In an all-staff forum this week, acting vice-chancellor Prof Helen Nicholson said while in the past there was evidence students go to the university because of choice, since the Covid-19 pandemic "having too much choice increases anxiety".
It was stated in the forum that the university currently offers more than 4000 papers.
Students and alumni yesterday branded Prof Nicholson’s comments as "ridiculous" and a "despicable excuse" for making cuts.
Peace and conflict studies alumni Daniel Benson said it was "an incredible reframe of the need for savings. Students want a broad education that allows them to apply what they learn to the real world. Choice is vital".
Cora Scott, law student, said that Prof Nicholson’s comments were "ridiculous".
"Part of the appeal of the university is the wealth of choice and that the university cares for a range of interests," she said.
Rosie Cruickshank, psychology and statistics student, was another who took issue with the comments.
"This is just a despicable excuse for cuts to papers.
"What makes me anxious is not getting a quality education, lecturers having to reapply for jobs, or the university turning into a shell of its former self," she said.
"I reckon we need choice," Rebecca Benington, a geology student said.
"We have some papers and programmes that attract very few students," she said.
"If we were to lose them, we are not going to lose significant numbers of students, I suggest."
There were "hidden savings" from cutting papers, she said, as every paper added complexity to student admissions, enrolment and student development.
However, she also acknowledged that the "risk is always that we throw the baby out with the bathwater, and therefore going through a consultation process is really important".
Prof Nicholson told the ODT a significant portion of the savings needed will need to come from reduced staffing costs.
"These may result from a review of the papers and programmes we offer at the university to ensure they are financially sustainable and strategically valuable".
When quizzed in the forum about whether staff who are teaching papers with low numbers of students taking them were more at risk of losing their jobs, Prof Nicholson replied that there would be a process of working with departments to find out why some papers have low uptake before any decisions were made.
"It is not a case of ‘the paper goes, you taught this paper and you therefore definitely go’ — it is more nuanced how we will do that."
Otago University Student Association (OUSA) president Quintin Jane told the ODT the association had been working with the university regarding its proposal to reduce paper offerings, and had drawn attention to the problems of papers that are inconsistently offered.
"OUSA of course wants students to have the flexibility to choose the papers they can take and want to take."
"Choice is good, and students should be able to take the papers they want to take, but when the papers can only be taught irregularly, this can also be difficult for students," Mr Jane said.
