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.