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Cattle class at Vic Halls
Cattle class at Vic Halls
The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) and the Victoria University Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) are concerned with Victoria's treatment of students staying in Halls of Residence.
NZUSA President Linsey Higgins likens the handling of this situation to the handling of stock.
"You can't just cram students into rooms like they are cattle. These students were days from moving into their new single room only to be told that they are now sleeping in bunk beds. These students are now being denied the privacy that they had signed up for."
VUWSA President Jonathan Gee says the situation must be a great deal of stress for new students.
"The situation must be a great deal of stress for these new students, many of them leaving home for the first time and being told less than a week before move-in day that they didn't get what they signed up for. I hope that halls management urgently engages with the students affected to hear their concerns about sharing a room. It sounds like they were given no option but to accept the bunk room."
NZUSA is concerned about Katharine Jermyn staff suggesting this problem will "be resolved in the coming weeks" without suggesting how this will be resolved.
"Is the University hoping for students to fail and drop out so students will get their single rooms back?", Higgins asked.
"We are concerned about the safety of these students now their autonomy has been stripped from them."
"There is already a scramble for student flats at this time – the reality is that these students won’t have many options so close to move-in day", Gee said.
ends
NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
We stand for opportunity, for all.
NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.
We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.
Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.
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