Students forced to fork out for further study

Some future doctors and those seeking a higher education will be forced to fund some of their own studies after changes made to the Student Loan Scheme earlier this year.

In an exclusive statement to Salient, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce admitted that the changes made to the Loan Scheme in Budget 2010 will mean that some students will not have access to student loans to cover their final years of study.

The loan scheme restructure means students who complete a double degree and honours will likely need to fund any Masters study out of their own pocket, but may then be able to access funding for Doctorate study.

The loan changes also mean students who complete a degree prior to entering medical school will have to fund their last years without a student loan.

A lifetime limit on access to the Student Loan Scheme was introduced in Budget 2010. The limit for undergraduate study is 7 EFTS (Equivalent Full Time Student), with a further 1 EFTS allowed for postgraduate study and 3 EFTS for doctoral study. A full-time student studies between 0.8 and 1.4 EFTS a year. The EFTS count includes all study a student had a Student Loan for from 1 January 2010.

Joyce says policy changes “could be” considered.

“There are currently no additional exemptions to the lifetime limit for specific programmes of study or multiple degrees.

“However, if some programmes of study (such as medicine) turn out to be disproportionately affected by this policy, consideration could be given as to whether additional EFTS should be allocated to those programmes.”

Joyce says the changes to the scheme are “intended to encourage students to make wise choices about their study” and “take the most direct route through their studies in order to ensure they have sufficient entitlement to a student loan”.

Medical students wanting to complete Masters study will have access to the additional allowances to fund further study.

Other Masters students will not be as fortunate. A student completing a double degree (for example Law and Arts) needs approximately 6 EFTS to complete their studies. If the student wants to do Honours and Masters, the current policy means that a student may not have any access to funding for their Masters.

Victoria University Law student Nick Chapman says the government needs to ensure their attempts to regulate student funding do not adversely affect students working towards higher learning.
“Obviously there is a real danger that you will push students away from academia by making it difficult for them to fund their postgraduate study,” he says.

“From a Law perspective in particular, this coupled with the disparity in pay which already exists between someone working in a commercial law firm and someone researching, publishing and teaching, it presents a real risk to the number and quality of academics our universities produce.

“In effect, people will be paying more to qualify for a profession where they will be paid less.”

New Zealand Medical Students’ Association President Liz Carr says the changes are disappointing and “don’t make any sense”.

“It seems like such a badly planned idea. This is a sure way to lose students. We are trying to train and retain young doctors in New Zealand, and the loan scheme was one of the ways to help this.

“If students have to fund their own studies, then graduate students might seriously consider looking at studying in Australian post-graduate medical schools.

“Completing a degree prior to entering medical school is a common and encouraged way of entering medical school.

“If the government is trying to discourage postgraduate students from moving into medicine, then this is the perfect way to do it.”


Joyce says if students use their additional postgraduate 1 EFTS for honours study, then “there is no additional entitlement for additional postgraduate borrowing other than doctoral study”.

When questioned how the 7 EFTS entitlement was decided, Joyce’s said the value is “similar to the Australian Student Learning Entitlement (ASLE) which allows an equivalent of 7 years of full-time study with Commonwealth support”.

Massey University staff join their Canterbury counterparts in facing an uncertain future after being told jobs are to be cut.

About 200 Massey staff were sent letters saying their role would be disestablished or their position changed.

Under the plan, 53 support staff members would lose their jobs, with 120 staff set to compete for only 67 new positions across the three campuses.

At the Manawatu campus, about 80 jobs would go and 50 positions would be created.

Proposed changes will save the university $2.4 million annually.

The review comes as Massey deals with reduced government funding and growing enrolments.

Victoria University staff can expect some changes, but the university will not face widespread planned redundancies.

“Victoria is constantly reviewing its structure to ensure it is best placed to meet its strategic goals,” a University spokesperson says.

“While some changes are likely to occur, we do not have any major projects on the horizon similar to those affecting staff numbers at other universities.”

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey told the Manawatu Standard the Massey changes are part of an initiative to make the university more efficient.

The announcement follows an earlier 30 redundancies and the disestablishment of three regional chief executives’ positions earlier this year.

Maharey says Massey could not rule out more redundancies, as universities face pressure to cut costs.

“Massey, like other universities, is moving to do what we do as efficiently and effectively as possible, to reduce our expenditure, enhance the quality of what we offer and to find new sources of revenue.”

Canterbury University staff have also been hit by funding shortages, with 95 people already made redundant and more redundancies to come.

Tertiary Education Union branch Vice-President Jennifer Middendorf says the redundancies at Canterbury have hurt staff morale and that some staff, programmes and students at the university now faced an uncertain future.

“The University of Canterbury said disestablished staff will be able to apply for new positions, but many of the new positions being created are at lower salaries, or require different qualifications than the disestablished positions.

“Since the beginning of this restructuring the university has redeployed only a handful of staff—far short of the 95 who have so far lost their jobs,” says Middendorf.

“It’s a travesty that Canterbury’s poor example is being adopted by Massey University as well. Let’s hope other universities do not follow suit.”

VUWSA executive member James Sleep has been found guilty of misconduct by the VUWSA exec, following comments made in his Salient column earlier this month.

VUWSA received a formal complaint following the column’s publication in the 3 May issue of Salient.

Sleep made reference in the column to “the rich kids who you might find yourself sitting next to”, and “the one’s [sic] that seem to think it’s a status boost to say they live in Weir House”.

The exec found Sleep had breached the VUWSA Code of Conduct (CoC) by making negative and disrespectful comments about VUWSA members.

The CoC requires VUWSA exec members to “treat everyone fairly and with respect” and “Show respect to the person…”.

When asked to make a public apology for the comments made in the column, Sleep initially refused to do so.

“No, that is not something I will be doing. I am not prepared to make a public apology in Salient. I don’t see why I need to.”

Following the meeting, Sleep contacted Salient to say he had “had second thoughts” and would apologise in a later issue of Salient.

Sleep did acknowledge using the stereotypes “was unacceptable” and agreed to apologise to the complainant, but only after it was suggested by the exec.

Sleep’s column was discussed in a recent select committee hearing about Roger Douglas’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, a bill which would introduce voluntary membership to all students’ associations.

VUWSA President Max Hardy told Salient he was disappointed that Sleep had made the comments.

“The accountability of executive members is ultimately to the students.

“VUWSA expects higher standards of ethical conduct of its executive members that we generally expect of the general public.”

Sleep told Hardy during the investigation that he did not believe the phrases were offensive, and said he was attempting to be “deliberately provocative”.

Hardy said in his report to the exec that Sleep “showed a general disrespect to the process” and “did not take the allegations seriously”.

Sleep told the exec that he accepted the misconduct finding, but disputed that he had not taken the complaint seriously.

Sleep says turning up to the meeting and talking about the complaint was enough to be seen as taking it seriously.

Exec members were concerned by Sleep’s actions following the meeting with Hardy, when he was heard laughing about the issue.

The misconduct decision does not require the exec to take any disciplinary action against Sleep.

Three misconduct findings would result in serious misconduct and further action would be taken at that point.

An agreement between Salient and VUWSA means that all columns submitted by exec members are not edited by Salient, subject to libel laws, before being published.

Hiyoooooooooo

The Cleveland Motel has finally fronted up with the cash it was ordered to pay VUWSA, but only after VUWSA President Max Hardy sicced the heavies on them.

Rotorua’s Cleveland Motel charged VUWSA $6724 for what they said were necessary repairs for damage caused by drunk Vic students staying there during Uni Games 2008.

The students made national headlines for their drunken revelries, and subsequent eviction by the motel’s owners.

Following a decision in the Disputes Tribunal in late February 2009, the Cleveland Motel was ordered to refund VUWSA a sum of $4114 from the $6724 it charged the association for cleaning and the non-utilisation of the final night’s accommodation.

The Cleveland Motel argued it was entitled to charge VUWSA for the damage and cleanup work left in the wake of the drunken carnage. The motel’s owners did not feel obligated to refund the association for the last night’s accommodation.

VUWSA stated there was inadequate proof to substantiate some of the costs charged for cleaning and damage.

Despite being ordered to pay the money back to VUWSA, the Cleveland Motel owners stubbornly refused to do so.

In late 2009, then-VUWSA Vice-President (Administration) Hardy asked the District Court to enforce the Disputes Tribunal decision.

Over a year after the Disputes Tribunal decision, VUWSA finally received the cash.

When contacted by Salient last year, Cleveland Motel management were less than consolatory about the decision, or indeed students in general.

“You fucking students are the scum of the earth,” the man said.

“You fucks, you scum of the earth. Look what you little pricks did down in fucking Dunedin! Scum of the earth, go save the world! Go save the fucking whales!”

When questioned about what the money would be used for, Hardy joked “Maybe we can go help those whales now.”

Some things that happen do matter

Salient has a few questions about the changes made to the Student Loans scheme announced in Budget 2010.

These are swiped from the StudyLink website. So don’t blame us if you don’t like them!

Lifetime Limit for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• Lifetime limit of 7 EFTS (equivalent full-time student) for Student Loans, starting from study started in 2010.
• Full-time students have study loads of between 0.8 EFTS and 1.2 EFTS for a year. For a full-time student, 7 EFTS is equal to about 7 or 8 years of study.
• Once any part of the Student Loan is used, no matter what it is, such as living costs, fees, or course-related costs, that loan will count towards the 7 EFTS limit.

The 7 EFTS limit may be extended in these situations:
• If a student enrols in a course, which, in the one year of study, will take them over the 7 EFTS limit, they will be able to use a Student Loan to complete that year of study.
• An additional 1 EFTS is available for post graduate study.
• Up to an additional 3 EFTS are available for doctoral study.
• Generally, a student will not be able to receive more than 10 EFTS of Student Loan entitlement including these extensions.

Performance Requirement for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• To keep receiving a Student Loan a student will have to pass at least half of their course load EFTS.
• EFTS count starts once a student has used one or more parts of the Student Loan (living costs, course fees, or course-related costs).
• To give students time to adjust to tertiary study a student’s performance will be assessed once they have used 1.6 EFTS (about two years of full-time study).
• If a student does lose access to the Student Loan they can regain it by passing at least half of their EFTS without using a Student Loan or by providing evidence that there is sufficient reasons beyond their control for not passing at least half. They will also be able to regain eligibility after five years as a result of the five year rolling assessment period.

Fee Changes
Introduced: 2012
• Administration fee to be renamed the Establishment Fee
• Establishment Fee increases to $60
• $40 annual administration fee will be introduced for Student Loans that are transferred to Inland Revenue
• Will not be charged any year where a student also had a StudyLink establishment fee charged

Changes to Residency Requirements for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• Permanent residents and Australian citizens will be subject to a two year stand down before they can receive a Student Loan.

“We’re screwed”

Victoria University’s recent decision to not accept any new domestic admissions for 2010 has eased financial pressures facing the institution, but it has also made life a lot more difficult for the students who have had their plans turned upside down.

Sarah*, 19, had planned to start a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and International Relations in trimester two.

“I rang the enrolment people at Vic to talk about my courses before I applied, and they said I should have no troubles [getting in].”

VUWSA President Max Hardy says the decision has had a wider impact than the university allowed for.

“It is disappointing that the decision was pushed through so quickly, so close to the start of trimester two, with very little warning.

“Those students intending to enrol had a reasonable expectation that they would be able to study.”

Sarah agrees. “I thought I would be going to Vic, there was nothing to make me think I couldn’t.”

After applying online in late April, Sarah moved to Wellington in early May to set up her flat and find a job before uni started.

“They must have known before now, they must have been able to let us know sooner.”

Sarah says she is no longer sure where she will study now she is not able to apply to Vic until next year.

“It’s a really long way away. Most of a year really. It would be a bit different if I could go to summer school at Vic, but they have closed that to us too.”

A high-achieving student, Sarah says she is no longer sure that she will get the education she wants from Victoria.

“I know that I will make it into Vic next year, but it’s such a shambles that I don’t want to.

“I am starting to think that maybe it would be a better idea to go somewhere else.”

Losing high calibre students was a concern raised by some members of the University Council when making the decision to close admissions.

Victoria University Director of Student Academic Services Pam Thorburn says while the university cannot comment on individual students, “the university is always concerned about the potential loss of a student who is capable of completing degree study”.

“We appreciate that this decision may have a significant impact on study plans and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

Sarah says the issue is now trying to figure out what to do next.

“They really have left a lot of people without a direction. I know of other people in the same place as me.”

“A lot of us don’t have the experience we need to be able to get jobs to support ourselves and it’s just really tough, there aren’t many jobs for students at the moment.

“We’re kinda screwed.”

*Sarah requested that we change her name.

Last week I walked in to the exec meeting to discover a surprise prepared for me by Max Hardy. Throwing aside my journalistic integrity I delightfully accepted my very own media table! It had a sign and everything, and took the president approximately five minutes to write and print, thus fulfilling 40 per cent of his KPI.

The meeting was in a new room this week. With the Student Union upgrades actually starting to move along, the Student Union has shifted to their new home over at 6 Wai-te-ata Road.

Like circling vultures, it only took the exec a couple of days before claiming squatters rights and moving their meetings upstairs.

The table in the new room is weird. It has this whole sticky out bit. It looks kinda like that space program thing where the captain sits on that chair thing with the pointy-eared guy lurking behind him. Spock? Something like that.

Yup. Sooooo. What else happened… ummm… they talked about the work reports? Did they? I honestly can’t remember, and I blame Jasmine Freemantle entirely for it. I’m sorry, what year is this again? I really don’t know.

Fraser was once again singled out as needing to sort out what on Earth he actually does in his role. Oh and they talked about the financial accounts. You know, your money, and everything. Look, I can’t tell how to care about how they spend your money, (by the way, there is $1.5 million sitting in their cheque account), and I’m not here to hold your hand and tell you to care.

But it has taken them over six months to implement a financial plan. Might explain why some of Salient’s invoices weren’t paid on time. More on this next semester in Salient’s award-winning A4 photocopied fun-time newsletter, with Rarah “So… am I getting paid this week? Oh, food stamps? Hey cool, thanks” Sobson.

Ummm what else. God, I have no idea. I wish I could elaborate more on this, but guess what, friends, there’s literally nothing else to say. Though Salient can confirm that, yes, Alan Young knows what an executive bonus is. Christ no longer weeps, and we’re glad.

There are a few things you can care about:

Warm My Flat

Two flats will win a professional energy audit. You should enter to find out where your warmth is escaping. Your toes could be saved.

Stress-Free Study Week

To help you get through your exams, VUWSA will be giving out breakfast, midnight feasts (only at Te Aro though, you miss out Kelburn) and neck rubs from June 7-11.
I have been reassured that the VUWSA exec will not be the ones doing the rubbing.

Student Union moving

Well, you can now go to VUWSA for lost property and club booking forms. And soon VUWSA will be where the Student Union was. Soooo really this isn’t a big deal. But now you know.

Professor Martin Banwell, a Vic graduate, returned to his old uni a couple of weeks ago to receive an Honorary Doctorate. Salient news editor Angela Mabey spoke to him about his research and what it’s like to have not one, but two doctorates.

Coming back to Victoria University to get his second doctorate was a “terrific honour” for Professor Martin Banwell.

Since getting his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1979, Banwell has worked his way up the ranks and is currently Director of the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University, where he is responsible for supervising 240 staff and students and overseeing a budget of $18 million.

His work in researching the synthesis of biologically active molecules relevant to medicine has earned him numerous awards, and now he has an Honorary Doctorate to sit alongside them.

Banwell says although the Doctorate is an honour, it is a bit overwhelming.

“I worked very hard for the first one, and now I have another one. It’s a huge honour to be recognised by my alma mater.

“I do wonder whether I deserve all the fuss however, achievements in science all involve more than one person.”

Banwell says the nature of science means collaboration is important, and something that New Zealand and Australia do well.

Banwell’s work has had a major impact upon medicine and he has collaborated with major chemical pharmaceutical companies worldwide, such as BASF and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

His team is currently involved in the synthesis and research of a tiny sample found in coral off the Great Barrier Reef that looks to have properties which might be beneficial in the treatment of lung cancer.

He says an issue arises with translating the discoveries made in science to non-scientists.

“What might be a major breakthrough in the field will likely not have an impact outside of the lab for years.

“It’s because of this, and because of the view that scientists are a bit stuffy that we have a bit of a public relations crisis.”

Banwell says enrolments in science studies are dropping in Australia, and attracting young people into science is getting harder.

“Science is perceived as being a bit insular, we need people to get out there and promote science to improve its image.

“We need more people articulating the excitement of science, there is a perception that people work too hard for little reward.”

One way around this, suggests Banwell, is to encourage more students to study both arts and science.

“It can be hard to combine but it would be good for the future of science.

“I have a huge respect for how articulate arts graduates are. If we could get more of that in science, it would really help.

“We need people to get out there and translate science for the non-scientist and promote the wonderful work our students and researchers are doing.”

Banwell was impressed with the new facilities in the recently opened Alan MacDiarmid building on campus.

“What universities do with their modest budgets is amazing, but they really do need more.

“Without the budgets to do the interesting and relevant work, we won’t attract the younger scientists.”

Banwell is hopeful the government’s recent increases in research and development funding is “new money”.

“The announcement is encouraging, but I do hope that the money is not a smoke and mirrors game and will translate to real increases in funding.”

Banwell says there is a limited pool of funding and it is a real challenge to balance the time spent on sourcing funding versus the actual science the funding is for.

“The system is not encouraging younger scientists to get out there.

“There is limited funding, and everyone is competing to get the same grants.

“Younger scientists have to ride on the coattails of more established scientists to get the funding.”

Banwell says it is important to support the younger staff to help them establish their careers.

“I really do worry about the support for younger scientists, and how to attract them into science as a career.

“Younger scientists will help attract new students, they will see a bond, picture themselves in the job, not just as an old stuffy professor.”

Banwell stood alongside four academic generations of chemists at Victoria’s Science graduation to receive his honorary doctorate.

Russell Hewitt, the youngest, graduated with a PhD in organic chemistry. Hewitt’s supervisor Dr Joanne Harvey (herself a doctoral student of Banwell’s) and Professor Banwell’s former PhD supervisor Emeritus Professor Brian Halton were also present.

VUWSA received a formal complaint following the column’s publication in the 3 May issue of Salient.

Sleep made reference in the column to “the rich kids who you might find yourself sitting next to”, and “the one’s that seem to think it’s a status boost to say they live in Weir House”.

The exec found Sleep had breached the VUWSA Code of Conduct by making negative and disrespectful comments about VUWSA members.

When asked to make a public apology for the comments made in the column, Sleep initially refused to do so.

“No, that is not something I will be doing. I am not prepared to make a public apology in Salient. I don’t see why I need to.”

Following the meeting Sleep contacted Salient to say he had “had second thoughts” and would apologise in a later issue of Salient.

Sleep did acknowledge using the stereotypes “was unacceptable” and agreed to apologise to the complainant, but only after it was suggested by the exec.

Sleep’s column was discussed in a recent select committee hearing about Roger Douglas’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, a bill which would introduce voluntary membership to all students’ associations.

VUWSA President Max Hardy told Salient he was disappointed that Sleep had made the comments.

“The accountability of executive members is ultimately to the students.

“VUWSA expects higher standards of ethical conduct of its Executive members that we generally expect of the general public.”

Sleep told Hardy during the investigation that he did not believe the phrases were offensive and said he was attempting to be “deliberately provocative”.

Hardy said in his report to the exec that Sleep “showed a general disrespect to the process” and “did not take the allegations seriously”.

Sleep told the exec that he accepted the misconduct finding, but disputed that he had not taken the complaint seriously.

Sleep says turning up to the meeting and talking about the complaint was enough to be seen as taking it seriously.

Exec members were concerned by Sleep’s actions following the meeting with Hardy, when he was heard laughing about the issue.

The misconduct decision does not require the exec to take any disciplinary action against Sleep.

An agreement between Salient and VUWSA means that all columns submitted by exec members are not edited by Salient, subject to libel laws, before being published.

Bill’s vision for Nuu Zillund

There was a distinct lack of any drama in last week’s Budget 2010 announcement, with all the major changes already spilled by the main players.

 
In a rather lacklustre performance, Finance Minister Bill English announced a raft of tax changes and confused the lot of us with a whole lot of words to say not much.
 
The promised GST increase was there, as were the promised tax cuts.  However, despite the shopping list of pre-Budget changes announced by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, Budget 2010 was lacking in any real direction for the tertiary sector.
 
Although the Budget allows for 1735 new full-time places at universities nationwide, NZUSA co-President Pene Delaney dismisses it as inadequate given the current climate.

Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Chair Derek McCormack says the budget does little to support universities’ ability to contribute to sustained economic growth.

“The budget makes room for a total of 765 new places across all universities next year, but it does this through no additional funding. 

“This will not ease the burden that universities are facing in demand for places and the universities will continue to turn thousands of students away.”
 
Labour Tertiary Education spokesperson Maryan Street says the new places are not for new students.

“Let’s be clear — these are not 1735 new students. Most of them are already in universities but being carried and funded by the universities themselves.

“When universities are writing to hundreds and hundreds of students to say ‘don’t bother enrolling, we can’t take you’, this doesn’t cut it.”

As teased by Joyce, students who fail more than half of their papers over the course of their first 1.6 Equivalent Full Time Student (EFTS) units (a standard year is 0.8 EFTS) will have their ability to borrow from student loans cut.

Students will need to complete papers at their own expense before regaining access to the loan scheme.

The time limit for access to the student loan scheme has also been set at 7 EFTS. Students will need to fund any further study themselves, with a few exceptions.

NZUSA co-president David Do was disappointed with the lack of direction for the sector.
 
“It has failed to meaningfully tackle the real issues of underfunding and student debt,” says Do.
 
Joyce says the cautious approach towards tertiary funding can be blamed on the price of failure incurred on students and the government.
 
“When students take out a student loan, but fail to gain a qualification, they incur costs for themselves and for the government without any real gain.”

Green Party Tertiary Education Spokesperson Gareth Hughes says the lack of any extra funding for tertiary education is essentially a cut.

“The Minister for Tertiary education has shifted $200 million into a student achievement-based funding model for universities which will increase inequality.

“Funding systems that focus on student achievement will erode academic standards by forcing lecturers to allow substandard students to pass courses so they retain funding.”



Former Salient News Editor and numbers man Keith Ng summed up Budget 2010 best by asking “What’d you expect?

“

This is a tax cut for the rich, yes, but I struggle to get too worked up about it. Key said it was a tax cut for the rich, National campaigned on tax cuts for the rich and people elected them to give tax cuts to the rich. Meh, this is how governments work.”



With the rise of GST from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent, general household necessities such as petrol, food and power will rise in price come 1 October.



There is a small break for those on a student allowance, with the government promising a 2.02 per cent rise in payments to counteract the rise in GST.



Tax rates for those earning between $14,000 to $48,000 dropped from 21 per cent to 17.5 per cent, and those earning between $48,000 to $70,000 will see a change to 30 per cent down from 33 per cent.



According to English, these changes would give those on the average income an extra $30 per week. 



Opposition leader Phil Goff was quick to contradict the government’s forecast figures on tax cuts, and says that with the GST increase, those on an average wage income would in fact be $30 worse off every week.

“

There could scarcely be a worse time to put pressure on family budgets than right now.”



To help you work your way through the multiple increases and decreases and changes galore, the government has developed an online calculator. To work out what effect the tax cut will have on you, go to taxguide.govt.nz.

It rained on their parade

Almost 2000 students celebrated successfully completing their Victoria University studies at last week’s graduation ceremonies, but some only got to partake in half of graduation tradition.

With the parade cancelled on Wednesday, only half of the graduates got their chance to strut their stuff down Wellington streets in their Harry Potter robes.

Florists and restauranteurs will be able to take a breather now the ceremonies to honour 32 PhD students and hand out 2100 degrees, diplomas and certificates are over.

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh says graduation is worth celebrating, as getting a degree from Victoria is the result of hard work and dedication.

“Victoria has an established reputation both in New Zealand and internationally for academic excellence and the calibre of its research and postgraduate study―getting a degree is not just a matter of turning up to class.”

VUWSA President Max Hardy was there to watch all of the graduates walk across the Michael Fowler Centre stage.

“It was fantastic to celebrate the successes of so many VUWSA members.

“It was particularly nice to be there to celebrate the graduation of two members of the VUWSA exec and two Salient staff.”

Alongside the bat-cape enrobed students, Victoria handed out two Honorary Doctorates, both to Professors who happen to be working at Australia National University.

Professor Anthony Reid is an eminent academic and writer on Southeast Asia, most famous for his Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce.

Since graduating from Victoria University with a PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1979, Honorary Doctorate recipient Professor Martin Banwell has made influential contributions to the discipline, and is one of Australasia’s most highly regarded chemists.

His main area of research is the synthesis of biologically active organic molecules of relevance to medicine.

Salient will be including an interview with Banwell in next week’s issue.

Get Amongst the Best… but not quite yet

Victoria University will not accept any new domestic undergrad admissions in 2010 following a decision made by the University Council last week.

The decision was made after student numbers were predicted to reach 110 per cent of the cap funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

The resolution means that no new students, with a few exceptions, will be granted admission to Vic for the rest of 2010.

The decision does not affect international enrolments or current students.

Vic students with one or two papers left to finish their degree will be able to apply for admission, following the addition of an extra clause suggested by Council Member Rosemary Barrington.

The resolution was passed with only VUWSA President Max Hardy, student representative Conrad Reyners and former VUWSA President Fleur Fitzsimons voting against it.

Chancellor Ian McKinnon says the change was prompted by a considerable surge in demand and limited resources.

“The university has no further capacity for new domestic undergraduate applicants this year.

“In simple terms, if they [student numbers] go above 100 per cent, the university forgoes funding and incurs costs, and this has an immediate impact on the quality of the university.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Penny Boumelha says university enrolments are 20 per cent higher than at the same time in 2009.

Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh told Salient the decision was made “with great reluctance”.

“There is no enthusiam for this decision, it was made to meet our legal obligations and to protect the interests of current students and staff.”

Walsh says “all universities are working in an environment where they must manage their enrolments as outlined in their investment plans, which are agreed to with the Tertiary Education Commission.

“Our enrolment targets have been based on what we can achieve as an institution, and to exceed those means we would not be able to cope with the additional call on teaching resources including staff workloads, space and equipment,” he says.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says the decision is “an extremely unfortunate consequence of the government’s policy to limit enrolments”.

“We are asking the government and the university to get around the table together and come to an agreement to fund these additional students for trimester two.”

Student representative Conrad Reyners raised concerns about potential legal ramifications if the resolution breaches current applicants’ reasonable expectations.

“We should have had all the info to create a balanced picture of the risk [that a] decision of this magnitude presents.”

Walsh told the meeting Victoria had not sought legal advice on the decision, but believed it would be in keeping with a legal obligation to implement the Investment Plan agreed upon with the TEC.

Fleur Fitzsimons says the resolution “felt very panicked and lacking detail”.

Fitzsimons’ concern that international students were being offered places at the expense of domestic students was rejected by Walsh. However, Fitzsimons believes this problem was not sufficiently addressed.

Fitzsimons urged Council members to vote the motion down and reconsider it when extra information on the resolution was forthcoming.

Hardy and Reyners agreed the decision should not have been made based on the information provided.

“We had hoped the Council would see that such an unattractive decision should not have been made without first having all the appropriate information,”says Hardy.

“It is a very difficult position for the university to be in, it was not an easy decision, therefore we were under a substantial obligation to consider this issue very carefully.”

Many Council members agreed with Hardy, but were not convinced his argument outweighed the financial implications that voting against the resolution would present.

Hardy says “the unexpected decision” will be unfair to potential students who would have been acting under an “entirely reasonable expectation that admissions would remain open”.

New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations co-President David Do agrees the decision is unfair.

“At a practical level, these relatively sudden and unexpected decisions are highly unfair to potential students.

“Students have not been given proper notice that the entry requirements are changing, and that’s going to affect their planning for moving into education.”

Tertiary Education Union President Tom Ryan blames the government for the change.

“The move by universities across New Zealand to dramatically restrict entry to many of their courses is the result of government failure to anticipate the combined pressure of demographic growth in student numbers and an increase in people looking to study during the recession.”

After a minor hiccup where potential students were told to reapply in 2010 (as pictured), Victoria’s Admission and Enrolment pages were updated to reflect the Council’s decision.

The university is currently implementing its plan to manage enrolment numbers in 2011, which involves new admission criteria.

Enough people cared this time!

Following their noses to the promise of free food, or the chance to win a snowboard, over 100 students gathered for the VUWSA IGM last week.

Unlike the first failed attempt to hold the IGM, last week’s meeting easily reached the constitutionally required quorum of 100 students.

While the constitution requires the IGM to be held in the first four weeks of the trimester, the meeting was delayed by the accounts not being completed in time by the auditors.

VUWSA President Max Hardy presented a motion that a police presence be allowed on campus, while maintaining that VUWSA “vigorously opposes” any active patrolling or surveillance by police.

The motion was passed with very little debate.

The rest of the meeting was dominated by motions presented by Enviromental Officer Zachary Dorner.

Following debate about the necessity of creating a sustainable campus, the meeting passed the motion that VUWSA promote sustainability and ensure the organisation operates sustainably.

Dorner also asked the IGM to support a motion that VUWSA not support mining on conservation lands or any form of whaling.

In a not so shocking occurance, ACT on Campus President Peter McCaffrey took the opportunity to speak against every point, even when he admitted he wasn’t exactly sure of his position on some of them.

Following lengthy debate, both motions were passed into policy.

Vic student Andrew Holmes-Galloway took the opportunity to say he failed to see the relevance of debating national issues at a student meeting.

Holmes-Galloway did not present the issues he deemed relevant when Hardy opened the meeting to questions and comments from the floor.

Students grumbling prior to the meeting that nothing is “actually achieved at these stupid meetings” also missed their opportunity to present their specific concerns when Hardy opened the floor.

Select Committee can’t read fast enough

Students’ Associations face a longer wait to find out their fate after the Select Committee report on Roger Douglas’s Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) Bill was delayed.

The report will be presented at the end of September, not the end of this month as it had originally planned.

The committee received a large number of submissions on the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill

An analysis of half of the submissions indicates that the numbers are at least three to one against the bill.

Those who asked to speak to their submissions are five to one against the bill.

There have also been 4000 other submissions made against the bill.

Don’t get paranoid… but that could actually be a cop hiding in that tree over there. And yes, they might be filming you.

While currently only underway in the Central Region, those cops might be hiding behind Wellington trees any day now.

The clandestine cops are part of Operation Centreline, aiming to cut down road deaths.

Government rules bar police from using hidden speed cameras, but Superintendent Russell Gibson told The New Zealand Herald covert videotaping was allowed.

“Is it hiding? Yes, it is, and I make no apology for that,” says Gibson.

“If I have to have officers hiding in trees to stop the blatant disregard for the road rules that is claiming lives almost daily, then that is what I will do.”

I would like to know why some people run for the exec. They seem less than enthusiastic about anything they do, and are woefully under-prepared at every opportunity.

While I only made it to half of the exec meeting this week, it really was just more of the same.

Things are a lot more organised, and they make a point of taking clear notes. Bless.

So some things have changed. Important things.

But some have not improved.

In the interests of disclosure, I should really say that I used to be an exec member. Not at Vic, but while I was studying at Massey Wellington.

I am not sure if that makes me more or less qualified to speak on this, but I’m still going to.

When someone is interested in a job, they should look at what is required in the position and what they will need to do.

This is especially important in a representative position that is funded by student money.

How is it then, that some people will still just show up at a meeting without having done what is required of them?

These people look even worse next to those organised and enthusiastic exec members who actually do their job.

Things need to change. If a member of the exec is not doing their job, or doesn’t like the job, or ran for the job as a joke, they should step down and allow VUWSA to find someone who can.

Another class of exec that needs to sort themselves out would be the all-for-show exec.

It is one thing to rant about things needing to change, and it is another to get involved in the hard work to actually make the change.

On a brighter note, the IGM reached quorum. You can read all about it in our IGM story.

Sadly, no mention was made of the by-election that is due to be held. Salient will pester the president to find out when it is and let you know.

And congrats to Jacob McSweeny for the snowboard win! That should totes be mine by the way. Just sayin’.

Stuff you can care about:

VUWSA is in the process of preparing the Alternative Student Guide. All 100-level papers are being reviewed. Have your say by filling a survey form, or if you don’t get one, pester your student rep.

Enrolment entanglements ensue

Tighter government funding and increased enrolment numbers appear to be proving difficult for Victoria University to manage.

Victoria has changed admission requirements and is no longer guaranteeing places for qualified new applicants in trimester two and three this year.

Recent changes to the Admissions and Enrolments pages on the Victoria website (www.victoria.ac.nz) state “domestic applications submitted for trimester 2 2010 are not guaranteed a place in an undergraduate programme or course of study”.

This note is repeated on the trimester three information page.

Victoria University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Penny Boumelha says the university will let prospective students know if there are any places available, but repeated that no applicants are guaranteed a place.

“We are currently monitoring our enrolment applications for trimester two carefully and looking at all our options.

“As it states on our website we can not guarantee new domestic undergraduate students entry into programmes or courses of study at Victoria University in 2010.”

Boumelha did not comment on why enrolments will be restricted in 2010.

When asked by Salient if this was a move to early adoption of managed enrolments proposed for next year, Boumelha was not able to provide an answer.

“Any decisions regarding managed enrolments for trimester two would need to be made by the University’s Council.”

Salient has been advised that a Special Council meeting has been called for Wednesday this week.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says funding issues have resulted in changes to Victoria admisssions.

“VUWSA understands that the university may well be in a very difficult position given the government’s policy of reduced funding and capped enrolments.”

Hardy says the recession has led to more New Zealanders taking up the option of tertiary education, putting pressure on the university.

“VUWSA will be making sure students are treated fairly and advocating for the protection of our quality of education, as well as accessibility to tertiary education.”

The 2011 admission changes were also recently updated. Prospective students will need to:

• achieve University Entrance;
• achieve the Guaranteed Entry Score;
• fulfil any other degree specific requirements, e.g. performance audition;
• apply by 10 December 2010 for study in 2011.

The Guaranteed Entry Score is a rank score based on a student’s school results and qualification type.

Those students who do not achieve the Guaranteed Entry Score will be placed on a Waitlist. This allows the university to manage enrolments.

Salient will bring you more information on this next week.

Just saying…

A not-so-secret secret plaque is on the move. “This University Sucks” (as pictured) has been a feature on Victoria’s Kelburn campus for years, some say from the 1980s, others think possibly since the 1970s.

No one around campus knows the history of the plaque, or if they do, they aren’t telling Salient.

If you don’t know where it is, then sorry, but it is tradition to not print where it is. Well, possibly not, but Salient has decided to make it one.

There was a lot of effort into placing the plaque, but due to the Campus Hub Redevelopment it has to move.

The university has asked VUWSA to find it a new home.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says the exec will be searching for an appropriate home for the sign.

“We are glad the university didn’t take the opportunity to take the sign away.

“It is a tradition on campus that we are happy to continue.”

VUWSA has agreed to continue the tradition and not publicise the plaque’s new home. Decisions made about the sign will be kept put of official minutes, just in case.

Australia beats us. Again.

New Zealand is still one of the best places in the world to be a mother, or at least in the top 10.

Save the Children’s annual Mother’s Day Report finds an average Kiwi woman will have 20 years of formal education and live to age 82, with almost all having health professionals present when they give birth.

Every year, 50 million women in the developing world give birth with no professional help and 8.8 million children and newborns die from easily preventable or treatable causes.

The report compares the health and wellbeing of mothers and children in 160 countries and places Australia and four Nordic countries ahead of us on key measures such as maternal deaths in childbirth.

The rankings are based on a weighted average of children’s wellbeing and women’s status in health, education, income and politics.

In Afghanistan, on the bottom of the list, a typical woman will have only four years of formal schooling and die by age 44, and only one in seven has a health professional present in childbirth.

New Zealand’s overall ranking is affected by a high death rate of six out of every 1000 children before the age of five—the same as in Australia but higher than the death rates of three or four in 1000 in Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark.

Our maternal death rate of 17 women for every 100,000 giving birth is quoted in the report as more than twice Australia’s rate of 7.5 and higher than in all but 11 out of 43 developed countries.

The report focuses on the critical shortage of health workers in the developing world and the need for more female health workers to save the lives of mothers, newborn babies and young children.

It is published to highlight both the problems and the solutions. The report includes details of effective methods to bring assistance to mothers and their babies, specifically in developing countries, and calls for world leaders to invest in these solutions.

The is the 11th Save the Children State of the World’s Mothers report, published to commemorate Mother’s Day.

TOP 10

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland (equal)
3. Sweden (equal)
5. Denmark
6. New Zealand
7. Finland
8. Netherlands
9. Belgium (equal)
9. Germany (equal)

Grave robbers!

You would think that people wouldn’t have to be asked not to swipe things from cemeteries, but it appears this is not the case.

The Friends of the Mount Street Cemetery are searching for some headstones and monuments that have disappeared.

Lots of the graves have been broken through neglect or vandalism, and it appears that many ornaments may have been swiped as trophies.

“The cemetery has been neglected for many years, so we don’t assume they have all been moved or taken recently,” says Karen Adair, a member of the Friends Group.

The cemetery, which runs alongside the university, was opened in the 1850s and used up until the 1950s, and has been left to “get into a bit of a state,” says Adair.

“Part of restoring the cemetery is trying to locate the lost, broken and relocated headstones.”

One piece definitely has been moved recently.

The Friends found part of a Celtic cross (as pictured) under trees and leaves on what turned out to be a lost grave. The cross was moved into the surrounds of another grave as it was a tripping hazard, but now it has disappeared.

“We have heard of flats taking trophies over the years. There are probably many pieces in gardens around Wellington.

“We didn’t even know this grave was there until we found it in some old pictures, with this cross disappearing, there is nothing left to mark this grave.”

Over the years the cemetery has been the site of a few non-traditional uses. A popular yet dangerous mountain biking track is one thing that the Friends would like to see stopped.

“This is a heritage site, and while we don’t want to stop people using the cemetery recreationally, mountain biking in a cemetery isn’t safe.

“In the 70s people opened up the vault and used to smoke in there. Not the most respectful use of the cemetery!”

The vault has since been concreted shut, just in case anyone has any ideas.

Anyone who has, or thinks they might have something from a cemetery can return the pieces. There is no penalty, or reward, just fewer creepy monuments bringing bad karma to the flat. Contact news@salient.org.nz for details on how to return the pieces.

Oh yeah and a new building does too

Last week food on campus went up a notch with the opening of Wishbone’s newest store.

The store is located in Victoria University’s newest building, the Alan MacDiarmid Building.

“This is the latest development in teaching and research space at Victoria and will ensure we continue our world-class work in science,” Professor Neil Quigley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) said at the opening of the doors ceremony.

“This place is delicious,” says Political Science student Sarah.

The Alan MacDiarmid Building was built as a specialist research and teaching facility for Victoria’s science departments.

The building also includes sustainable energy- and water-efficient technologies.

Professor Alan MacDiarmid is a Victoria alumnus and Nobel Prize winner. He won the Nobel Prize for discovering that plastics can be made to conduct electricity. So you can thank him for your cell phone displays.

The building includes new generation lecture theatres with flash-as audio systems and videoconferencing abilities. And chairs on wheels!

Faculty of Science and Engineering staff will be the building’s main users. The research groups of the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences will be moving to the new building, in trimester two students will begin learning in this space and the offices and laboratories upstairs will be filled with researchers.

McDonald’s Staff Choke on Slogan

A complaint about a rental van with the slogan “If you love me you would swallow it” has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority following complaints from McDonald’s staff.

The van, owned by rental company Wicked Campers, caused a stir when it was parked outside a Hamilton McDonald’s earlier this year.

J Graham complained to the authority on behalf of 60 staff.

“The words used were offensive, disgusting, appalling and the general view was that it had gone too far. Two people felt nauseous.”

Wicked Campers unsuccessfully argued that the slogan simply referred to swallowing emotions, such as “annoyance or anger”.

“Wicked Campers cannot control the filthy minds of the general public who see a few words strung together and instantly think it means something rude and disgusting.”

The Australian branch of the company has received complaints in the past for slogans including “If God was a woman, sperm would taste like chocolate” and “Women are like banks—once you withdraw you lose interest”.

Foot Fetish

A teenager was arrested in Dallas recently after he stole a foot from a graveyard, simply because he wanted it.

The US teen approached police, who had been called to the graveyard at 3.30am, carrying the stolen foot in a bag.

“I dug it up from a nearby grave and took it from a Jew girl just because I wanted a foot.”

The teen has since been charged with theft of a human corpse.

Goin’ Down the Garden to Steal Worms

Karori’s Zealandia eco-sanctuary was the target of a recent theft, when thieves made off with a 100-kilogram worm farm, containing at least 8000 worms.

Senior Constable Dave Ross said at least two people would have been required to carry the farm, the size of which is said to be equivalent to the population of a small town.

“It’s like someone walking in and pinching Levin. That’s not to say Levin people are worms.”

Police believe the worms may be used to fertilise an illegal crop-growing operation.

Waiter, waiter, there’s a pig in my soup!

Scientists in Kazakhstan have developed a pregnancy test-like dipstick to test instantly for the presence of pork in food, popular newspaper Megapolis reported recently.

“When you get your beef patty, cut off a couple of small pieces and drop them in a glass of water. Stir, shake, put the test stick in … In a minute or two you will see the result.”

The development is intended to solve the problem of many meals in the largely Muslim-populated country containing pork, which is banned by Islam.

It is still unclear when the test-stick would become widely available.

Long-term assassination plot foiled

Accusations and conspiracy theories are flying around after the discovery of three and a half tonnes of bricks in the ceiling above the dining room of Government House.

Made to look as if they had been left there following the renovation of a chimney, the bricks were pearched precariously on jousts not strong enough to hold them.

Government House has been home to lavish dinners for world leaders, and of course Queen Liz.

No one is exactly sure who the target of the assassination plot might have been, but Lizzy dined under the bricks in 1954, 1963, 1970 and 1977.

Giant Creepy Crawly

A British scientist has discovered the tracks of the creepiest bug to ever exist.

The tracks were made by a giant six-legged “sea scorpion” called Hibbertopterus as it crawled over damp sand about 330 million years ago.

The animal, which is related to modern-day scorpions and horseshoe crabs, was about two metres long and about one metre wide.

The track, found in a rock by Dr Martin Whyte from the University of Sheffield, was made by the tail of the animal as it dragged over the sand.

It is the largest known walking trackway of a eurypterid or any invertebrate animal.

This new find contrasts previous fossil evidence which suggested the creepy giant bug lived in the water for most, if not all of the time.

Whyte told the BBC that the track was scientifically significant, but precarious as the fossil has been exposed to the elements.

“Removing it and housing it in a museum would be prohibitively costly, but moulding it in silicone rubber and making copies for educational and research purposes means that we can still see and research this huge creature’s tracks in years to come.”

Yeah not a good move

A Christchurch woman has been jailed for two years and four months after swiping over $400k from her employers to pay a Nigerian scammer.

Jacqueline Louise de Berri, 48, who suffers from anxiety and depression, admitted using funds from her employer to make 13 transfers to the Spanish bank accounts of the

Nigerian scammers in the hope of getting millions from the Nigerian’s dead relative’s estate.

Money deposited by de Berri was immediately transferred from the accounts so that it could not be retrieved.

The employer had made a victim impact report to the court saying it felt betrayed by de Berri, who was credit controller for the rental car firm in Christchurch. Staff who worked alongside her also felt let down.

De Berri received a fax at the company offices supposedly from a Spanish solicitor seeking relatives of an engineer who had died, leaving a fortune for family who had to be traced. She convinced herself the man was a cousin, and began transferring money as requested. The police described it as a Nigerian scam.

She had now lost her job, and the home was being sold. Although she could offer no reparations she had apologised to the company and was willing to meet officials at a restorative justice conference.

Sex to level Samoa?

Boobs may make men quake, but a recent cleavage-revealing event has raised questions about the boob’s power to shake the earth.

As reported in Salient, Iranian Cleric Kazem Sedighi said “Many women who do not dress modestly… lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes.”

Over 200,000 women across the world, including from many from Iran, joined the ‘Boobquake’ event on Facebook which asked women to wear low-cut tops last Monday in protest of the cleric’s claims.

Strangely enough, an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit Taiwan last Monday, coinciding with the event.

Buildings swayed briefly but none fell and there were no casualties.

But the ‘Boobquake’ organiser, Jennifer McCreight, an American university student, wrote on her blog the earthquake did not count as it was outside of her time zone.

In a related earthquake scandal, a Victoria University student is contemplating a life of celibacy after a strange parallel emerged.

The 24-year-old male has had a dry spell, broken only twice in the last two years. Coincidentally, the two separate events were quickly followed by an earthquake in Samoa.

As he likes Samoa, he is closely evaluating the future value of sex in his life.

Things were very different at last week’s exec meeting. All exec members were present and all exec members had submitted reports.

It looks like the exec read Salient!

This week Salient was going to include a look at all the exec members and how they stack up, but after discussions, this will be delayed until after the exec submit their trimester reports.

There are issues in every organisation, and VUWSA just happens to have a student magazine looking over their shoulder. That is Salient’s job, and we will keep on calling them on the things they do wrong. Even if they do bitch about it.

One thing that did impress me was the new attitude towards the IGM. IGM Take Two will have a steering committee to look after advertising and planning, and food to attract students.

There does appear to be a bit of dissent in the ranks. The exec spent a long time pointing out the faults and flaws in Clubs Officer Fraser Pearce’s report. Eventually it was decided that he had not done enough to be paid for the complete fortnight.

Exec members spent a rather long time discussing communication issues with the president, and blaming this for some of their own performance issues. While it was good to see some of the members of the exec actually getting passionate about something, it sounded more than a bit petty at times.

Stuff you can care about:
VUWSA is looking for student input on what is happening in the Campus Hub study and social places. There are a series of workshops on 11 May. If you are interested in being involved, go to the VUWSA office.

IGM Take Two! Bus strikes and lack of advertising meant last week’s meeting didn’t go ahead. The next one is scheduled for Thursday 13 May at 1pm in the Student Union Hall. Apparently this time there will be treats.

Not really a million dollar value

The VUWSA executive are elected each year to govern the students’ association.

Half way through the first semester, there appear to be some problems with the 2010 exec’s goal to improve the public perception of the association.

In a press release issued by VUWSA in March, President Max Hardy said the association was looking to renew the “values that underpin the organisation” and restore “VUWSA’s credibility with students”.

While VUWSA can claim some victories, such as successful advocacy for students incorrectly disenrolled from French courses, the association appears to be letting integral administration tasks slide.

The VUWSA constitution requires an Initial General Meeting (IGM) to be held within the first four weeks of the academic year.

At this IGM, the audited accounts are meant to be presented. External auditors were meant to have these audited accounts to VUWSA in plenty of time for the association to meet its constitutional obligations. This has not been the case.

A meeting date has been set, after three previous meetings had to be cancelled as the audited reports were not available.

The constitution requires a notice of the IGM to be posted on the noticeboard outside the VUWSA office at least 14 days prior to the meeting. While this obligation has been met it appears to be almost the only advertising of this meeting, other than an advertisement in Salient this week.

A snap poll of students in and around the Student Union Building showed that not one student was aware of the upcoming IGM, let alone where or what time the meeting is to be held.

This does not bode well for the meeting reaching the required quorum of 100 students.

While this exec is so far nothing like the complete fuck up of previous years, they are still accountable to the students and still control millions of dollars of student money.

As an organisation funded by students, students should be able to easily find information about what is happening to their money and what else is going on, such as minutes from exec meetings.

Over $20,000 was spent on the VUWSA website upgrade last year to serve some of this purpose. While there are staff and exec members trained to upload information to the website, minimal amounts of information have been uploaded in 2010.

The 2010 exec profiles were updated earlier in the year, but the other sections of the website have been left untouched.

A request for 2010 copies of VUWSA’s official public documents should be a simple task. It took pestering by Salient to get even some of the information, and as we go to print, we are still waiting for the rest of it.

Information received highlights another weakness.

Inadequate minutes of the exec meetings render some parts of these important records useless. As an official record of VUWSA, the minutes should be clear and informative. One meeting’s minutes state “THAT the work reports tabled at the meeting be accepted by the executive”. This does not make it clear who tabled reports, who submitted one late and who did not submit one at all.

Last week’s meeting, (as reported in Salient) was not the first example of how the 2010 exec do not seem to take their responsibilities completely seriously.

While some exec members such as Seamus Brady, Caitlin Dunham and Zachary Dorner have near perfect attendance records, other officers, such as Alan Young and Alice Pan, cannot say the same.

On the exec retreat at the start of the year, the work report requirement was discussed. The exec are all aware that to be paid, they are required to submit a fortnightly work report by Tuesday midday. There are limits on the number of times a report can be late, or submitted verbally before the officer’s pay is affected.

Unfortunately Salient is not able to quote the exact requirements, as the Work Report Policy is part of the information we are still waiting on.

Next week we will be taking a closer look at the 2010 exec members individually, and how their performance stacks up.

Stop being apathetic please

VUWSA wants to know what you think about the student services provided on campus.

Following a hefty hike in the Student Services levy this year (see www.salient.org.nz for details), VUWSA agreed to work with the university to ensure students were receiving value for their huge amounts of money.

The Student Services and Amenities Levy Advisory Committee (SSALAC) was established as a collaboration between the university and VUWSA.

VUWSA is working together with the university to review students’ experiences of the various services provided by the Student Services and Amenities Levy.

The Committee has organised a research project. Focus groups and interviews of students will be conducted, with a wider survey of students planned for later in the year.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says SSALAC gives students a very concrete opportunity to have a say in what their Student Services levy funds.

“VUWSA encourages students to contact us with any ideas about the levy and services it funds.

“We want to know if you have ideas for new services, less services, better services, cheaper services and so on.

“This is much more than an empty gesture, your ideas will be able to change what happens in 2011.”

VUWSA is working together with the university to review students’ experiences of the various services provided by the Student Services and Amenities Levy.

My flatmate often gleefully tells us of her latest golden shower experience when she gets home from work.

She heads off every morning and has a new story to tell us when she gets home. Seriously weird goings on really.

But there is method in her seemingly kinky madness.

Victoria University has partnered with Wellington Zoo to research possum contraception.

My flatmate Hadley Watson is on the research team, and part of her job is to play with animals, make them pee in a cup and feed them jam sandwiches.

It isn’t all cute animals and jam sandwiches in the wild though. Possums can be rather destructive, eating native bird eggs, and as carriers of tuberculosis they are a headache and serious economic threat for farmers.

Controversy surrounds methods to control the pests in the wild. The 1080 poison drops have prompted protests and court cases in an attempt to stop the drops.

Approximately $110 million is spent annually on possum control, and the majority of this is being spent on poisons.

Led by Associate Professor Research Fellow Doug Eckery from the School of Biological Sciences, research is underway to reduce reliance on 1080 poison by developing vaccines and other compounds to make possums infertile.

Before moving to Vic in 2006, Eckery had been involved in possum fertility control research for a number of years.

Eckery worked with the Wellington Zoo to establish a possum breeding colony, which allows the research team access to the possums to check the effectiveness of the contraceptive methods.

“I wanted to continue research in this area because it was challenging scientifically and also because the results can make a real difference to how possums are managed in New Zealand. But I needed access to at least a small colony of animals. Thankfully, we were able to relocate several animals from a colony I had previously established to the zoo.”

Eckery and his team work closely with the zoo to ensure the comfort of the animals.

“There are very strict guidelines for the use of animals in research, and just because possums are regarded as a serious pest, their use is no exception.

“Our possums are housed in free-range pens and a lot of effort is put into making sure the pens are environmentally enriched.

“Staff at the zoo treat our animals to the same high standard they would any other animal at the zoo and also provide any veterinary care if needed. Unhealthy or stressed possums won’t breed well, so it’s very important that we provided the right environment for our animals.”

Hadley said part of the team has bonded with the possums.

“When I began work with the project in January this year, I didn’t realise it would be such a boon for both the animals and scientists involved.

“While animal research can often be a sad affair, those of us working with the colony at the Wellington Zoo establish very real and rewarding relationships with our possums and treat them as colleagues in this effort to find a safe and healthy sterilisation method.”

Eckery told Victorious magazine the current global trend for the management of invasive wildlife species is the use of non-lethal methods of control.

A Hawkes Bay farmer says that while the poison programme has been effective, he would welcome longer-term biological controls.

“It takes a lot of time to mange pest control issues on a property. The 1080 programme has been very effective, but there were issues in the regional council management of the poison distribution and management.

“There is really no other option but to develop effective biological controls.

“While tuberculosis is the major concern, the destruction of the forests and native bird life is also a problem.

“They eat the eggs and destroy the trees. Flying over the native forests on our property, you could see that all of the rata trees were dead from the possums eating the shoots.

“Following the implementation of the 1080 programme, the forests had a chance to start regenerating and the increase in bird life on and around our property was very apparent.”

Eckery says the development of these alternative controls is encouraged across all research in the field.

“Following the recent reassessment of 1080 poison in New Zealand by the Environmental Risk Management Authority, a recommendation was given for more research into alternative methods of possum control.

“In line with this requirement, part of the reproductive biology research programme at Victoria is focussed on methods of fertility control for the management of possums in New Zealand.”

The research, carried out in partnership with the National Research Centre for Possum Biocontrol, is finding ways to control the fertility, but is also looking at how to administer the vaccines once completed.

“A major challenge now is to develop practical methods to deliver these vaccines and compounds to possums in the wild.”

Eckery says the partnership with the Wellington Zoo is very complementary and “it’s been a great fit”.

“It has allowed both of us to achieve some of our objectives and I think it has opened up new opportunities that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.

“In addition, the partnership has helped to educate the public about the impacts of invasive animals on biodiversity and has facilitated wider discussions about the use of poisons and possible alternatives to possum control.”

Wellington Zoo Chief Executive Officer Karen Fifield told Victorious magazine that conservation research is a key component of the Zoo’s conservation strategy.

The strategy is behind the motivation to partner with Victoria.

“We are thrilled to partner with Victoria University for the protection of New Zealand flora and fauna.”

We’ll Have Them Say Kiwi Boys

American lingerie company Lane Bryant is more than a bit pissed that big boobs are not getting the support they need, while little ones are let loose on their networks.

Two networks—Fox and ABC—said no to the boobs in a sexy lingerie ad from the company, set to air in time periods where the networks have broadcast other apparently “racy fare”.

Lane Bryant’s blog The Inside Curve had posts complaining about the move, before a deal was probably struck and the comments were taken down.

The ad depicts several attractive, plus-sized models in the latest line of Lane Bryant lingerie. Ample cleavage is on display, which Salient was informed by research participants is correctly termed “heavy hangers”.

“The networks exclaimed, ‘She has…cleavage!’Gasp!’’ the blog post states.

The company complained that “ABC and Fox have made the decision to define beauty for you by denying our new … commercial from airing freely on their networks.”

“While it’s no secret that Victoria’s Secret ‘The Nakeds’ ads are prancing around on major networks leaving little to the imagination, steaming up TV screens and baring nearly everything but their souls, our sultry siren who shows sophisticated sass is somehow deemed inappropriate.”

Through totally scientific research conducted on Gmail chat, Salient has found 80 per cent of Kiwi males* would support the concept of the ad, with 80 per cent stating they wanted to watch the ad for purely scientific reasons.

Salient assumes the other guy just said no to be annoying.

*Sample Size = 5.

Disability Services Do Good

Victoria University has come out looking favourable in a recent report released by CCS Disability Action and Workbridge.

The Journey to Work report concluded disabled young people are not receiving enough support in New Zealand’s education system and are twice as likely to leave school without a qualification as young non-disabled people.

The research outlines the need for an inclusive education policy and recommends that targets are set to measure and increase the number of young disabled people achieving in NCEA.

The report found the numbers of disabled students attending either universities or polytechnics decreased in 2006 from 2001.

Victoria was noted as an institution going against the trend, with increasing enrolment numbers of disabled students who have come either directly from school, or soon after.

The report states this increase may be due to greater expectation of inclusion, more marketing and better support.

Victoria’s Acting Director in Student Academic Services Gerard Hoffman says that there has been a 27 per cent increase in enrolments of students identifying themselves as having a disability.

Hoffman says this increase is due to a number of factors.

“Victoria Disability Services has a solid reputation, built up through strong leadership for a number of years. Effective use of funding over the years has allowed us to develop services and the reputation of the organisation.”

Hoffman says part of the increase can also be attributed to a change in the enrolment process, making it easier for students to choose to identify themselves as having a disability.

He also cites a recent rebrand as having an effect on numbers.

“Disability Services underwent a rebrand about a year ago that shifted the focus of support for an individual student to inclusion in the university.”

The Disability Services website states the service’s by-line “Access and Inclusion” involves providing students access to support and services “that are congruent with their disability-related need” and leading “Victoria towards becoming a fully inclusive tertiary education institution”.

Hoffman says part of the rebrand has resulted in a culture change at the university. 

“It’s a shift towards better teaching practices for all students. The use of Blackboard to load lecture notes, resources and even recordings of lectures is beneficial to all students.

“Disability Services staff contact every course co-ordinator over Summer to catalogue what resources will be used in the course. This allows the staff to create a database that helps students assess what they might require to help them in that course.”

Hoffman says another major influence on the increasing numbers is the raising public awareness of disabilities and the level of acceptance in society.

“There has been a shift in society that has resulted in a decreased stigma attached to mental illnesses, a recognised disability. People are less likely to think there is no benefit in identifying their disability, and are more likely to welcome the support Disability Services can provide.”

But no one knows how

World leaders have endorsed President Barack Obama’s call to stop terrorists keeping getting their hands on nuclear materials.

Obama declared the world would be more secure as a result, despite the 47-nation summit not developing any specific ways to stop terrorists blowing shit up.

As a staunch anti-nuclear country with no nuclear weapons, New Zealand seemed a little out of place with the rest of the summit. However, Obama reportedly told John Key that New Zealand had “well and truly” earned a place at the table of the nuclear security summit.

The summit countries agreed to cooperate more with the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The representatives also agreed to share information on nuclear detection and ways to prevent nuclear trafficking.

A terrorist group in possession of plutonium no bigger than an apple could detonate a device capable of inflicting hundreds of thousands of casualties, Obama said.

“Terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda have tried to acquire the material for a nuclear weapon, and if they ever succeeded, they would surely use it.

“Were they to do so, it would be a catastrophe for the world, causing extraordinary loss of life and striking a major blow to global peace and stability.”

While the summit focused on the threat from terrorists, attention was given to Iran, North Korea and other nations who are seeking or have succeeded in obtaining or developing nuclear weapons.

Iran, which was not invited to the conference, denies it intends to build an atomic bomb, and despite widespread concern about its intentions, Obama is having difficulty getting agreement on a new set of UN sanctions against the country.

Joyce drives 15-year-olds off the road

Cabinet has confirmed the driving age will rise from 15 to 16, making life harder for country kids and clearing the way for legislation to pass before the end of the year.

Last week Minister of Transport Steven Joyce said cabinet had approved a package of changes that will affect young drivers.

Besides increasing the driving age, the changes will also make the restricted licence test harder, set up investigation of vehicle power restrictions for young drivers and allow defensive driving courses to be done in the learner licence phase.

There will also be an investigation in to tougher penalties for drivers who breach the rules of a restricted licence.

Joyce has announced the package as a first step in implementing Safer Journeys: New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy 2010 – 2020.

A second package of changes focused on the impact of alcohol on our roads will be discussed by cabinet shortly. This will include an action to reduce the youth blood alcohol limit to zero.

Nick Foster, a 15-year-old who has started studying for his learner’s licence, says the changes are “absolutely crap”.

Foster will be making sure he sits his learner’s test before the changes come in.

He does not believe the changes will alter the accident statistics for young people.

“It will only make them better drivers in the future because they have had more experience. People are always going to be stupid though.”

New Zealand learner drivers currently do around 50 hours of supervised practice on average. Research shows the crash risk is significantly lower for drivers who do 120 hours of supervised practice.

Joyce says legislation to support changes in the package could be in place by the end of the year. New Zealanders will have a chance to have a further say on the changes as part of the Select Committee process.

Fact sheets on young driver safety and questions and answers about the actions in the package are available at www.saferjourneys.govt.nz.

“It’s spy-mania!”

All you paranoid types might actually be right. The police could be spying on you! So you’d better put the pipe down.

A document recently released under the Official Information Act (OIA) shows that the police are spying and running operations on protest groups. This included spying on a Victoria University protest in May 2009, a student protest in Auckland in 2009, and students planning to occupy Massey’s Registry in 2008.

In the NZ Police Annual Report for the year ending 30th June 2009, a reference was made to “84 operation orders” made in relation to “public demonstrations”.

An OIA request for a list of all these operation orders made in October 2009 by Peace Action Wellington has just been answered by Police National Headquarters. A list of the 84 operation orders has been released. However, access to the actual orders has so far been denied.

The Victoria operation, listed as “VUW Protest” (29/05/2009) was a Workers’ Party protest following the dis-enrollment by the University of party members and Victoria students Alastair Reith, Ian Anderson and former VUWSA President Joel Cosgrove, after burning a New Zealand flag on campus.

Students at the NZUSA annual conference in Auckland in 2008 protesting the rising student debt levels were also under surveillance.

Peace Action Wellington spokesperson says the OIA results are “chilling”.

Peace Action Wellington “condemns the action of the NZ Police…against legitimate political dissent”.

“Protecting these people is protecting war mongers and war profiteers from public disgust, outrage and resistance to their activities,” said Valerie Morse, Peace Action member.

“In my experience, the police see their role as shutting down protests, and they will do whatever is necessary in order to accomplish that, including extensive surveillance, arbitrary arrest and detention of people without any cause whatsoever.”

No Peace Thru Vandalism

Following two separate attacks of vandalism on the Women’s Room in the Student Union, Women’s Rights Officer Caitlin Dunham is asking people to be more aware of what is happening around the campus.

The Women’s Room is on the second floor of the Student Union, and is provided as quiet space for women on campus.

Last term, offensive messages were written on posters, and the phone was ripped from the wall.

“It’s disappointing that people treat this space with such blatant disrespect,” says Dunham.

“The space is provided as a safe, quiet haven so vandalism is really not conducive to the message of the room.”

Dunham hopes the space will be treated with more respect when it reopens after the holidays.

During the renovation of the Student Union Building, access to the room has been disrupted. Dunham is working with VUWSA and Student Services to find an alternative space.

Do your bit for your golden future

Just in case you do break the law, Vic students are finding ways to get you out of your public indecency charge. For free!

The Wellington Community Justice Project is a student-driven initiative that will provide law students with the opportunity to work with lawyers and gain practical legal experience through research and case work.

“Student volunteers will be involved in four areas of the project: law reform, human rights, education and advocacy,” says Project Leader Helena Nunn.

“It is a long-term project run entirely by students with consent and support from Victoria University’s Faculty of Law.”

At the project’s launch, Principal Family Court Judge Andrew Becroft praised the initiative. “Justice in this country is hardest to find where it is most needed,” he said.

“This has the potential to be a life-changing experience for the students involved and for those who receive their assistance.”

“The aim of the project is to improve community access to legal services,” says Nunn, “to educate individuals about processes such as law reform as well as the law itself, and finally, to provide a means of getting students more involved with their community.”

The student volunteers will be working with organisations such as community law offices, the Human Rights Commission, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Innocence Project NZ and members of the legal profession.

I can’t think of a System of a Down reference

The Qualifications Authority is considering replacing University Entrance with a common entry standard for all degrees.

Currently there are inconsistencies in degree entry requirements across the tertiary sector.

University Entrance is required for people under the age of 20 who want to study at a New Zealand university. Other institutions do not have to use the standard for entry to their degrees, although many do.

Some polytechnic, wananga and private sector representatives say they’re in favour of a single entry standard.

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says it is anomalous to have different entry standards for degree study at different types of institutions.

He says 20 per cent of the country’s degree students are not at universities.

“Ensuring there is a common entry standard for all degree programmes is essential to protecting the reputation of New Zealand’s degree qualifications.

“In a capped funding environment it is vital that there is a transparent and fair system for allocating places in degree programmes.

“In my view those places must be allocated to students who have at least met a minimum standard tertiary entry criteria in both universities and other tertiary institutions.”

Some tertiary sector representatives warn that disadvantaged groups could miss out.

The results of the review should be known before the start of the 2011 school year, and any changes would take effect in 2013.

Get paid to show them how to get it right

Students have a chance to win the big bucks telling the government how to spend their money right.

The inaugural Alternative Budget Competition, open to all currently enrolled university students, asks teams of students to construct an alternative budget for New Zealand.

The wining team gets $7000 in prize money, while the other three finalists get $1000 per team fronted by competition sponsors the Productive Economy Council and the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

“Generations X and Y have a huge stake in the future of our country since it is on them that the tax burden of supporting any future benefits—which they may or may not receive—will fall. And yet these generations are poorly represented among those who form our economic policies,” says Selwyn Pellett, spokesman for the Productive Economy Council.

“We want to see what ideas our smartest students can come up with as a counter to the traditional ideas which lack inspiration and have delivered an unbalanced economy with lacklustre growth. The objective is summed up in the tag line for the competition: Clean Sheet, New Vision.” says Pellett.

Hurry up, you only have until Thursday 22 April to enter your team.

Competition details can be found at www.altb.org.nz

Postman Pat Scared of Black and White Cat

Cat sayz you can’t haz mail

It isn’t anthrax or a bomb scare, but an elderly cat that has struck fear in the hearts of postal workers in northern England recently.

Following repeated attacks from 19-year-old ‘Tiger’, Royal Mail have suspended deliveries for two weeks to the cat’s owner, Tracey Brayshaw.

Brayshaw told newspapers she found the allegations hard to believe, as Tiger is usually all about the cat naps.

“If Tiger climbs up a tree he is done in for the rest of the day. We’ve had him since he was a kitten. He has never done anything like what they say he has done before.”

Until the issue is resolved, Brayshaw will collect her mail from the local sorting office.

Good Afterble Father Constanoon

Blood of Christ ‘okay’ for teen drivers

Teen drivers supping on communion won’t face the same penalties as those throwing back Coronas despite the new changes to driving laws.

The government’s proposed zero blood alcohol limit for drivers under 20 won’t affect teenaged communicants driving home after mass, NZ Catholic reported recently.

In responding to concerns raised by the New Zealand Catholic Church, the president of the Police Association said that the changes shouldn’t pose problems, and that it would be fairly easy to tell the difference between drivers returning from mass and those returning from an all-nighter.

Changes to driving laws are expected to be in place by the end of this year.

Porn addiction cripples Swedish train network

Choo choo choo choke

A rail worker’s porn addiction has caused serious problems in the Swedish city of Galve recently.

As well as introducing numerous viruses to the train network’s computer system, the rail-worker also regularly missed shifts or fell asleep on the job following late-night porn viewings.

Investigators found that the network was unable to operate safely in its current state.

Presented with an official warning, the worker has been blamed by bosses for putting thousands of passengers and hundreds of cargo workers at risk.

Teen cuts off penis after getting dumped

‘Cutting off nose to spite one’s face’ taken to new extreme

An Indonesian teenager redefined ‘messy break-up’ after learning his girlfriend intended to marry another man.

The 19-year-old was hospitalised with severe blood loss in Central Java last month when he chopped off his penis and threw it down a well.

Doctors say that the teen, who hasn’t spoken to anyone about the incident, is lucky to be alive.

“Cutting off a penis can be fatal.”

Although the young man recovered from the incident, his dismembered member could not be reattached as villagers were unable to find it.

Oh dear god. Just…no.

Get Patz in your pants

The Twihards have reached a whole new level of just plain wrong.

While fans have been adoring stars for centuries, the latest piece of TwiMerch is beyond words.

If you dream of doing bad things to Robert Pattinson, you can now make him get into your pants. Literally.

And that’s not all… his face is not only printed on the front of the underwear… his mouth is ever-so-conveniently printed inside, with his mouth all snuggled up into your crotch.

The rather unflattering underwear should probably not be worn on a date. And if you are caught wearing them on a random hook-up and the guy likes them, you deserve each other.

All the girls at Salient felt rather ill after reading a write up on these pants… let your imagination run wild with thoughts of what vampires like to drink.

Yup. So very very wrong.

We have to suck it up, but VUWSA still has our back

The appearance of a $500 Student Services Levy on student fee invoices has caused a flood of complaints to VUWSA.

The Student Services Levy for 2010, which partially subsidises services such as Student Health, Counselling, the Rec Centre and Student Crèches, is set at $510 for full-time and part-time students. Distance learners pay a discounted rate of $326.

Changes to the levy in 2009 have led to a 93 per cent increase in the levy for full-time students and a greater increase (sometimes 200 per cent) for part-time students this year.

Student services used to be subsidised to some extent by Victoria through university revenue, but this changed in 2009. The university stated in 2009 that if the student levy stayed the same as last year, the quality of student services could have been adversely affected.

The university believed that not raising the levy would have led to fewer or lower quality services, or a ‘user pays’ system may have been introduced, which would then have placed services out of the reach of a large number of students.

When announcing the fee review in 2009, Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh said an increase was “by no means indicative of a trend towards further increases beyond” 2010.

“If the student levy is increased in 2010 it would be wrong to assume that students would automatically face increases in 2011 and 2012, however the university would want to ensure the level of services was maintained,” said Walsh.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says VUWSA vigorously opposed and voted against any increase of the levy through its student representative on the University Council.

“However, the levy was going to be approved despite our opposition and we saw an opportunity to work with the university to ensure increased transparency and student representation,” Hardy says.

Hardy says VUWSA still believes that the university should be paying for student services.

“If the student services are important for academic achievement then they are a part of the university’s role.

“Whilst the move was in part to ensure the long-term viability of the services in a constrained funding environment, it was also effectively a significant increase in the cost of studying at Victoria.

“The increase in the levy has further increased the burden that students face in receiving their education.”

To ensure that any future increases involved student representation, Victoria and VUWSA signed a Memorandum Of Understanding. The Memorandum agrees the university and VUWSA will work in partnership to ensure student services are responsive to students and students have oversight of their delivery.

The Student Services and Amenities Levy Advisory Committee (SSALAC) will make recommendations to the vice-chancellor on any changes to the levy each year. The committee has equal VUW (Director Student Academic Services, Director Campus Services, Director ITS) and student representation (VUWSA President, VUWSA Vice-President (Welfare), VUWSAT Trustee).

Hardy says VUWSA has received complaints about the increase in the levy, particularly from part-time students, and is working to resolve their concerns.

“It is important for all students to let VUWSA know if they wish to make a complaint.

“VUWSA has been advised that the university is reviewing all complaints from students and is in the process of preparing a paper for consideration by SSALAC and university management in order to inform future policy directions.”

Despite these issues VUWSA is very supportive of student oversight over the Student Services Levy and the services it covers.

“Students are now a major contributor and the chief users of the student services and this means that we should have a big say.”

Hardy says VUWSA is concerned that students enrolled in the third trimester only are not automatically given a two-thirds refund. These students must apply for the refund.

“SSALAC, at VUWSA’s request, will be reviewing the structure of the levy and questions like this refund process for 2011, and this will be something we will be trying to change.

“This is a perfect example of the critical need for effective student representation. All students must pay for these services, so all students need to have a say in what the levy pays for.”

The SSALAC has agreed on carry out a research project at the beginning of this year to gauge what students—both users and non-users of the services—think.

“We want to know what students think they should pay for and what sorts of services they want to see.

“A research project like this will give students a chance to have their say in the delivery of these services and we strongly encourage students who have ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to get in touch with VUWSA.”

Q&A with VUWSA President Max Hardy

News Editor Angela Mabey talked to VUWSA president Max Hardy about the levy increases.

Why is the University increasing the levy?

The University provides high quality student services and wants to ensure that this continues and remains accessible to all students even in times of financial pressure. The levy will be used directly to fund student related services.

How much is the new levy?

$510, including GST for full-time and part-time students. Distance learners pay a discounted rate of $326, including GST. Students enrolled in the third trimester only will be able to claim a two-thirds refund.

What about students who are only enrolled in the first or second trimester?

Students enrolled in the first and/or second trimester are eligible to access the services listed below for the year (i.e. February to February)

Can students borrow the levy on the Student Loan?

Yes, because it is a compulsory levy.

Why do part-time students have to pay the same rate as full-time students?

Evidence shows that some part-time students use student support services as much or more than their full-time counterparts. As all students have the same access to services and amenities, the University requires them to pay the same rate.

Will students receive a refund for the levy if they withdraw from study?

If they completely withdraw from all courses within the first two weeks of the trimester your courses commence, they will receive a fees refund and a full refund of the Student Services Levy. If they are only enrolled in third trimester courses, they need to completely withdraw within the first week of your start date.

What does the levy cover?

The levy partially covers the costs of delivering the services listed below. Except in a few cases, such as Early Childhood Education Services, students will not have to pay any additional charges when accessing the services.

• Accommodation Service
• Career Development and Employment including Victoria Plus Award and Victoria CareerHub
• Counselling Service
• Disability Services
• Financial Support and Advice
• Student Health Service (no extra charge when primary health carer)
• Student Learning Support
• Te Putahi Atawhai (Manaaki Pihipihinga mentoring programme, Kaiwawao Maori, Maori & Pacific Support Coordinators)
• New Student Orientation and transition programmes
• Recreation Centre
• Student crèches (student parents pay discounted fees and are able to have more flexible booking arrangements)
• Amenities provided by the Student Union
• ITS services to students including high speed internet for students on campus and IT support staff.

Note: students who choose not to register with Student Health as their primary health carer pay discounted rates.

How can students be sure that the money will be spent on student services?

The University will ring fence the money collected through the levy so that it is only spent on the services to students specified. Each year the University will provide information on how the money was spent and this will be on the website so students can check for themselves. The University will work in partnership with VUWSA, involving them in the annual planning and budget rounds for the services covered by the levy to ensure all services provided are relevant and the services are being managed efficiently.

What if students don’t need all of the services funded through this levy?

The levy can be compared to an ‘insurance policy’, which means if students need vital services such as healthcare or counselling, they will receive them for free or at significantly reduced rates. Without the levy, the services would need to charge market rates which would be out of the reach of a large number of students. Counselling for example would need to charge around $120 per session, rather than offer the free service it currently provides.

Uni seems safe for students. Go us!

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres has released a report outlining the need to ensure the safety of international students, among other priorities.

The report reviews New Zealand’s race relations in 2009 and backs up the finding of the annual UMR survey in 2009, which found that New Zealand’s Asian community are most heavily discriminated against, with 75 per cent of respondents indicating they felt or suffered ‘a great deal’ or ‘some’ discrimination.

In the education sector the report suggests effective reporting mechanisms are required to combat discrimination against international students and reduce the number of complaints, which have remained steady over the past three years.

Victoria University Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor Rob Rabel says the university has an excellent record with a very low number of complaints.

“A group of staff representing faculties and student services was recently asked to collate reports of racial harassment they had received over the past couple of years, but in the past two years only one or two incidents were reported to Victoria International staff.”

Although the situation to date has been a positive one, the university is regularly monitoring its approach to international student safety.

Rabel says that despite the very low number of reported incidents, there have been recent discussions about whether racial harassment is an issue at Victoria University, both for international and other students.

“A working group will be examining the prevalence of harassment on our campus, and the adequacy of reporting systems.”

Rabel says Victoria International takes a proactive approach to international student safety, providing comprehensive advice regarding personal safety and security, emergency procedures and road safety to new students at Orientation and in the International Student Handbook.

“New international students are urged to talk to a Victoria International Student Advisor about any incidents of harassment they experience, and the 0800 number of the Human Rights Commission is provided in the International Student Handbook.

“If students report harassment to us, Victoria International Student Advisors would involve Jon Everest (Victoria’s Facilitator and Disputes Adviser), the Race Relations Commission or the police, as appropriate.”

VUWSA encourages students to report incidents of harassment of any kind to the harassment contact person in their Faculty, a trusted friend, the VUWSA Welfare Advocacy Organiser or the University Counselling Service. They also recommend seeking help off campus where necessary with the Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission, police or a range of volunteer organisations.

The Race Relations Report includes other suggestions for priorities such as a constitutional review focusing on the Treaty of Waitangi, and the future of Maori seats in parliament, as well as the need for government and community action to reduce discrimination against Asian New Zealanders.

Where’s ours Victoria?

Researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health and Brown University gave 193 university students a load of free beer and found that binge drinking the night before a test does not impact university students’ test performance.

The study found that being drunk the previous night did not affect students’ scores on academic tests requiring long-term memory, or on tests of recently learned material.

Binge drinking did have an affect on moods, attention and reaction times, with potential negative impacts on safety-related behaviors, such as driving.

The study, which has been published in the April issue of Addiction Journal, was the first of its kind to examine the link between drinking and academic performance by enrolling students in a controlled experiment.

The research team were surprised by the study results because some prior studies have found that occupational performance was impaired the day after a drinking session.

The researchers say that binge drinking could affect other types of academic performance, such as essay writing and problem solving requiring higher cognitive skills.

“We do not conclude that excessive drinking is not a risk factor for academic problems,” the researchers wrote. “It is possible that a higher alcohol dose would have affected next-day academic test scores.

“Moreover, test-taking is only one factor in academic success. Study habits, motivation and class attendance also contribute to academic performance; each of these could be affected by intoxication.”

Previous studies, which relied on surveys, found that students who drink heavily have more academic difficulties than those who drink more moderately.

Researchers believe the study raises interesting questions about the effects of alcohol on specific cognitive skills and reaction/attention behavior, and say further investigation into these areas would be valuable.

Researchers tested 193 university students, ages 21 to 24, recruited from the Boston area. Over two nights volunteer participants received either beer or nonalcoholic beer. They received the opposite drink the second time they were tested.

The next day, participants were given the practice versions of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), as well as a mock quiz on an academic lecture they received the previous afternoon. Students were monitored overnight by an emergency medical technician.

The study found that participants scored no differently on the GREs, or on the quizzes, whether they had consumed alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer.

VUWSA President Max Hardy has told Salient that VUWSA has accepted an invitation to lay a wreath to commemorate ANZAC day.

“VUWSA will be joining with others in laying a wreath on ANZAC Day.”

Last year, VUWSA’s decision to not lay a wreath made national news.

The 2009 exec agreed to reject an invitation from Wellington City Council to lay a wreath during the city’s ANZAC Day commemorations.

The decision, made during a weekly VUWSA exec meeting, was borne out of a desire not to “arbitrarily” observe events for which there was no formal VUWSA policy.

At the time, VUWSA did not have a formal position on officially commemorating ANZAC Day, and this lack of formal position was considered the “overarching” reason for the rejection.

Former VUWSA President Jasmine Freemantle said there was no “official mandate from students” to recognise ANZAC Day, despite the association being present during the last five ANZAC Day ceremonies.

Hardy said that this year’s exec believe there is a strong mandate from students to support the event.

“For VUWSA, we will be especially remembering the hundreds of Victoria University students who have served and lost their lives.

“At least 435 Victoria students lost their lives in both World Wars. These conflicts had a profound impact on the student body and we will remember that on ANZAC Day.

“While there was a diversity of opinion on last year’s exec, in the end they made the wrong decision,” says Hardy.

“This year, the executive is unanimous in deciding that VUWSA will observe ANZAC day.

“Some students do not support laying a wreath, but most students do not wish to see ANZAC Day politicised and instead see it as an important day to remember those who lost their lives.”

Do you really need them when you’re dead?

A Victoria University expert on organ and tissue donation says cultural sensitivity is sometimes believed to be behind New Zealand’s low rates of deceased organ donation, but the issues are more complex.

School of Social and Cultural Studies Senior Lecturer Dr Rhonda Shaw will lead a seminar on 7 April to address a range of issues to do with organ and tissue donation and transplantation in New Zealand.

Shaw says the issues are “profoundly significant” considering New Zealand has one of the lowest rates of deceased organ donation in the western world.

“Currently the rate of donation is about nine deceased donors per million population.

“We are not sure why the numbers are so low, but it might be related to cultural issues—reluctance in respect to cutting up the body and the desire to maintain bodily integrity in death—both for Maori and Pakeha.”

Shaw is hoping that the conference will open up a much-needed dialogue on issues crucial to New Zealand’s health system.

One of the most contested issues at the conference will be that of commercialisation and compensation for donors, and will be addressed by several speakers. Under the Human Tissue Act 2008 the commercialisation of any body tissue, including solid organs, is illegal.

“Understandably, New Zealanders have an in-built aversion to commercialisation, because they don’t want to institute a payment system where people feel coerced or influenced into donating organs because they are impoverished or out of work,” says Shaw.

Shaw says current moves by patient and professional groups to promote live donation from blood related donors to donors who are spouses or friends may be a way to address the low donation rate.

“Currently compensation does not even cover time off work, and yet when you consider the benefits of donation to the health system, and to recipients and their families, there is room for more discussion about adequate compensation to meet the costs of live donors.”

Shaw says New Zealand’s high rates of kidney disease and diabetes, especially among Maori, mean the topic of organ donation has huge ramifications for New Zealand. Three of the conference’s presenters will address issues that pertain to Maori specifically, including Dr Robert Webb (Auckland University of Technology) on Maori experiences of organ donation and transplantation.

One Day Seminar—The Future of Organ and Tissue Donation
Wednesday 7 April 2010, 8.30am – 5pm
Hunter Council Chamber, Kelburn Parade, Wellington

Women dislike sexist comments

Many amazed

Research conducted by Stephenie Chaudoir and Diane Quinn of the University of Connecticut in the United States has revealed that men who harass women with sexual comments are harming women’s perception of the male gender.

Apparently, these findings were a revelation to some.

The study asked a group of female students to view a video clip and imagine themselves as bystanders to a situation where a man either made a sexist remark toward a women or simply greeted her.

The subjects were then asked to rate their feelings of anger or depression and their desire to move away from or against men.

Astoundingly, the study showed that women were actually more likely to take a sexist remark as an insult to their gender, as well as more likely to feel anger or resentment towards men in general.

Flamenco Fuels Fury

FUCK!

Student journalists slaving over computers to bring you the award-winning magazine you now hold in your hands were left frustrated after flamenco guitarists attempted to serenade them once again.

A group of flamenco enthusiasts gathered under the balcony outside the Salient office in what appears to be a cheesy seduction attempt, or some kind of Romeo and Juliet Spain edition moment.

While some in the office can appreciate the talent involved in the playing, it was the constant repetition of passages that started dreams of other things that guitar strings could be used for. Rising fury was calmed after the guitarists decided to move on.

Salient suggests that a great time to attempt future serenades is on Fridays when we will all be in the office, willing to listen. Yup.

Prostitute gets nailed; unable to perform duties

Boyfriend pissed she can’t make him sandwiches

A prostitute sentenced to community service has been jailed after claiming her broken nails stopped her from completing court orders.

The Taranaki Daily News reported that Tala Jepsen, 19, was sentenced to 60 hours community services for charges relating to her stealing cheques from a man’s chequebook in 2009.

As a result, Jepsen had her fines of $1820 remitted and was sentenced to 21 days in prison for failing to complete her work at Wanganui primary school.

Scientists invent invisibility cloak

Harry Potter can suck it!

A three-dimensional invisibility cloak has been developed by German Muggle Scientists.

The cloak, made up of special lenses that bend light waves, is able to not only make small objects invisible, but hide the bump they would normally create. However, making large objects vanish before our very sights is still light-years away. Ha! Light-years, get it?

Tolga Ergin of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology spoke with Reuters during a telephone interview to explain the impact of the device.

“This is very exciting, because mankind has always thought about being invisible or having invisibility cloaks.”

In your face, J.K. Rowling!

Student Union slurs speech

Management of the policy governing alcohol advertising on the Victoria campus is being questioned by student organisations after apparent inconsistencies in its interpretation.

As organisers of Orientation 2010, The VBC were offered the free use of the Jägermeister stage and mobile van, which comes complete with a PA system.

Following this generous offer, The VBC’s Creative Director Doug Tereu approached the Student Union, a business group of the university responsible for governing the implementation of the policy, for approval.

Tereu was told by Student Union Campus Services Manager Rainsforth Dix that the branded vehicle was against the Reduce Harm policy, and would not be welcome on campus.

Dix says the van breached the Management of the Promotion of Alcohol on Campus Procedure policy, which states its purpose is to exclude “promotions and advertising on campus which are intended or likely to encourage the excessive consumption of alcohol by students”.

Dix says the decision was made with the support of VUWSA President Max Hardy.

“Last year all decisions were made in conjunction with the Director of Student Services, and this year the VUWSA president has been involved in discussions about VUWSA’s orientation week.”

Hardy says this is incorrect.

“VUWSA agreed that this orientation was not going to be promoting binge drinking events, but students are able to make their own decisions.

“VUWSA approached the Student Union after The VBC told us of the decision. We supported the use of the van.”

When questioned by Salient, Dix says that the decision was made as Jägermeister is “known as an alcoholic beverage that is excessively consumed”.

However, the Jägermeister branding is displayed within the Student Union-managed Mount Street Bar.

When Salient questioned this apparent inconsistency, Dix said the bar is a “licensed premise and can advertise within the premise”.

Last week, signage outside the premise, Mount Street Bar, advertised St Patrick’s Day, a day traditionally associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Tereu is concerned by the “inconsistencies in interpretation” of the policy.

“It looks like they are enforcing this policy inconsistently between parties and favouring themselves, bending the rules.”

Hardy agrees with Tereu and says VUWSA will follow the situation closely.

Tereu believes that the policy has gone beyond what was intended.

“The VBC supports a sensible use policy, however, they are treating students as babies.”

Hardy agrees sensible interpretation is required.

“VUWSA is a committed partner to the Reduce Harm policy.

“However, we support a sensible interpretation of the policy.”

Tereu says the issues with the policy have the potential to seriously harm the future of some student organisations.

“Not all groups have access to law firms or other corporate sponsorship. Who do we turn to if we can’t get that funding or support?”

Tereu believes there are further implications for future orientation events.

“They are destroying orientation.”

“Why can’t the students’ association obtain money from outside sponsors to make official orientation events cheaper for students?”

Tereu and Hardy are concerned about advertising allowed on campus, specifically Big Kumara and Medusa advertising drink specials.

The VBC’s Chrisana Love agrees.

“This whole thing is negating all the hard work, effort and energy put in if our events are restricted, and bars in town can do what they like including calling their events O-week.

“The real war should be on the city bars.”

In this week’s meeting I talked. I have been gradually less able to bite my tongue, and this week I finally broke.

But I am not going to tell you why. In this column I will be putting aside a few issues as Salient will be covering these at a later date. So let’s focus on other things that happened at the meeting…

This week: new flu shots, new appointments, new places to buy food and new affiliates.

So, swine flu and other nasties. They are quite serious things. VUWSA are supporting Student Health to provide free flu shots on campus. At this week’s meeting the exec approved further funding to extend the free flu shots into a specialised Hall campaign. Last year there were some serious implications of flu being passed around the Halls. Over 20 per cent of the student body were affected by the flu, with over 60 per cent of these cases from the Halls. It’s something VUWSA and the university are taking seriously, you should too.

The VUWSA family is almost complete with the appointments of Melissa Barnard as the Clubs and Events Manager and Wendy Turk as the Sales and Advertising Manager. Salient will be bringing you a cheesy ‘oh hai new people’ article about them soon.

As you know, the quad is currently undergoing a massive rebuild. When completed, the new Campus Hub will include new bars and cafés. Businesses will take part in a tender process to win the contracts. Apparently this might include an off-campus bar taking over and running the on-campus bar… It will be interesting to see what happens with this process. Salient will keep you informed.

Part of the construction will see the three current food kiosks moved into the courtyard between Hunter and Old Kirk. Exec members were asked to consider if they thought VUWSA should bid for one of the contracts to run the kiosk. President Max Hardy said it might provide the opportunity for VUWSA to ensure students have a cheap source of munchies. The exec are going to get more info before making a decision on this.

Good to see that VUWSA are thinking about what students want!

Vic law students are going to be starting up a community law programme after the exec affiliated the new Wellington Community Justice Programme. The WCJP is a group of students who plan to provide community legal advice and projects. They will be launching soon, so keep your eyes peeled if you need some help!

VUWSA says oui oui

VUWSA is keeping their eye on Victoria University after students were advised they should withdraw from a course they were entitled to take.

VUWSA President Max Hardy told Salient that students who had enrolled and had their fees paid for FREN112 were told in their second tutorial that they had to drop out of the course.

Salient understands the students were told they were not able to complete the beginners course because they had completed NCEA level 1 French—one student having completed it over four years prior.

“There are no restrictions or course requirements listed for this paper, yet they were told they were not able to continue in FREN112,” Hardy says.

Online information for the course on the Victoria University website clearly states “Restrictions: None”.

One student received conflicting information in an email from a senior department member, saying there were restrictions on entry to the course.

“If you had [discussed course entry] I would have been able to confirm in simple terms the particular restrictions placed on enrolments in FREN112.”

The French language course structure allows students to skip course requirements should they wish to. However, it does not state that students must take this course of action.

After students went to VUWSA with their concerns, VUWSA acted as the students’ advocate and had them enrolled back in the paper.

The department member went on to say the students’ actions in complaining about the directive to withdraw from the course were “reprehensible”.

“…Treating the situation as one of injustice to yourself, rather than one that relates to maintaining high standards in the classroom and a positive learning attitude amongst your fellow students is reprehensible.”

Hardy is concerned that other students may have encountered negative situations and not contacted VUWSA for advocacy support.

“Lecturers can be intimidating for first years.

“Students should always come to VUWSA with their concerns so that we can give them advice and support if required.

“This French situation is an example of the importance of independent advocacy.”

Victoria University declined to comment on issues relating to specific students.

Students who think require advice or advocacy support should contact advocate@vuwsa.org.nz.

Vic varies values

Students are upset over changes to course points that will result in higher course-related costs to complete their degrees.

Recent changes to the points structure mean that some students have to complete more papers to satisfy degree requirements.

The university has decided to move to a common points system across the university. All undergrad papers are now either 15 or 20 points. BCA and BSc degrees have generally moved to 15 points, and the BA degree has moved to 20 points.

While the total number of points required for a degree has remained the same, the only change is that students will need to do more papers of smaller size to complete their degree.

Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) David Crabbe says the moves are to follow the international trend towards simplifying degree structures and to ensure graduates have built up the right attributes.

Crabbe says the wide variety in points values made it confusing for students and academic advisers, and made it more difficult to design degrees.

“The university as a whole has become more focused on designing its programmes to help students achieve the Victoria University graduate attributes.

“These include subject-specific knowledge and skills, as well as critical and creative thinking, communication and leadership skills, and having a global and multicultural perspective.

“In addition to ensuring the right content is included in the core courses, the focus on graduate attributes has required a change in how material is taught so that students have opportunities to develop and be assessed on these attributes as well.”

Students have raised concerns about the costs and extra workload involved with the point changes.

“I support the change in theory, but in practice the lecturers have not dropped the course work as they should have,” a third-year Vic Psychology student says.

“It all just seems like a big mess at the moment.”

Crabbe says that these issues have been addressed.

“Fees are charged per point, so the fee per paper is proportionally reduced in line with the lower points value.

“This means that the cost will essentially be no different than the previous year. It is difficult to say what the current cost is for a student to do a BCA—as fees are set each year, we are unable to provide an exact figure.

“However, on-balance students will not be disadvantaged by the change in the points system.

“Assessment and contact hours have been adjusted. Keeping to the prescribed average student workload per point has been paramount among criteria for such change.”

VUWSA President Max Hardy says VUWSA is concerned that the university has not factored in the extra costs in time and textbooks.

“Despite there apparently being the same amount of material to cover, for commerce students there will likely be more assessment, more admin tasks and more textbooks.”

The changes have meant that some students have to take an extra paper to qualify for a living cost loan from StudyLink.

“By in large students do not want to have to do more papers to complete their degrees,” says Hardy.

“We will be monitoring the changes carefully to make sure that students are not adversely affected.”

Welly wants out of Wellywood

Fierce online opposition to the Wellywood sign isn’t deterring the Wellington International Airport (WIAL) and their main supporter, Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast, from their blindly determined path.

WIAL—which is 30 per cent owned by the Wellington City Council—has plans to celebrate Wellington’s contributions to the film industry by installing a giant ‘WELLYWOOD’ sign on the Miramar cutting, scheduled to be completed in June.

Located above the Miramar wharf, the sign will be 28m long, 3.5m tall and visible to passengers on planes as they approach the airport.

Wellington mayoral candidate and sign opponent Jack Yan contacted the Hollywood Sign Trust, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and Global Icons, the latter two having intellectual property rights in the original Hollywood sign.

“This sign is tacky and unoriginal—two things Wellington is not,” Yan says.

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Leron Gubler told The Dominion Post that the staggered Hollywood lettering was trademarked.

“If they do that with the Wellywood sign then I would think that would be a violation of our trademark … I am checking that with our attorney.”

As previous resource consent for the cutting included “large structures”, the project was approved without the need for public consultation.

The non-notified consent can be challenged in the High Court.

A one-line statement released by the Wellington Airport said: “We are confident we will meet all our legal obligations in relation to the sign.”

Opposition to the sign is growing, pushed along by a Facebook group: ‘Hey, let’s NOT have a Wellywood sign in Wellington’. The group had around 11000 members at the time Salient went to print.

Wellington mayoral candidate and Enterprise Miramar Peninsula chairman Allan Probert told The Dominion Post that a Wellywood sign had been talked about for the past 10 years, but was not well supported.

“The feedback I’ve had is that it is tacky and there are concerns about what it will look like in a few years.”

Wellington mayor and Wellington Airport Director Kerry Prendergast says it “will leave people in no doubt that this is the heart and soul of New Zealand’s film industry”.

In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Prendergast called the sign a “wonderfully creative idea” and pointed out that its parallels with the “iconic” Hollywood sign in Los Angeles would remind visitors of Wellington’s film industry prowess.

Prendergast told Salient the point of the sign was “satire” and not using Wellywood would “lose the point of the sign”.

She says she would not support an alternative installation.

WIAL refused to even consider not putting the sign up, regardless of public opinion and would not answer questions about supporting an alternative to the sign.

Yan told Salient the sign was “a very uncreative way to celebrate a creative industry”.

He called for Prendergast to use her place on the Wellington Airport board of directors to represent the views of the Wellington people.

Spokesman for Sir Peter Jackson, Matt Dravitzki, told The Dominion Post that Jackson had suggested a font that copied the Hollywood sign.

When asked by The Dominion Post for his opinion of the sign, Sir Peter Jackson said, “It’s Kiwi tongue-in-cheek humour at its very best, but beneath the leg-pulling is genuine pride.”

A sign generator has been set up at wellywood.skullandbones.co.nz.