Hey there guys and gals,
Some of you may have noticed the super-bright yellow boxes dotted around campus recently. These are your nomination boxes for the Lecturer of the Year competition, which because we're such nice people, includes a prize draw for everyone who nominates a lecturer!
What's more, you don't even have to vote on an actual piece of paper in one of the boxes, you can also vote online right here: http://www.ucsa.org.nz/432.html, which also enters you in the draw.
So, if you think that your lecturer is the best because they give out candy in class, or play that really crazy song, or are actually engaging and make you want to learn their stuff, then speak up and you could win one of five $100 Westfield vouchers!
Friday, 25 July 2008
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Student Fees across NZ
Here is a comparative list of student fees across NZ in fee band 1 for Arts & Humanities.
Canterbury
$4,064 (4)
Auckland
$4,304 (1=)
AUT
$4,304 (1=)
Waikato
$4,304 (1=)
Massey
$3,976 (5)
Victoria
$3,720 (8)
Lincoln
$3,864 (7)
Otago
$3,943 (6)
The annual fee round is approaching when inevitably Universities try to move fees up by the govt maximum of 5%. Personally I think having a policy such as this is riduculous as it is price setting for the Universities. Yes, the government is funding some of our tertiary education, but by allowing fees to go up by 5% each year, they are in effect making it more and more of a private good. It was only 1990 that the first fees were brought into tertiary education...
Thoughts.
Canterbury
$4,064 (4)
Auckland
$4,304 (1=)
AUT
$4,304 (1=)
Waikato
$4,304 (1=)
Massey
$3,976 (5)
Victoria
$3,720 (8)
Lincoln
$3,864 (7)
Otago
$3,943 (6)
The annual fee round is approaching when inevitably Universities try to move fees up by the govt maximum of 5%. Personally I think having a policy such as this is riduculous as it is price setting for the Universities. Yes, the government is funding some of our tertiary education, but by allowing fees to go up by 5% each year, they are in effect making it more and more of a private good. It was only 1990 that the first fees were brought into tertiary education...
Thoughts.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Student Elections UCSA/NZUSA
It is that time of the year when students go through the process of electing their representatives for 2009.
Nominations are now out for the UCSA exec 2009. Get your nominations in to theRO by Aug 1. Forms are available from UCSA reception.
Being a UCSA rep is mainly about UC & greater Canterbury region and being an advocate for students here. Clearly representation at the University to keep quality of our courses high is a large part, as well as helping run the UCSA, the biggest Student Association in NZ, to keep rolling out services for members.
On a more national front - NZUSA will also go through the process of electing its Co-Presidents for 2009. As one of the bigger campuses the UCSA has a fairly loud voice in this process. Accordingly, if you are interested in politics and students generally, then consider running for NZUSA co-president. If this is you come and have a chat with me up in the UCSA building.
Regards
Michael
Nominations are now out for the UCSA exec 2009. Get your nominations in to theRO by Aug 1. Forms are available from UCSA reception.
Being a UCSA rep is mainly about UC & greater Canterbury region and being an advocate for students here. Clearly representation at the University to keep quality of our courses high is a large part, as well as helping run the UCSA, the biggest Student Association in NZ, to keep rolling out services for members.
On a more national front - NZUSA will also go through the process of electing its Co-Presidents for 2009. As one of the bigger campuses the UCSA has a fairly loud voice in this process. Accordingly, if you are interested in politics and students generally, then consider running for NZUSA co-president. If this is you come and have a chat with me up in the UCSA building.
Regards
Michael
STUDENT ALLOWANCE FOR ALL?
A living allowance for all students? This looks like a possible policy for Labour in the upcoming election. Some 500,000 students around NZ will be stoked to hear of this news - a policy that will cost over 2billion over the next 4 years, but stop students from being the 'only group of society who has to borrow to live.'
The radio stations and newspapers have gone crazy debating this - as what appears to be a massive battle of ideals.
One thing that can't be forgotten is the generational cost in all this. Some ex-students will be paying off their own student debt whilst their tax dollar goes to funding others. Yet - on the other hand - the baby boomers generation had a free education and was well supported and did not have the hurdle of debt to overcome before they kickstarted their careers.
Thoughts??
The radio stations and newspapers have gone crazy debating this - as what appears to be a massive battle of ideals.
One thing that can't be forgotten is the generational cost in all this. Some ex-students will be paying off their own student debt whilst their tax dollar goes to funding others. Yet - on the other hand - the baby boomers generation had a free education and was well supported and did not have the hurdle of debt to overcome before they kickstarted their careers.
Thoughts??
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
A disjointed (and shortsighted) DCC
Have just had a few newspaper articles given to me from the Otago Daily Times. (unusually one of the few newspapers in NZ that you can't access online without a subscription...)
It seems the DCC do not all share the same views on whether their attitude to shut out communication from ENSOC and UCSA was a wise one. A number of councillors were quoted this week saying they do not agree with pushing the Undie 500 'underground'. It looks like the DCC is going to implement a blanket alcohol ban across north dunedin for the whole month of August. This will be combined with a massive police contingent from all around the SI over some weekends in August. (at considerable cost to the taxpayer??)
The liquor ban was greeted by a comment by one councillor in the paper that he was not happy about the nanny state being created and "telling cirtizens when and how to bruth their teeth".
There was a general regret (from some councillors) that the DCC has not engaged in a 'constructive' solution to the issues raised by the Undie 500 in 2007. It is crazy that they would prefer to let a random young person, accountable to no-one but themselves, run an underground event, particularly after the scope and effforts of proposals and solutions put on the table by ENSOC/UCSA. Now none of us know what is planned and what will happen - we can just hope that all students obey the law because by the sounds of it - half of the SI police will be coming down hard on anyone who doesn't.
It seems the DCC do not all share the same views on whether their attitude to shut out communication from ENSOC and UCSA was a wise one. A number of councillors were quoted this week saying they do not agree with pushing the Undie 500 'underground'. It looks like the DCC is going to implement a blanket alcohol ban across north dunedin for the whole month of August. This will be combined with a massive police contingent from all around the SI over some weekends in August. (at considerable cost to the taxpayer??)
The liquor ban was greeted by a comment by one councillor in the paper that he was not happy about the nanny state being created and "telling cirtizens when and how to bruth their teeth".
There was a general regret (from some councillors) that the DCC has not engaged in a 'constructive' solution to the issues raised by the Undie 500 in 2007. It is crazy that they would prefer to let a random young person, accountable to no-one but themselves, run an underground event, particularly after the scope and effforts of proposals and solutions put on the table by ENSOC/UCSA. Now none of us know what is planned and what will happen - we can just hope that all students obey the law because by the sounds of it - half of the SI police will be coming down hard on anyone who doesn't.
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