First Polytech President as President of NZUSA

MEDIA RELEASE FROM UNITEC STUDENTS’ UNION

12 December 2011 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Students’ Associations Elect First Polytech President as President of NZUSA

On Friday afternoon the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) voted to elect a new president for 2012.

Pete Hodkinson, formerly the Unitec Student President for 2010 and 2011 was elected to fill this role marking the first time a president from the ITP sector has ever been elected as President of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations.

Pete is passionate about taking on the role. “NZUSA is already in the process of redefining a “national tertiary student voice” and being a part of that is something I’m excited about. We are going to continue to cement NZUSA as a proactive, research led and professional tertiary student movement.”

Pete explained his vision for NZUSA to members prior to his election on Friday. “With the rising costs of Tertiary Education, now more than ever, students (both current and prospective) are looking for assurances of quality. It’s more than just lowering student debt, it’s about ensuring that Kiwis are going into Tertiary study with an awareness of it’s outcomes and coming out with a qualification that reflects the needs of a constantly changing world”

“As an ITP President I am positive about Minister Steven Joyce’s continued role with Tertiary and the focus on employment and skills training. Unitec has been a great place to cut my teeth with an organisation taking a leading role in this area.”

“2012 will also hold many challenges, with the advent of Voluntary Student Membership (VSM). It threatens the effectiveness of student voice around the country and in the coming 12 months there will be a push for the government to revisit the impracticalities of an ACT party policy.”

Unitec CEO, Rick Ede was delighted to hear about Pete’s election:

"Pete has been one of Unitec's most outstanding student leaders, having been elected Student President for two consecutive terms. He will be a tremendous asset to New Zealand's largest student body NZUSA.

With his exemplary student record (graduating at the top of his class in the Diploma in Sport Education), his unique set of skills in the arts, sport and education, and proven leadership abilities, I have no doubt he can steer NZUSA to even greater levels of student service. We are exceptionally proud of him."

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: Pete Hodkinson has been the president of USU Students’ Association at Unitec representing 23,000 students (about 10,000 EFTS) at New Zealand’s largest Metropolitan Polytechnic. The progressive and innovative delivery of support, quality assurance and social activities services is his passion and he is interested in finding ways of giving real currency to those student retention-focussed outputs by connecting their success with areas of measurable student success.

He hopes to do this by spreading a passion to reflect student feedback, research, measurement and constant demographic review, ensuring that we are constantly appropriately meeting the needs of New Zealand’s current student community. Over the past 2 years, Pete has received intensive training in Finance, Governance and Strategy essentials as well as completing a Certificate Company Direction with the NZ Institute of Directors.

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