Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 26. October 3 1977
Bursary inaction
Bursary inaction
This year's bursaries demonstrations were a case in point. If the NEAC worked so well why did they not decide to tackle the bursary question earlier in the year. When the campaign was started, there was considerable confusion over who was marching and when The publicity was, according to the VUWSA Forum on NZUSA, ill directed and released too late. In fact, it seems that the NEAC played little or no part in the bursaries campaign at all.
The only campuses which could claim to have had successful activities were either those which had Education Officers who did extra work on their own or those which had the assistance of NZUSA Officers right there in organising their campaigns as did Massey. Theirs was the best demonstration of all.
Instead of working with students on the campuses, Mike preferred the politiking style—visiting Ministers and Education officials, While it is necessary to carry out negotiations with Education Officials, Campus involvement and support must not be sacrificed because of it, and on bursaries, this has definitely happened.
In separating the campus involvement with the negotiating side, the position becomes merely one of an advocate. It therefore came as no surprise when we heard that Mike Shaskey has decided to accept a job from The Department of Education when he leaves the service of NZUSA. It seems that the high regard the Department has of Mike has earned him a job with the help of NZUSA. This will also place NZUSA in an invidious position when they go to the bursaries conference to discuss the Department's paper on Tertiary Education Financing (i.e. student loans). Mike Shaskey will lead NZUSA's delegation.