New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) is the peak representative body for tertiary students in New Zealand and has been has been working in the best interests of learners since 1929. NZUSA is a federation of Student Associations across New Zealand.

For more than eighty years, NZUSA and students’ associations have been actively working on a variety of student issues – from no interest on student loans at national level, to advocating for cheaper health services and information on a campus level.
Local student associations often work in conjunction with local community organisations on a variety of different issues for and often promote the work of external organisations on campus to students.

Unfortunately, from 2011 this may no longer be possible.

ACT Party MP Roger Douglas currently has a private member’s bill before the Education and Science Select Committee which, if passed and implemented, would devastate many of the important services and facilities that students’ associations provide. A similar piece of legislation was implemented in Australia several years ago and has had a profound effect on campus life, student services and student welfare.

If you are interesting writing a submission against this bill, or your organisation being involved in the campaign against this bill, or you would like more information, please contact David Do (Co-President) – david.do@students.org.nz, or Sophia Blair (National Women’s Right’s Officer)– nwro@students.org.nz

Save Our Services is a website aimed at tertiary students but the message is important for other community organisations too.

If student associations are affected, the ripples will flow out through through other social services with a welfare role such as food banks & budgeting services.

The SOS page has information and a draft template for students on making a submission to the select committee.

Check the NZAAHD Submissions page for links to the Parliament page on the bill for more information on making a submission.

TangataWhenua.com: Maori News & Views

What's the deal?

The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill is a private member's bill sponsored by ACT Party List MP Roger Douglas. It was pulled from the ballot on the 20th of August last year (ironically, the day the portfolio roles on AUSA were elected.)

The purpose of this bill is to make membership of all student association's voluntary (or opt-in) - which would mean student associations could no longer collect a "membership fee" from all students. This would basically mean that at many campuses across the country, the student association would collapse. Given that the student associations are responsible for providing a whole bunch of student services, that would mean no more welfare and advocacy services, no more Orientation week parties, no more co-ordinated student representation on university committees, no more diary and wall planner, no more 10% off textbooks at UBS, no more Shadows, no more Parentspace, no more Unigames, no more clubs and on and on.

Read More at http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/3517