Campus Wars Waitakere VS Mt Albert
In Unison was keen to find out which of Unitec’s two main campuses was better to study at. We did not take a very scientific approach to this, instead we had a look around and then gave our personal opinions. We would love to hear your thoughts and see if you agree or disagree. Put it in writing; send a letter to the Editor to inunison@unitec.ac.nz.
Grounds:
Mt Albert:
Joseph: Beaut. Love the hills and all that. The marae is special. Hard out.5/5
Amanda: Wide open spaces, lots of pukekos, a creek and playing fields. A clear winner, quite possibly the best grounds of any tertiary institute in the country. 5/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Average as. Boring. Ugly .1/5
Amanda: Grounds? What grounds? They are non existent… 1/5
Bathrooms:
Hub:
Joseph: Surprisingly appalling. You would expect Unitec’s central locale to be packed to the rafters with locations in which you can urinate. They are sparse and hidden. The ones down a flight of concrete stairs are repulsive.1/5
Amanda: Pretty bad - but flushing is really the responsibility of individual students -not the maintenance staff. Those nifty dispensers for antibacterial hand wipes seem to have been empty all year and the hand towels are constantly jammed. 2/5
Facilities: The toilets at Mt Albert campus are generally cleaned once a day but in areas that have a high use such as The Hub, the toilet facilities are cleaned twice a day. However, there is a large measure of responsibility on the users to also care for their spaces.
Building One:
Joseph: Not bad. There are a few goodies. I am of the mindset that the best toilets are those within which you can sort of unwind. I like a stand alone toilet rather than a cubicle. There are a few of these.4/5
Amanda: The antibacterial hand wipe dispensers are again empty at Building One, good thing we have all forgotten about swine flu. Floors are significantly clearer at this end, although there are some random objects (possibly sculptures) dumped in a few of them. 3/5
Facilities: Antibacterial wipes were installed during the Swine Flu (H1N1 09) pandemic last year and are re-filled on a weekly basis along with roller towels. We will look into this matter if this has not been the case. To ensure toilet facilities are kept to a high standard, please let us know as soon as possible and we will have these matters attended to rather than waiting for the next service.
Waitakere:
Joseph: Pretty standard. Fewer students and thus fewer mysterious genitals is a nice thought. Still some piss on the floor though. 3/5
Amanda: Quite nice really, mostly clean - even in the middle of the afternoon - some of the bathrooms even have antibacterial hand wipes in the dispensers. The lights work on a sensor too which gives Waitakere brownie points for energy saving. 4/5
Disability Access:
Hub:
Joseph: Probably the best of the three. 4/5
Amanda: Lots of ramps down this end of campus, and many more lifts. Automatic doors are more convenient for everyone.5/5
Building One:
Joseph: More stairs than is preferable. Way more. There is also a shortage of disability friendly toilets.2/5
Amanda: Building One is pretty tricky to navigate for an able-bodied student so I can not even imagine how you would cope in a wheelchair. There are lifts; it’s just a matter of finding them. The smoke stop doors are quite heavy and do not have automatic buttons to open them. There is not much ramp access and the disabled toilets are often inside the main toilets. So, although the disabled cubicle has a wide door, the main entrance remains quite narrow. 1/5
Facilities: Yes, being an old building, Building One is large and often difficult to navigate. As a consequence, it is also difficult to modify. The old solid timber doors can be quite heavy but we do adjust the tension of the closers on these doors to the lightest setting to try and make it easier to open. They also do need to be there for fire safety reasons.
Waitakere:
Joseph: Fine if you want the ground floor. More lifts than Building One.3/5
Amanda: The compact size and relative newness of the Waitakere building obviously makes it easier to navigate, There are plenty of lifts and disabled bathrooms, although only the ground level disabled bathroom had an automatic button to open it.4/5
Safety:
Mt Albert:
Joseph: I feel pretty safe when I am striding around late at night. Security are a constant (if a little bothersome) presence.4/5
Amanda: Security is there, and are friendly too. There is CCTV, but the “do you know this person” posters in Building One indicate it can be hard to identify culprits even if they are caught on camera. Once in a blue moon there are those worrying breakouts from the Mason Clinic. Also, I don’t think there is enough floodlighting between Carringtons and the Village at night. 2/5
Facilities: To our knowledge there have been three breakouts from the Mason Clinic in the past 17 years. If any such breakouts were to occur, Unitec has processes in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff. While it is true that the printed CCTV image can be difficult to recognise people, the footage from the CCTV coverage is extensive and very effective and is very helpful to Police and their inquiries. The exterior lighting around Mt Albert campus is continually monitored and increased where necessary. For example, the lights between Carringtons and the Student Village have been noted and we are currently in the process of getting pricing on lights to improve vision around there at night.
Waitakere:
Joseph: I would just stay out of West Auckland after hours. 1/5
Amanda: A court house next door? Criminals in your backyard at both campuses’ it is really not the best look …. And, like Mt Albert, there doesn’t seem to be enough lighting in the evenings for students walking to car parks. 3/5
Facilities: Street lighting along the Waitakere campus is the responsibility of the Waitakere City Council’s although we do work closely with them to improve services and facilities around that area.
Car parking:
Building One:
Joseph: Feels reasonably well equipped. 3/5
Amanda: Parking is quite inconsistent, the amount of available spaces differs on any given time or day. It’s free though, if you get in early.4/5
The Hub:
Joseph: Has fewer parks in close proximity to the building. 2/5
Amanda: Usually easy to get a park down here, but it will cost you. The pay and display machines are out of order quite regularly though, leaving you wondering if it’s safe to skip paying or better not to risk it.4/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Loaded with parks. Spanks this category. Car parking is expensive at all three.4/5
Amanda: Mostly pay and display or 60 or120 minute parking around Waitakere. There are a few free spots if you can get in quick enough. 3/5
Self-service kitchen facilities:
Hub:
Joseph: This depends on which programme you study in. Each department have their own kitchen issues/joys. The Hub has more communal facilities than the other two areas. 3/5
Amanda: Not too bad in The Hub area, lots of microwaves, gets pretty crowded though. 3/5
Building One:
Joseph: Pretty weak. The only real appliance is a somewhat dirty microwave.1/5
Amanda: Nothing, certainly nothing that was accessible enough for me to find. 0/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: I honestly couldn’t find anything. Maybe I’m dumb*. I am really not though. 0/5
*Editors note: There are self service facilities at Waitakere, Joseph just could not find them.
Amanda: Quite a nice little kitchen area, the vending machine even has Mi Goreng noodles in it. Best of all there is a free dispenser providing coffee and hot chocolate.
4/5
On-campus food outlets:
Hub:
Joseph: Boring as. Come on! Are pies and crisps the best thing? 1/5
Amanda: A good range of food options in The Hub, with open plan indoor and outdoor seating. The coffee cart is great, pity there is not more than one, as the lines can get long at breaks. The meals are a reasonable price, although less fried foods would be nice. 4/5
Building One:
Joseph: I like The Long Black Café and their nice staff and their strange furniture.4/5
Amanda: Long Black is a great café with a good range of healthier options and nice coffee and staff. That being said, it is slightly more expensive in general than food at the other end of the campus. It would be good to have more than one option to choose from down this end. 4/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Same as The Hub. What is with food places that are just basically clones of each other and have awful names? 1/5
Amanda: The coffee cart seems to be abandoned every time I am at Waitakere, although I am told there is “usually” someone there. 1/5
Off-campus food outlets:
Mt Albert:
Joseph: Does Subway count? If not, there is a Burger Wisconsin that is pretty boss.
There is a bakery called “Take 5 Lunch bar”. It’s basically a Steve Braunias wet-dream. All their food is “YUMMY”. The man and woman who own/operate it are really friendly. Also there are boring fancy cafes that sell Paninis.4/5
Amanda: Bit of a mission really. You could go for a little walk to the Mt Albert or Point Chevalier shops (or leave your car park and risk never getting a new one) but is it really worth it just for KFC or Trinity of Silver cafe? Perhaps if Burger Wisconsin was open at lunchtime it would be worth the effort… 3/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Pretty dull. There is a mall near. If you like gross food places like McDonalds I guess that is pretty mean. 2/5
Amanda: Gloria Jeans right across the road is nice. The Kahlua cheesecake is to die for, a bit pricey for the student budget though. There are lots of other food outlets dotted around as well as the food court at the Westfield shopping centre in easy walking distance. 4/5
Social life:
Mt Albert:
Joseph: In The Hub there are usually lots of students around. Though most people are in their little groups or listening to iPods. You could get a haircut and chat to the cutter perhaps? 1/5
Amanda: Mt Albert has Carrington’s, the majority of USU events, and Village parties - a clear winner when it comes to social life between the two campuses. However, because of its isolation in Mt Albert it lacks the easy access to the viaduct bars that AUT and Auckland Uni have in the CBD. 4/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Yeah…1/5
Amanda: Pretty isolated from the Mt Albert events like Sounds in the Sun, hardly any bars around. There is a handy Family Planning though, plenty of young people there you can hang out with…1/5
Transport:
Mt Albert:
Joseph: The train is your best option in terms of public transport. The buses aren’t too frequent down Carrington Road, however it is easy to get a bus from pretty much anywhere to Point Chevalier. Also the recently improved North Western cycle-way is something of a dream.4/5
Amanda: Traffic is shocking. Typical of Auckland. You are particularly affected by build ups around the Point Chevalier and St Lukes motorway onramps. Even with bus lanes public transport is not unaffected by this traffic, best you take the train. 2/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Train time. Also the cycle route that runs along beside the motor way is quite nice. Traffic can be a total drag. Don’t drive.3/5
Amanda: Much easier to get to if you already live out West, as there is less random suburban traffic than Mt Albert. However, if you have to use the motorway you are screwed. 2/5
Shuttle service:
Joseph: No comment.0/5
Amanda: Very handy, almost to the point of being a little irritating. Sometimes I like to walk, there’s no need to pull over beside me all the time you over enthusiastic shuttle drivers. Also, the shuttle timetables at either end of the campus could really benefit from being significantly bigger and easier to read. 4/5
Facilities: The timetable holders are a standard size used by public transport so we will check with out supplies to see if these can be increased in size.
Vibe:
Hub:
Joseph: A little too bustle-central. Feels slightly like a real university though, which is nice. 3/5
Amanda: A bustling vibe, plenty of people coming and going. Music pumping out from both the coffee cart and The Cut Above hair academy. Market days on Tuesdays offer a bit of variety to the week, as do USU events. 5/5
Building One:
Joseph: Mean “artsy” vibe. Love the little jeans/cool fashions.4/5
Amanda: Quite a dozy vibe down this end, chilled and relaxed and better suited to a quiet conversation. Great exhibitions in Long Black and the Snowhite Gallery to look at.3/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: WEST AUCKLAND.2/5
Amanda: It is like a ghost town for the most part, but the kitchen area is usually fairly full with people socialising, a very relaxed and laidback vibe. 2/5
Library
Hub:
Joseph: Lots of computers/books. There’s a librarian named Callum who is hard out cool and real knowledgeable about cricket/Martin Crowe. 4/5
Amanda: For the “main” library it is a pretty average size given how many different subjects and students there are at Unitec. There are quite a lot of computers though, and some nice relaxing couches. 3/5
Building One:
Joseph: The Irish man named Brendan is a dream. Actually all of the librarians are really, helpful and willing to go the extra distance to help you smash out some B-s/A+s. 4/5
Amanda: It is a great idea to have a library with only books relevant to subjects available at this end; it makes it much quicker to find stuff. 4/5
Waitakere:
Joseph: Wahoo! This library is at the top of a regular library. Which means you can get books like “Twilight” or “Dragon Tattoo Town” as well as books about stuff you’re studying.5/5
Amanda: I wish you could take your coffee from Gloria Jeans into the library like you can at the public library in town. I will settle for just having the cute little walkway that means when it is raining you do not get wet en route like you do at Mt Albert. 4/5
The Winners:
Grounds: Mt Albert
Bathrooms: Tie Building One, Waiatkere
Disability Access: The Hub
Saftey: Mt Albert
Car parking: Tie Building One, Waitakere
Self Service Kitchen Facilities: The Hub
On-Campus Food Outlets: Building One
Off-Campus Food Outlets: Mt Albert
Social Life: Mt Albert
Transport: Mt Albert
Vibe: The Hub
Library: Waitakere
Reviewed by Joseph Harper and Amanda Haxton ,with a right of reply from Unitec facilities. Illustrations by Susannah MacDonald