Protesters gathered at the University of Otago to interrupt a visit by the Deputy Prime Minister this morning.

About 70 people gathered mid-morning for the protest outside a lecture theatre.

They were bringing attention to tertiary under-funding and the impact that's having on divisions like humanities.

The Tertiary Education Union says Bill English is a humanities graduate, so his visit to the campus was an opportune time to protest.

English, who's also Finance Minister, was visiting the campus to address commerce students, and stopped briefly to talk with protesters.