AUS Tertiary Update

AUS Tertiary Update

Volume 10, No. 11, 12 April 2007

Tertiary Update is also available on the AUS website

www.aus.ac.nz

Government should spend more on education: survey

A new survey shows that 70 percent of New Zealanders would like to see more government spending in education.

The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) on the Role of Government was conducted in New Zealand by Massey University and surveyed 2250 people selected from the Electoral Roll in 2006, with 1200 valid responses.

The report concluded that there is strong support for spending increases in key areas like health, education and law enforcement. AUS National President Professor Nigel Haworth said the report should give the Government confidence in public support for investment in education. “This report shows that New Zealanders recognise the public value of education to the whole community, and want this value reflected through government spending,” he said.

Eighty percent of those surveyed believe that the Government should give financial help to university students from low-income families. This comes soon after the 2005 Student Loans and Allowances report from Statistics New Zealand, which showed that the number of students receiving allowances has dropped by 11,000 since 2000, while average student-loan borrowing has risen. According to Joey Randall, Co-President of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, “This report shows that the Government has the public support to introduce a living allowance for all students.”

New Zealand has been included in the ISSP surveys since 1991. The last Role of Government Survey was conducted in 1997.

The full report is available at http://marketing.massey.ac.nz/issp.asp

Also in Tertiary Update this week

1. University staff gearing up for planning process

2. Climate change harms workers and their families

3. University domestic-enrolment figures up

4. University games open in Christchurch

5. New Workplace Health and Safety Council appointed

6. UK academics: Open all hours

7. India University Idol

8. Correction

University staff gearing up for planning process

University staff are gearing up to be actively involved in the development of Institutional Plans. The Plans will determine public funding for 2008-2010 and will be completed by the end of this year.

Branches of the Association of University Staff are in the process of approaching university management to request meetings to discuss participation in the planning process.

“These Plans will outline the activities of the university for the next three years and are crucial to the future of the institution and the wider sector,” said AUS National President Professor Nigel Haworth. “We want staff to be able to participate directly in the decision-making process for the Plan, and to work with university councils to ensure as many staff as possible are consulted.”

Climate change harms workers and their families

The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) yesterday released a statement on climate change examining the labour-market issues associated with climate change.

CTU President Ross Wilson said, “The CTU submission states clearly that unions accept the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse-gas emissions are having a harmful effect on the environment and on workers and their families.” “Unions accept that there may be a case for emissions trading, but we put more emphasis on a regulatory approach alongside direct action to reduce emissions,” he added

Mr Wilson said that workers and unions must be included in any negotiations on emission-reduction agreements. “Unions are a valuable partner in any emissions reduction and energy conservation programme, and we suggest a new project to educate and involve union delegates so they can have a direct role. The 350,000 members of unions affiliated to the CTU can be in the vanguard of any programme to address climate change.”

The CTU thinks the Labour Department should monitor the impact on employment of climate-change policies and it is calling for a ”just transition” for any workers affected.

To view the full statement visit : http://union.org.nz/policy/Towards-Sustainability-Unions-and-Climate-Change

University domestic-enrolment figures up

The Education Review reports that the University of Canterbury, University of Waikato, Victoria University and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have announced start-of-year domestic-EFTS growth. This is a change from last year, when only Victoria and AUT experienced such domestic-EFTS growth. The University of Auckland has released figures that show an 11 percent increase in start-of-year domestic EFTS, while Massey University appears to have fewer domestic EFTS.

All of these universities have reported declining international EFTS following a drop last year for all universities in their total EFTS.

University Games open in Christchurch

The annual University Games opened in Christchurch this week with more than 2100 students expected to attend and competing in twenty-eight different sports.

The Games are the second-largest annual multi-sport event in New Zealand. University teams compete for the University Shield, which is currently held by Victoria University.

The University Games are organised by University Sport New Zealand, which worked in partnership with the University of Canterbury Students’ Association, the University of Canterbury, the Christchurch City Council, Sport Canterbury and the New Zealand Community Trust to hold the Games in Christchurch.

New Workplace Heath and Safety Council appointed

Labour Minister Ruth Dyson yesterday welcomed the appointment of the new Workplace Health and Safety Council, saying that she is very pleased about the calibre of the members.

The appointed members are: Carol Beaumont, Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU); Andrew Casidy, General Secretary of the finance-sector union Finsec; Paul Jarvie, Occupational Health and Safety Manager at the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern); and Paul Raea, barrister, director of a consultancy and 2003 Pacific Business Leader of the Year.

Ex officio members of the Council are Ruth Dyson, Minister of Labour and Minister for ACC; Ross Wilson, President of NZCTU; and Phil O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Business New Zealand.

The Council will provide advice on ways to progress the implementation of the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy and on workplace health and safety matters of national and international significance. The Council will be chaired on a rotating basis by the Minister of Labour, the Chief Executive of Business New Zealand and the President of the NZCTU.

Worldwatch

UK academics: Open all hours

The Times Higher Education Supplement reports that a new breed of academic on call all hours is emerging in response to a corporate push in higher education. A customer approach to students and a corporate-style human-resource-management system means academics have to be available to managers and students twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

British academics are saying that this change is compromising the traditional freedom and self-direction of academic life. Academics argue that ‘presenteeism’ has taken over from flexibility, while opponents argue that such demands are entirely normal in the real world.

At the end of 2006, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association said that 81 percent of institutions were introducing performance management systems for staff. Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union, responded to this change by saying that universities are learning environments, not widget factories and that academics need to be trusted to get on with their jobs.

India University Idol

The Financial Times reports that an Indian television station plans to offer places at leading British universities as prizes in a quiz show. The programme will see ambitious Indian school pupils fight it out for scholarships worth up to £80,000 and a place at a British university. Five universities are taking part in Airtel Scholar Hunt: Destination UK and each one will pay the tuition fees and living expenses for an Indian student to study at undergraduate level.

Correction

In the last Tertiary Update (volume 10 no 10) we inaccurately reported that the PBRF results will be sent to institutions on 2 April 2007. In fact, institutions will not be sent the PBRF data until 24 April 2007 and, as reported, institutions will only be able to access these results on 30 April 2007.

We regret this error.

A full outline of the release dates for the 2006 PBRF Quality Evaluation is available in the latest PRRF Sector Update which can be accessed on the TEC website: http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/NewsSummary.aspx?id=602

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AUS Tertiary Update is compiled weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the Association of University Staff and others. Back issues are available on the AUS website: www.aus.ac.nz . Between 5 April and 10 May 2007, all enquires should be made to either Camilla Belich or Rebecca Matthews, AUS Policy Analysts, Phone 04 801 4795 or Email rebecca.matthews@aus.ac.nz or camilla.belich@aus.ac.nz

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