Some university staff say they're worried that other universities will follow Otago and Canterbury and make cuts.
The University of Otago's council on Tuesday voted to disestablish its design department, and the University of Canterbury is restructuring its non-academic staff.
The president of the Tertiary Education Union, Dr Tom Ryan, says universities have been restructuring since the Government announced funding cuts in last year's Budget.
He says those cuts include $50 million over two years from money specifically earmarked for academics' salaries.
But the Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce, says universities restructure as part of their normal business, and their cutbacks are not due to government funding changes.
