page 4

Victoria to Leave NZUSA?

The members of the Committee are Colin Knox (Chairman), Margaret Bryson, Leslie Jacobs, Graeme Collins, Denis Phelps, Gary Langford, Rob Campbell and Brian Hansen. (The first six members named are also current members of the Executive). The members of the Committee, Association President Margaret Bryson says, were appointed by the SRC even though no record of this can be found in minutes of the Council.

Lindsay Wright, Education Research Officer of NZUSA, spoke by invitation at a meeting of the Committee on 28 May. He was asked if the money spent on his research last year into the adequacy of student bursaries was justified in view of apparent student apathy on the question.

Mr Wright said that personally he felt it had been, but that he was, neither able to find out, nor was it his duty to find out if this was the case, and that this responsibility lay with the NZUSA Executive. He felt that his research generally tied in with the constitution and objects of NZUSA, but that his job could only be important as long as the student at local level feels that there is something to be gained.

With regard to his project for this year, a research paper entitled 'The Quality of University Learning and Teaching,' Mr Wright said that he thought that the subject was well worthy of a year's research. He explained that during the course of the year, he would write a number of monologues on various aspects of the subject which would be distributed to members of university staff. The first would include a questionnaire on the value of the pamphlets. He admitted however that their success would depend on the use which members of staff made of the suggestions.

In a separate discussion Mr Wright speaking as Distribution Manager of Focus, said that he felt that circulation could not be markedly improved, as all practicable methods of increasing revenue from actual sales had in fact been tried.

The function of NZUSA was also discussed. Mr Wright said in reply to questions that the function of the NZUSA Executive is to see that decisions made at Easter and August Councils are implemented, not to decide policy. Asked if he felt that NZUSA's activities were reaching students who are not closely involved in local or national student bodies, Mr Wright said "No matter how hard you feed information out, you can't force people to swallow it." He agreed that NZUSA would probably do a better job with more full time salaried executives and fewer honorary officers, if this were possible.

The committee met again on 2 June. Alan Jamieson, NZUSA Treasurer, was present, and was questioned on the suggested building for NZUSA. The NZUSA Executive has proposed the building of a 16-story office block. Capital expenditure is to be recouped by means of rentals. It is hoped thai a profit will be made. Mr Jamieson said that, in the long run, the building would improve NZUSA's financial position and, with increased office space, streamline the three major functions of NZUSA, which are the publication of Focus, the Student Travel Bureau and the Student Life Insurance Scheme. Mr Jamieson discussed possible ways and means of raising the money for the project. These ideas include a savings bank for students, with a marginally higher rate of interest than available elsewhere.

Focus was again discussed. Mr Jamieson, who is Business Manager of Focus, was asked by Margaret Bryson if there was any prospect of Focus becoming self-financing in the near future. He replied that he thought no improvement could be made in the financial position of Focus until it "got off the ground". In his view, the magazine has not been properly promoted.

Later in the meeting, Colin Knox proposed that the committee make a recommendation to the SRC that a position of Students' Association Liaison Officer with NZUSA be created. Mr Knox said that he felt that as many of Victoria's quarrels with NZUSA were local, a Liaison Officer would be of considerable value. After discussion, Margaret Bryson moved "that the committee should recommend that the Executive draft constitutional amendments providing that from 1971 there should be an officer of the Executive whose prime responsibility should be liaison with NZUSA, and that these constitutional amendments should be put to the SRC meeting dealing with the report of this committee". The Committee unanimously agreed to table the motion for discussion at the next meeting.

During discussion on possible remits to Winter Council, it was drawn to the attention of the Committee by Margaret Bryson that, of the fourteen members of the NZUSA Executive, only four are needed to make a quorum. Because half the members are not Presidents of constituent Associations, decisions could be made without any Presidents being present. The Committee discussed a possible recommendation for a remit raising the quorum to eight, including a fixed number of constituent Presidents. This discussion will continue at the next meeting.