AgResearch, Lincoln University merger planned

Buh - what?! That'll change the landscape a bit.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10560936

Agresearch is New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute, with 1000 full-time staff, 604 of whom are full-time researchers, while the university has 610 on its payroll, 219 of those full-time academic staff.

Staff were told of the proposal early today, and consultations are now under way on creating a new university with combined revenue of $230 million and assets of $485m.

After a merger costing an estimated $2.5m, the organisations expect to save about $2.5m a year and attract additional revenue of $50m a year.

Lincoln University vice-chancellor Roger Field said the merger was not based on cost-cutting through job cuts, but the greater opportunities that it offered.

Memory fading...

I did a bunch of stuff yesterday that I can barely remember. All of it was meant to be vaguely productive in one way or another.

I can remember that there seemed to be a good turnout to the SAGA one-offs once we'd all split off into groups, but it seemed a bit light during the initial talking. I think some more people turned up later.

Ran my Kobold Keep scenario with two experienced and two novice players, and it went well. If we'd had another half-hour I think they would have finished it.