Minister positive about the role of student associations

Media Release – 10 February 2012 – For Immediate Use

Tertiary Education Minister positive about the role of student associations.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce addressed students’ association presidents and executives at a conference of the National Union of Students’ Associations held in Wellington today.

Minister Joyce commented that “any institution that doesn’t have a dialogue with students isn’t doing its job right.”

The Minister was positive about the role of student associations in discussions with their institutions. He said it was important that students were involved in the decision making process around student services levy spending.

“In the VSM environment, student associations fight to bring students concerns to the table. It’s great to see the minister supports this,’’ says Logan Edgar, President of Otago University Students Association.

Otago University Students Association has a strong relationship with Otago University and hopes that other Universities throughout New Zealand can also look to the Otago model to build strong relationships with organised students.

“I’m pleased that the government recognizes that students pay for their student services and should have some control over how those services are delivered,” says Arena Williams, President of Auckland University Students Association.

The Auckland University Students Association is currently still in negotiations about their student services agreement with the University of Auckland.

President Williams says that, “if the Minister thinks we should ‘keep our heads down’ because there is no extra funding available for the tertiary sector, then it is important that students have a say in how our student services levies are spent. This will ensure that they can be spent efficiently in a way that improves the quality of tertiary education.”

ENDS