Smooth, Swift, Long-lasting Administration that you voted for.
Hello. Kia ora. My name is Max. I am your new AVP. I deal with money. $$. £€₣7/8©¥™.
You may have seen the tax refund ads all over the place at the moment, and as your newly elected, responsive, forward-thinking, money man, I have introduced a service that will help you get your money back, for free.
Free Tax Refund Advice—don’t give your money to no-one
The Government may owe you money. You could let them spend it on healthcare or welfare or something, or you could wrench it from their cold ungrateful hands. Very soon VUWSA will be helping you do just that. A number of faceless corporations offer you this service already, but they take a significant cut of your money. VUWSA will not do that, because we are nice (and you’ve already paid for us anyway).
VUWSA provides a lot of services to students (like way heeeaps), and we provide them very cheaply, a lot cheaper, for instance, than the University could provide them for. One thing I want to do is to increase the amount and quality of services we provide students, and in the long-term bring their cost down (which is mostly your levies). Look out for the publicity on this one and do not give a cut of your money to anyone.
Better Financial Accountability, Processes and Budgeting
It has become customary for the outgoing VUWSA Executive to complain about “longstanding issues with VUWSA’s financial systems”. So do something about it, you had a year. Well I have a couple of months. Improving VUWSA’s financial systems and accountability is my top priority.
I campaigned for it, so this is what I am doing:
The Executive has recently introduced a monthly accounts review system, which will review profit and loss and balance sheet against budget, and review debtors and creditors, with reporting on steps being taken on any accounts over 30 days. The monthly review will also confirm that till, payroll, GST and bank reconciliations and other regular checks have been done. We have also introduced a Theft and Fraud Prevention Policy. Simple stuff; why did it take so long?
What’s more – we are going to make the 2010 Budget (and subsequent monthly reviews against budget) actually make sense to students, and to the 2010 Executive (quite groundbreaking). This will allow better accountability, and give more control to the Executive on things like surpluses and deficits… cost overruns and cost under… runs…
More revenue, more money, more services
Some of VUWSA’s money does not come from student levies. This is a good thing, because it allows us to provide services to our members that they do not pay for (so you get more bang for your buck or whatever). It also builds a sustainable Association. I am currently in the process (with others) of developing a non-member revenue plan, so you get more stuff, and, eventually, your levies can be reduced, if that is what students vote for.
The door (or email server) is open
I am at VUWSA a lot of the time, and I am more than willing to discuss with you the state of VUWSA’s administration and finances, my plans and any plans you might have. Accountability is what it is about.
In service,
Max Hardy
Vice-President (Adminstration),
avp@vuwsa.org.nz