Change on the cards for NZUSA
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE is afoot at the National Students’ Association (NZUSA) after its mid-year conference in Hamilton two weeks ago.
While the acronym will remain the same, the conference voted to change NZUSA’s title from the New Zealand University Students’ Association to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, a reflection of a changing and diverse membership.
NZUSA Co-President Joey Randall says the name change is a reflection of an ongoing process of “realisation of who we are” and moving towards being a voice for students at polytecs and colleges of education as well as universities.
NZUSA currently has four polytec members, and Randall believes the name change will help attract more membership.
The name change has occurred at the same time as postal voting is about to start on changes to NZUSA’s constitution and structure, which Randall says will move to make the union more democratic.
A proposal to adopt a “blended parallel structure” was discussed at the conference, which, if successful in the upcoming ballot, would see the union split into two subgroups – one for universities and one for other tertiary education providers. The groups would be led by a member association on a rotating basis.
Other discussions of note at the conference included a motion moved by VUWSA to oppose the bill to raise the drinking age being voted down, although Randall says this happened because it was believed not to be NZUSA’s core business. Motions reinforcing the union’s stance on workers rights were also passed, including one opposing National MP Wayne Mapp’s 90 day working bill.
