USU fights VSM in acronym stand off
USU Students’ Association has presented a 20 minute oral submission against Act MP Roger Douglas’ voluntary student membership (VSM) bill.
Submissions were heard in August at the Barrycourt Suites Hotel in Parnell with several USU staff members and USU Executive members present.
Douglas proposed a bill last year which would force membership to students’ associations to become voluntary.
Up until 1999 all student unions in New Zealand universities and polytechnics were compulsory to join.
In 1999 the National Party introduced and passed the Voluntary Students’ Association Membership Bill which meant students could vote as to whether or not they would automatically keep paying the membership fees.
The USU Students’ Association at Unitec was then made voluntary for several years.
Students voted for compulsory student membership (CSM) for USU again in 2006, however individual students can still contentiously object to being members.
Most universities and polytechnics have currently voted to have CSM, with the notable exception of Auckland University.
Australia had voluntary membership imposed by their National Government in 2005.
According to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) this caused a massive decline in welfare, counselling and advocacy services at Australian tertiary institutes.
USU, unlike NZUSA, has run an unconventional campaign against the bill, agreeing with Douglas that students’ associations need to be more accountable for their actions and finances.
“We're happy that students can use democratic process to run for executive, change the fees and services we offer or ultimately get rid of us all together. At the end of the day we exist to serve our students and if we don't do this there ought to be consequences,” says USU Student President Pete Hodkinson.
“I suspect the main difference between our submissions and other students’ associations’ is that we supported a change to the legislation that would allow students to apply to leave the USU and receive their money back.”
“The currently legislation prevents us from doing this.”
Unitec CEO Rick Ede and Executive Director of Student and Community Engagement David Coltman also presented an oral submission on behalf of Unitec.
Hodkinson says USU’s relationship with Unitec is constantly on the rise and the support at the hearing from Unitec was much appreciated.
The USU currently relies on compulsory student membership fees for around 65 per cent of its income.
However, a contingency plan is in place should the voluntary student membership bill be successful, says Hodkinson.
The open submission period for Douglas’ Education Freedom of Association Amendment Bill closed on March 31st.
A decision on the bill is yet to be made.