deliver a truly world- come. Financial and in-kind class experience for students and researchers. assistance has been secured to It is reflective of our flexibility and adaptability help establish and develop that in a year which provided such challenges, the centre. we have grown and developed our research The Waterways Centre for Freshwater capabilities. Management, opened in August by The Biological Sciences Building was the Minister for the Environment Nick officially opened in October by the Prime Smith, provides us with another centre of excellence that will continue the University’s Minister and has become a flagship facility. agreed to serve on traditions of providing a standard of quality, It provides six levels of specialist areas for our newly formed independence and objectivity in our research. biological research that house state-of-the-art Technology Transfer It will create high calibre graduates to equipment to support the first-class research Committee to guide the undertaken by staff and students. tackle the increasingly prevalent issue of transfer of new intellectual water resource management, providing a The facility cements the University as the property arising from UC’s research. leading research and teaching institute of knowledge and skills base which will benefit The University continued its partnership study in biological sciences in New Zealand. It the country’s economy and help preserve with the Canterbury Development Corporation also reflects our commitment to environmental our iconic water bodies. The research has and the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of sustainability with its innovative design particular relevance to the Canterbury region, Commerce to encourage growth through the concepts that maximise energy efficiency, use which places a high value on its water V5 initiative. Four projects have been selected of sustainable materials and its inventive water resource for social, cultural, recreational and that, in the eyes of the independent judges, recycling systems. economic use. Another new institute, The New Zealand have the ability to generate significant value to Also this year, the Biomolecular Interaction the Canterbury region over the next 20 years. Centre benefited from a multi-million dollar Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour, launched in December, has recently These include an international village focused investment that propelled it to become on learning and advanced applied knowledge, one of the premier research institutes on appointed five new post-doctoral fellows the restoration and sustainable use of Lake Te campus. Research projects on new forms of and has attracted more than $2 million of Ao Hou and two irrigation projects – Central antibiotic design to combat diseases such Marsden Fund grants during its first year of Plains Water and Lake Hurunui. Staff