NZUSA's handling of the South African scholarship scheme came under heavy fire from Victoria executive members on July 27.

The executive was considering a proposed winter council remit involving further fund raising for the scholarship. The remit was amended so that proposals for spending the funds would have to be made known by NZUSA.

Victoria's international affairs officer, Tom Broadmore, who believed a suitable candidate had been attained for the scholarship, was disillusioned by another speaker.

Mr. Broadmore said he believed an Indian medical student had been found for the scholarship who would be accepted by the Otago medical school.

Assurance

To a questioner he said: We have been assured he will get in.

President Chris Robertson: Who by?

Mr. Broadmore: Miss Sutch (NZUSA international affairs vice-president).

Public relations officer Ian McKinnon: Who else runs the medical school?

At this juncture Mr. N. Cameron (who had been given speaking rights) said the dean of the medical school had refused entrance to the student. Entrance was restricted to New Zealanders and citizens of island dependencies.

Now Arts

NZUSA was now negotiating for an arts student to take up the scholarship.

Vice-president Murray Boldt said the whole thing seemed "airy fairy". First there was a medical student, now there was an arts student; the scholarship had been called a Bantu scholarship but an Indian had been selected.

More Confusion

Secretary Roger Lawrence added that the scholarship had been described as a post graduate one. But now, it seemed, it was intended to bring out an undergraduate. Also a post-graduate course would be much shorter. The five years needed by a medical student seemed to him a ridiculously long time.

Another speaker pointed out the danger of a graduate being stranded in New Zealand because of scholarship funds running out. It would be up to the NZUSA to see that this did not occur.

Mr. Boldt said the scholarship scheme had originally been put to NZUSA by Victoria's delegates, who had not informed the executive of their intentions. It was also disappointing that NZUSA did not keep constituents informed of developments, he said.