Executive Reports on Half-Year Progress
This week VUWSA Executive members will all report on their progress thus far towards achieving VUWSA’s goals. These goals were all set by students at a General Meeting of VUWSA and form the basis of everything that VUWSA does.
Our goals are:
ONE:Quality. Ensure quality and equity in teaching, assessment and conditions supported by adequate resources.
TWO: Equity. Promote equity for disadvantaged members in access to the University.
THREE: Outstanding Student Experience. To provide or assist sporting, social and cultural activities.
FOUR: Student Support and Welfare. Ensure adequate income, welfare and employment support for students.
FIVE: Public Issues. To promote discussion and action as appropriate on issues concerning students.
SIX: Value. Maximise benefits and minimise fees.
SEVEN: Accountability. Ensure the structures and procedures that result in effective and efficient communication, management and accountability.
I think these goals are good ones, but as a student you have the right to change VUWSA’s goals and policies.
It is important that VUWSA Executive members are accountable to students and it is an ongoing mission at VUWSA to make sure that we are as transparent and representative as possible.
We will be publishing these reports on our website, with every fortnightly Executive work report and all meeting minutes. If you are interested in what the Executive of your students’ association does then these will give you a good idea.
Overtime I have no doubt that as we work towards these goals VUWSA makes the University a better place to study – academically, socially and economically. This has been true for more than a century – from supporting the development of hundreds of student groups, to ensuring that course outlines were provided for every course, to ensuring the new library building was built.
However, it is also important that we report on our progress, and sometimes we do not do as well on this point.
Column Last Week
I apologise for not submitting a column last week. I was under the impression that I was not supposed to submit a column for that issue.
Things happening next week
Here are seven things that I have picked out of what will be happening next week to help give you a bit of an idea about what VUWSA is up to.
1. The Joint Student Union Board is meeting on Monday. JSUB governs the Student Union Complex and services (including the Recreation Centre). We will be discussing the retail strategy, whether the subsidy for the Recreation Centre services are set at the right amount, and more.
2. I have my regular meeting with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh on Monday. In this meeting I want to discuss developing a Student Charter which outlines the rights and responsibility of all students, the 2011 University budget, Victoria becoming a Fairtrade University, providing students with leadership opportunities in governance, 2010 and 2011 admissions and the Student Experience Strategy.
3. Regular meeting with the Manager of the Library Sue Roberts. We will be discussing the new Maori and Pacific collection and how the Library and other Student Services can improve their service points / delivery.
4. University Council will be doing a tour of all the campuses on Saturday.
5. The Student Union Building upgrade developed design meeting will be walking through the final plans for the upgrade.
6. I will be starting a weekly interview on the VBC 88.3 FM – Wednesdays 9.30am. It will be podcasted too, so we will put it up on the website.
7. The VUWSA welfare team will be discussing a plan of action in response to the massive increase in bus prices and GST which will both hit students in the pocket (see the WVP column)