Annual NZUSA training workshops kick off in Wellington

9 February 2012

Annual NZUSA training workshops kick off in Wellington

The workshops bring together 50 student representatives from throughout the country for training and policy development and to plan collective student activities for the year ahead.

Hosted at the Massey Wellington campus, the workshops will include presentations from the Minister of Tertiary Education, the Hon Steven Joyce, and Labour Tertiary Spokesperson, Grant Robertson. Students will be assisted by a host of other speakers sharing their expertise on issues students will face, and on helping student organisations function better and deliver high quality services to students campus by campus.

The workshops also feature a keynote address by 2012 NZUSA President Pete Hodkinson, setting out how NZUSA and its member organisations intend to respond pro-actively to the new environment brought about by changes to the rules governing membership of students' associations that came into effect on 1 January.

"We are delighted that the Minister will again address student representatives on the Government’s programme for tertiary education and set out the issues he hopes to work on together with NZUSA over the next three years", said NZUSA President Pete Hodkinson.

“The past two years of debate has sparked thinking around what new innovative ways there are of viewing membership, and the new legislation has resulted in us looking at ways we can be more innovative in engaging with the Aotearoa tertiary sector, both regionally and nationally,” said Hodkinson.

"Our gathering also represents an opportunity to approve a new direction for NZUSA and to make sure that we are equipped to succeed both in charting this new course and putting it into action," said Hodkinson.

A paper setting out the new direction for NZUSA, based on the ideas in Mr. Hodkinson's address to the workshops, will be released following conference discussion and the adoption of NZUSA's 2012 annual plan.

NZUSA is the national representative body for tertiary students and has been advocating on student issues since 1929.

ENDS