Creative Writing Courses Under Threat
Image from NZSA Photo: Provided
Creative writing courses at some tertiary institutions are under threat, and that's got writers, students and the wider literary community worried.
While online courses seem popular with management, teachers and students argue that bringing them together in person, and collaborating with students involved in other tertiary courses, is a much better option for writers who're starting out.
Mandy Hager is a former student at Whitireia Polytechnic in Wellington and has gone on to teach creative writing there for the past 10 years. She's recently written about cost cutting in several humanities departments including her own, and her concerns for the next generation of creative writing students.
Whitireia have confirmed with RNZ that the creative writing department is to be dropped. Hager believes that, despite the many books and awards gathered by alumni over the years, and - she believes - student numbers staying relatively steady that "our institution is failing — and those at the top have pulled up the ladders, allowing tutors and students to flail while they protect their high-paying jobs." She points out the significant money spent on a significant new building in Wellington with Weltec, Te Auaha at a time when student numbers have been falling.
"At a time when creative thinking and problem solving is going to be required to help pull us out of our global mess," she writes, "it seems very short-sighted (and foolish) to be backing away from the very courses that will help us move forwards and bind people together through the communication of ideas and thoughts."
We invited Whitirea to comment on Mandy's concerns. Chief Executive Chris Gosling: "Creative writing has been part of the portfolio of programmes offered by Whitireia Community Polytechnic for many years and we've been proud to be associated with some great writers (teachers and students) and writing during that time.
"The Creative Writing major within our Creative degree is one of over 30 programmes currently offered at Te Auaha, the school of creativity and hospitality, jointly run by Whitireia and WelTec.
"Recently we made a decision to not offer the Creative Writing major in the Creative Degree for new enrolments in 2020. Due to consistently low student enrolments, the Creative Writing major is currently not financially viable. Consistent with the national trend, since 2013, Whitireia and WelTec domestic enrolments have fallen by more than 1000.
"Given this challenging situation of falling enrolments, and the financial issues that creates, our focus has been on ensuring we're offering a strong and viable mix of quality programmes for our students - including introducing three new creative programmes, all subject to NZQA approval. Students and their families can be confident that they continue to have access to a broad range of programmes across a range of disciplines including creative programmes."
But its not just Whitireia in the firing line. Poet Michael Steven is a proud graduate of Manukau Institute of Technology, where there has also been talk of cutbacks to its courses. Currently when you try and access creative writing online at the MIT website it comes back 'page not found'. He believes its vital the way creative writing courses break writers out of their isolation and sees them able to also meet and collaborate with other artists across disciplines.
We brought Michael and Mandy together with Siobhan Harvey, a lecturer in Creative Writing at AUT.
