Will NZUSA survive?
January 30th, 2011 at 3:00 pm by David FarrarIf I was running NZUSA, I’d be focused on what changes are needed for student associations (and NZUSA) need to make, to prosper under VSM – rather than still fighting a battle which has been lost.
NZUSA has just had their January conference, and a number of people have been kind enough to send me their documents. Act on Campus have already blogged on these, including the $77,000 lost NZUSA made in 2009.
New Zealand has eight universities and 20 polytechnics/technology institutes.
Currently 14 of those 28 institutions have a student association that is a member of NZUSA, of which only 12 are full members. Those 12 full members represent only 84,000 EFTS. But even that low level, may get smaller.
No fewer than nine student associations have gien notice of withdrawal – they are OPSA, AS@U, SAWIT, WITSA, WSA, OUSA, ASA, EXMSS and MUSA. They represent almost 50,000 ETS, which would leave NZUSA representing – well basically Victoria, Lincoln and Waikato only (plus a couple of minors).
I hope NZUSA do survive, but if they do not, then it would create an opportunity for alternate representation to emerge nationally.
It occurs to me that a professionally run organisation that focused purely on lobbying the Government on behalf of students on core education and welfare issues, and communicated directly with students about its advocacy on their behalf could well get say 30% of students willing to tick a box at enrolment to join it for $5. That should be enough to have a budget of $300,000 or so. Rather than have the lobbying done by a succession of Labour student politicians, you’d actually have a professional executive director who could work with all Governments, and over time could build up a very high regard.
January 30th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
NZUSA has never represented students, only Students Associations. They have never had direct accountability to students.
I hope they don’t survive, and that students can instead have a national body which they can actually become a member of.
Vote:January 30th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBZ8ulc5NTg – byebye NZUSA
Vote:January 30th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
If anyone is looking for a student run, nationwide organisation that actually represents the best interests of students, then you can join right here: http://www.actoncampus.org.nz/join
You get to choose whether you will let us represent you, we charge $10 instead of hundreds and you can even become a supporter for free.
Vote:January 31st, 2011 at 2:13 am
Hopefully it will go down the tubes. Good riddance if it does.
cheers
David Prosser
Vote:January 31st, 2011 at 7:25 am
LOL only two hillbilly clown colleges and Victoria remaining. Nice going
Vote:January 31st, 2011 at 9:32 am
Wonder why VUWSA has stuck around. Could it be that they want to ensure the continued salary of their exec from last year?
(a quick google search would indicate that one co-president and the womens rights officer served on the VUWSA exec last year with the current VUWSA president and one of the VPs….)
Vote:January 31st, 2011 at 9:50 am
The problem with students’ associations is that they are run by students. That is, people who haven’t even finished their training to begin their first job at the ground level. *And* they usually have new people every year.
Or you can have managers to baby sit who treat the students with contempt.
Vote: