Bethel Hall

Road map for future

Monday, May 11, 2020
Avondale consulting with staff to develop sustainable transformation

Avondale University College is beginning a consultative process with its staff to develop a road map for ensuring a “transformational future that is also sustainable.”

The objectives are to develop a viable operating model and return to a balanced budget within two years—and are not a response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). To achieve these, “we have to re-examine the way in which we are currently structured and how best we can deliver our mission and purpose effectively,” writes Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Kevin Petrie in a message emailed to staff members today (May 11).

The challenge as he and his senior executive team see it is redressing the imbalance between “what we earn and what we spend.” So, increasing income will become a focus as will adjusting expenditure “to what we have evidence our income will be rather than on what we hope it will be.” The long-term benefit: “as we increase our income, we will build a financial base that we can use to further our mission and purpose in ways that we cannot do when we are running at a deficit.” These have averaged about $650,000 over the past four years.

Petrie recognises the complexity of the task and the potential changes to operation. So, he and his team will release later this week the first of a series of documents for consultation. The document will outline some of the areas of operation under examination. A videoconference meeting for all staff members then meetings for staff members in each department and school will follow over the next fortnight.

“It is only natural that announcements to do with addressing expenditure will cause concern,” writes Petrie. “Please know, however, I am committed to working with and supporting you.” He is convinced the task is achievable and that God will provide wisdom and strength. He ends with a request for prayer that “the ability to transform the lives of students who then go out to transform their communities will shine brighter than ever at Avondale.”

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Brenton Stacey
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Brenton Stacey

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Brenton is Avondale University’s Public Relations and Philanthropy Officer. He brings to the role experience as a communicator in publishing, media relations, public relations, radio and television, mostly within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific and its entities.