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Students stand up for democratic universities
Students stand up for democratic universities
19 March 2015
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations
Today the national student union NZUSA will be joining with the Tertiary Education Union to launch the two organisations’ campaign to maintain elected staff and student representatives on New Zealand’s eight university councils.
National student president Rory McCourt will join TEU national president Sandra Grey on the steps of the University of Otago registry in Dunedin to speak on this vital issue.
The campaign is asking each university council to ensure that at least one-third of their seats are independent, democratically elected staff and students.
Rory McCourt will say “Staff and students are the people that make universities great. We’re the one’s doing the teaching and learning, and asking the big questions that universities exist to ask.”
“The evidence, and over-whelming international experience, shows that these important perspectives add value to this kind of institution, and protect it against top-down group-think. The importance of this cannot be overstated in the context of a ministerial power-grab.”
McCourt will reject the idea, suggested by some Vice-Chancellors, that staff and student representatives can be appointed, rather than elected.
“University councils exist to guide our institutions in fulfilling their fundamental purposes: to be the critic and conscience of society, to raise a mirror-glass to the face of New Zealand and reveal what and how we truly are, and ask us whether we wish to change. To achieve this sacred mission, institutions and their councils must be bastions of academic freedom, allowing staff and students to think, to criticise, to challenge. How can we do that when we’re not evenly independently represented on the top table?”
“There’s no point in replacing the current genuine, critical voices with lackeys and yes-men. It’s a dangerous fool’s paradise, and will damage our institutions.”
“I challenge each university to live up to their responsibility to be the critic and conscience of New Zealand society. That starts with keeping independent, democratically elected staff and students on their own councils.”
NZUSA will be working with local associations and TEU branches to lobby New Zealand’s dozens of university councillors. Consultation periods for universities will take place over the next couple of months.
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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