Universities should stop posturing

Universities should stop posturing and take the fee freeze

The decision by the Waikato University Council to reject the government’s funding offer in exchange for freezing fees in 2002 has been meet with cynicism by the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA).

“The Waikato Vice Chancellor has today announced that Waikato University is rejecting the funding offer, but has left the door open for them to change their mind closer to the time the government needs a response. I call that a joke not a decision,” said NZUSA Co-President Andrew Campbell.

“Students cannot afford to pay to a cent more and they deserve a clear message from their university that fees are not going to go up. They are being used as a bargaining chip for the Vice Chancellors to get more money that the government has clearly signalled is not forthcoming. This ‘decision’ is an insult to students intelligence,” said Campbell.

“The current posturing by the Vice Chancellors whilst funding is being increased is offensive to many students, given that the VCs seldom complained, and never to this extent, when the National government cut per student funding to the sector for nearly a decade. The VC’s current stance reeks of hypocrisy,” said Campbell.

“No one has said that the offer from government was generous. But the bottom line for students is that fees cannot go up.”

“Waikato has left the door open to change its mind based on the decisions of other universities. We call on the other 7 universities to accept the fees freeze, and force Waikato to reconsider the financial burden it is set to impose on it’s students,” said Andrew Campbell.

ENDS

For further information please contact
Andrew Campbell NZUSA Co-President
Wk: 04 498 2500 Cell: 025 86 86 77

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