Arts Graduate Action Group - Press Release
Submitted by Cyrus Kiss

Students protest unsanitory conditions

The Arts Graduate Action Group (AGAG) at the University of Auckland expresses its dissatisfaction with university services, in particular the Faculty of Arts lack of concern for health and safety.

Arts graduates for the past few years have been forced to conduct research in unsafe environment that compromises health and safety, and their ability to conduct research. Hygiene in the graduate computer labs is currently being protested by the Arts Graduate Action Group, because work stations are frequently contaminated with bird excrement and left untreated. Cyrus Kiss, leader of the Action Group, says “The Faculty or Arts provides no cleaning services, nor makes available to students any cleaning products.” With no means to decontaminate workstations, equipment such as monitors, keyboards, desks and chairs remain soiled and pose a health risk.

Caption: The constant aerial bombardment by sparrows on work stations poses a health risk to graduate students.

Equipment in the computer lab has also received criticism, due to the lack of maintenance. Graduate Danielle Haultain complained, “New chairs are desperately needed in the dungeon. Do they want all the post-grad Arts students to leave with back problems?”

The Action Group also claims technology in the computer labs is defunct. The computers and its software are some of the oldest within the university. Students who use online databases in their research contend daily with network failures and database disconnections. In some cases, the software applications do not connect the University of Auckland’s own libraries. The Action Group says this essentially makes software unusable and compromises ability to conduct research. Many students worry about computer performance as dissertation deadlines approach.

The Faculty of Arts has promised graduate students the computer labs will be renovated, but no time or schedule has been announced. The Action Group considers such promises by the Faculty to be hollow, as the lab has been in this state for the past few years.

The University of Auckland promotes itself as “New Zealand’s leading university”. However, the Action Group considers this status to be unrepresentative of the conditions in which graduate students actually work. Kiss says the image the university presents to the public is inaccurate, “The University of Auckland promotes itself through the slogan ‘Make your mark on the world’, but the only marks being made here are by sparrows crapping on our workstations. Sometimes it’s enough to make you vomit.”

The Arts Graduate Action Group suggests prospective students seriously consider the health risks and the lack of study tools when applying to the University of Auckland. The action group begins it protest campaign Monday April 26th at 8:00 am.

For more information visit Arts Graduate Action Group facebook page.

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