Well done UCSA
August 30th, 2007 at 8:01 am by David FarrarBecause I support voluntary membership of student associations, and because I have highlighted the muppets at VUWSA, some people conclude I am anti student association. Far from it.
Today in the Press we have a good example of a student association doing something useful. UCSA narrowly persuaded the Canterbury University Council to reject the Vice-Chancellor’s proposal to increase fees by 4.5% and by 9-8 they went for a CPI increase of 3.3% only.
Having served as a student rep on the Otago University Council, let me tell you that it is bloody rare to win a vote on Council, and even rarer to do it against the wishes of the Vice-Chancellor.
I suspect UCSA did a professional job of putting together a well researched case, lobbying individual Council members, forming coalitions with allied interests etc, and their work paid off and they have saved students $575,000.
I imagine that UCSA has not been spending a lot of time debating whether Hamas or Fatah is the legitimate Government of Palestine.
If membership was voluntary and I was studying at Canterbury I would probably happily pay an $80 fee (yes I know it is zero but that is a different issue). But if I was studying at Vic, would I pay $120 to VUWSA if I had a choice? Certainly not on current efforts.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:08 am
I like student unions compulsory, expensive and focused on irrelevant left wing causes. It teaches all of us what the Labour Party really is and is a very good lifelong lesson we NEVER forget.
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Yep, 90% of Massey students thought Chaff was very well named when I was there and you are right Tim, the nutters put you off their worldview alright.
When I was there a group of regular blokes got pissed off with us being bombarded with monthly features on why we should kiss Arafat’s butt, our collective guilt in the Sharpville Massacre, how to wreck other people’s property and get off being prosecuted etc etc and so they campaigned on a range of more mainline issues and they got voted in en masse. The nutters were totally gobsmacked that they were out on their arses. They seriously thought that they were indispensable and that without them we would be lost. Er no. Dunno what those morons did after that. Got more active in the regular Labour party I guess.
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Heh, why would you pay $80 if they were gonna do it anyway?
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
“Compulsory” is sooo retro.
Vote:Don’t these dears know that not even taxes are compulsory?
August 30th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Should students who are not a member of the association benefit from the fee rise reduction?
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
This topic congratulates the UCSA executive for preventing a fee rise of 1.2%. And that is something that deserves huge plaudit.
However, if UCSA membership was to become voluntary, it is likely that a majority of students would opt to not join to the student union. This would hugely reduce the moral authority of the UCSA to combat fee rises, if that even remained their objective under a ‘voluntary regime’. This alone makes the compulsory nature of the UCSA membership worthwhile.
As a member of the UCSA, I know that the student union provides a huge amount for the joining fee. Reduced gym membership, near free prescription medication and doctor’s bills.
Vote:Students while studying should be focused on purely academic and governance issues, not financial (unless they are studying Accounting/Finance/Economics). Anything that alleviates that unexpected cost burden is to be commended.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Poor Parrot.
Classic socialist.
He thinks the input of his bird brain is needed by students who will decide for themselves what they “should be focused on”.
Bastard of a concept, eh?
Its appalling to see so many individuals so shamelessly ignoring the collective.
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Policy Parrot’s views could be used as justification to make the Sensible Sentencing Trust compulsory membership for all crime victims, as they sucessfully lobby for longer sentences.
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Our resident Norwegian Blue seems to have gone missing just as his desire to decide what’s good for other people gets laughed at.
Don’t worry Parrot, Ms Clark has the same problem.
You “should be focussed on“ understanding that…. pumpkin.
Vote:August 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
I’m new at this, but isn’t it great how the micro fascists like Parrot run like Ted Kennedy from a vehicle incident when they get called out?
Vote:August 31st, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I’m amused by the lack of comment on my previous post. As a student and knowing a lot of fellow students I could say that the vast majority would much rather be able to concentrate on study and having fun (not that they are mutually exclusive).
Would it not be more efficient for people who are students to spend their time studying and have a few elected representatives construct a good argument against raising fees. Isn’t that what trade is all about?
If membership is voluntary and non-members accrue the same benefits in terms of lobbying the university around fees, conditions, etc, then it is better for each individual not to be a member if everyone else is. To me this is classic prisoners dilemma stuff for which compulsory student association membership delivers a solution which maximise the utility of the majority.
Another solution of course would be to have two classes of students members and non members and each pay different amounts (possibly) and attend different classes etc etc. This would of course have its own problems.
Vote:August 31st, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Policy Parrot, without knowing, has hit the nail on the head.
If given a choice, MOST students would flee from being forced to associate with the types of people currently running our associations. The fact that some associations have flashes of brilliance means nothing when they are all so out of touch with the ordinary student.
That is why he wants compulsory membership, otherwise he’d find he have nobody to tell what to do on campus.
Vote: