Alternative

The development of an alternative to university education cannot fail to cause a cut in the budgetary allocations for universities, and by a remarkable coincidence the quinquennial university grants are due to be decided soon after the conference has presented its conclusions, near the end of this year.

The universities are due for a shake-up; and it will not be too long in coming.

The present student representative is appointed by the Executive of the Students' Association under S.6 (2) (h) of the V.U.W. Act 1961. It has been the practice for this person to liaise with the Association, but to always maintain a reasonably independent stand so as to be able to disagree with the Association's policy at Council meetings when he felt this was desirable. In our view this form of representative should be retained.

It is our view that as well the official Students' Association view should be represented at all times on the Council and the logical person to fulfil this post would be the President of the Students' Association or his nominee.

In our view a student should be elected directly to the Council by the students. While the person directly elected might be inexperienced in the administrative details of Council, he would be in a position to provide a direct link between Council and the general student body to whom he would be responsible. It is felt a balance would be retained as the other student representatives would have experience and the Council could expect them to make a valuable contribution.

• Membership of the Student Union Management Committee should be increased by three students.

Each year Executive should appoint three members to Management Committee for two years instead of two as now.

The third member should be elected directly by the student body; or be the person elected to University Council by the student body.

• Otherwise Executive should appoint each year two members for two years (i.e. those it appoints now) and two members for one year.

In this case the third additional member should be elected by the student body.

• The provisions relating to the appointment of the immediate past President to Management Committee should be changed to the immediate past President and if he is not available or already on the Committee that a member of the immediate past President's Executive be appointed in his place.

• Communication between the administration and the student body would be greatly improved by the establishment of an administrative newspaper at this University. This paper should include news from Council, the Professorial Board, the University Administration, and the Student Union Management.

• There is room for three student representatives on the Professorial Board:

One representative should be selected and appointed on the same basis as the present Student Representative on Council so he would be able to maintain a reasonably independent position.

The second representative should be an official Association representative who would present the views of the Association on all matters of educational policy. It is suggested this person should be the President of the Association or his nominee.

The third representative should be directly elected by the student body.