THE AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION (INC.)

Student leaders at the Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) were disgusted at the farcical fees setting process conducted at Waikato University that saw fees increase by 9.9% for 2000.

Waikato University student representatives were informed that the Council meeting was to be held today at 1pm. The press then alerted the representatives this morning to the fact that the meeting had been brought forward to 11am.

“This is a clear attempt to silence students. Not only were student leaders not informed of the correct meeting time or consulted during the development of the proposal but they were also not provided with projections before today’s meeting. Moreover, the Council has deliberately scheduled the meeting to be after exams so that students cannot voice their anger and disagreement,” said Eva Neitzert, Education Vice President at AUSA.

“We believe that the lack of student consultation seen this week at both Auckland and Waikato University is a direct consequence of the lack of strong student associations. Voluntary student union membership has provided University’s with the opportunity to ignore students needs and input. This week we have seen two Universities grab this opportunity with both hands,” concluded Eva Neitzert.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>