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New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
Motto	The voice of New Zealand's 400,000 students
Location	Wellington, New Zealand
Established	1929
President	Ellen Dixon
Website	www.students.org.nz

The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) is a representative body that advocates for the interests of tertiary students in New Zealand. Between 1935 and 2006, it was known as the New Zealand University Students' Association, until it merged with the national polytechnic students' association.

History

The organisation was founded in 1929 as the New Zealand National Union of Students, and initially focussed its activities on sporting and social concerns. It changed its name to the New Zealand University Students' Association in 1935, and over time gave greater focus to issues concerning student welfare, such as student access to healthcare. It developed a strong involvement in social issues during the 1960s and 1970s, opposing the Vietnam War, apartheid, and racial immigration policies, as well as supporting homosexual law reform.^{[citation needed]}

The association has a long history of advocating for its members by opposing New Zealand Government policies it viewed as not in the interests of students. During the 1990s and 2000s the New Zealand government and New Zealand universities made large increases in fees for students, and limited access to allowances for study. These changes attracted much criticism from the NZUSA. In the 2005 New Zealand general election the organisation strongly advocated in favour of policies it long held. These include reduction of student debt, and universal access to student allowances for full-time students. Such policy was supported by many minor parties, including the Greens, New Zealand First and United Future.^{[citation needed]} The Fifth Labour Government introduced 0% interest on student loans policy, but the organisation continues to campaign against decreasing access to student allowances and systemic fee increases.

NZUSA campaigned against the introduction of voluntary student membership (VSM), arguing that students did support compulsory membership of students' associations. NZUSA proposed a policy compromise, suggesting a "KiwiSaver style" opt-out arrangement where students would be members unless they explicitly said they did not want to be.^[1] Although NZUSA had campaigned against VSM for fifteen years, in 2012 all students' associations were required to be voluntary.^[2]

Historical achievements

NZUSA Lobby Gains

1988 allowances were themselves the result of 1985-1988 lobbying with officials
In 1992 alone NZUSA achieved $10 million in benefits for students by getting Community Service Cards for all students in face of Ministerial opposition
Prevented student loan repayments being applied to all jobs attracting secondary tax
2000: Freeze on fees
2010: Restrictions on increases in CSSFs
2012: Collaborative partnership for utilizing the Student Voice

Gains though engagement

2000: Review of loan scheme massively improves student experience and efficiency of delivery
1929 - 2013: Constant involvement with government over regulations and procedures
1996-2000: Students added to CUAP (committee of university academic programmes), AAU (academic audit unit), TEC Board and Learners' Advisory Committee
Expansion of the categories covered by the Ministerial Direction in 2011 and defending that in December 2012
2012: enthusiastic support for learner panels and best practice Student Voice principles project

Gains though elections

1999: Education number two issue; change of government
2005: Interest-free loans policy assists re-election of Labour Government
2008: Interest-free loans adopted as National Party policy
2011: Labour Party commits to universal allowance policy (joining Greens)

Held VSM off for 15 years

Activists from other associations assisted in all of these campaigns.

1996: Michael Laws VSM Bill is defeated in the Select Committee process
1998: VSM Bill converted from imposing individual membership to requiring referendums
2000: WSU returns to universal membership through a student vote
2001: AuSM, WITSA and SAWIT return to universal membership
2006: USU returns to universal membership

Wins for the tertiary sector

1989: prevented a privatised loan-scheme by scaring off the banks
1994: Todd Taskforce plan for increasing fees from $1500 to $7000 per year defeated
1999: White Paper proposing privatization dropped by National Government after massive student protests
2003: Introduction of fee maxima
2009: National Party also adopts fee maxima policy
2011: 120 of 121 MPs from parties supporting interest-free student loan policy

NZUSA after Voluntary Student Membership

Since the introduction of voluntary student membership (VSM) in 2012, NZUSA has faced significant challenges. VSM led to the organisation no longer being guaranteed a revenue stream from member associations, and by 2012 its funding had decreased by a third as members cut their contributions due to financial hardship.^[3]

Withdrawal of association memberships

In August 2013, Waikato Students' Union announced that it would "temporarily withdraw" from NZUSA.^[4] In response, Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA), Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) put out a press release calling for significant reforms of NZUSA.^[5]

Subsequently referendums were held at OUSA and VUWSA as to whether they should stay members of the national union.^[6] The membership of both unions voted to stay part of the organisation, but the presidents at the respective organisations have promised substantial reforms.

In September 2014, VUWSA President Sonya Clark announced that after a unanimous vote by the executive, VUWSA would be withdrawing from the organisation (and had given its obligatory one-year notice of withdrawal).^[7] President Clark said:

Students gave us the mandate to stay if there were significant reforms. There haven’t been. Now what’s important is having the conversation to make sure there’s a strong national voice on student issues, in a more effective use of $45,000 student dollars. We take our fiduciary responsibility with students’ money seriously.^[3]

In response, NZUSA President Daniel Haines said he was

disappointed but not surprised ... I think it reflects the extreme financial hardship that students’ associations are now facing. I also think it’s important that organisations review themselves and are critical of their performance, and that’s what this is....VUWSA is one of our founding members, and hopefully we can continue to work with them going forward.^[3]

In November 2014, OUSA announced that it would also be withdrawing from NZUSA. Postgraduate Officer Kurt Purdon said NZUSA missed the opportunity to prove themselves in 2014, but instead of proving themselves, OUSA President Ruby Sycamore-Smith had single handedly done more for Otago students than NZUSA. He further said: "We lose credibility by being a part of them. Even if membership were free, I’d have serious questions about being a member."^[8]

NZUSA President Daniel Haines criticised OUSA for a lack of communication over their concerns, and responded to the withdrawal by saying:

it concerns me that this decision will diminish the collective power of NZUSA ... It will be harder to do things without a united front. I am concerned how we will look to politicians if we approach them as separate parties. No one wants to talk to twelve different people when they could talk to one.^[8]

In January 2015, former-VUWSA President Rory McCourt was elected President of NZUSA. He planned to focus on original research and "one central campaign" in his term.^[9]

In June 2015, after refusing for a number of months to pay its NZUSA membership fees, VUWSA agreed to pay its outstanding fees. (NZUSA argued that membership fees were still payable because VUWSA was in the 12-months-long withdrawal period.) The reversal came after NZUSA President Rory McCourt had waged a public campaign to get VUWSA to both reconsider its withdrawal from NZUSA and also to pay the fees outstanding.^[10]

Victoria University students voted in late 2015 in a referendum to have VUWSA rejoin the national union.

Members

ASA - Albany Students' Association
AUSA - Auckland University Students' Association
SAWIT - Students' Association of Waikato Institute of Technology
Younited - Eastern Institute of Technology Students' Association
VUWSA - Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association
MUSA - Massey University Students' Association
USC - Unitec Student Council
SAU - Students’ Association of UCOL
Weltec & Whitireia Student Council
MAWSA - Massey Wellington Students' Association
LUSA - Lincoln University Students' Association
OUSA - Otago University Students' Association
M@D - Massey at Distance

Structure

List of Association Presidents, Co-Presidents, and Vice-Presidents^[11]

2023 – Ellen Dixon
2022 – Andrew Lessells
2021 – Andrew Lessells
2020 – Isabella Lenihan-Ikin
2019 – James Ranstead/Caitlin Barlow
2018 – Jonathan Gee
2017 – Jonathan Gee
2016 – Linsey Higgins
2015 – Rory McCourt
2014 – Daniel Haines
2013 – Pete Hodkinson
2012 – Pete Hodkinson
2011 – David Do and Max Hardy
2010 – David Do and Pene Delaney
2009 – Jordan King and Sophia Blair
2008 – Liz Hawes and Paul Falloon
2007 – Joey Randall and Josh Clark
2006 – Joey Randall and Connor Roberts
2005 – Andrew Kirton and Camilla Belich
2004 – Andrew Kirton and Fleur Fitzsimmons
2003 – Roz Connelly and Fleur Fitzsimons
2002 – Andrew Campbell and Charlie Chambers
2001 – Sam Huggard and Andrew Campbell
2000 – Tanja Schutz and Sam Huggard
1999 – Karen Skinner and Tanja Schutz
1998 – Sarah Helm and Patrick Rooney
1997 – Michael Gibbs
1996 – Grant Robertson and Alayna Ashby
1995 – Paul Williams
1994 – Jeremy Baker
1993 – Kirsty Graham
1992 – Dan Ormond
1991 – Charlotte Denny/Emma Reid
1990 – Suze Wilson
1989 – Andrew Little
1988 – Andrew Little
1987 – Bidge Smith
1986 – Alex Lee/Bidge Smith
1985 – Jess Wilson
1984 – Jess Wilson
1983 – Robin Arthur
1982 – Brian Small
1981 – Deryck Shaw
1980 – Simon Wilson
1979 – Chris Gosling
1978 – Lisa Sacksen
1977 – Lisa Sacksen
1976 – John Blincoe
1975 – Alick Shaw
1974 – Jim Crichton
1974 – James Crichton
1973 – Stephen Chan
1972 – David Cuthbert
1971 – David Cuthbert
1970 – Paul Grocott
1969 – Peter Rosier
1968 – John McGrath
1967 – Ross Mountain
1966 – Ross Mountain and Alister Taylor
1965 – M. J. Moriarty and Alister Taylor
1964 – M. J. Moriarty
1963 – A. T. Mitchell and M. J. Moriarty
1962 – E. A. Woodfield and A. T. Mitchell
1961 – E. A. Woodfield
1960 – B. V. Galvin and E. A. Woodfield
1959 – B. V. Galvin
1958 – J. D. Dalgety and B. V. Galvin
1957 – J. D. Dalgety
1956 – T. O. Fitzgibbon and J. D. Dalgety
1955 – E. R. Ireland and T. O. Fitzgibbon
1954 – M. J. O’Brien and E. A. Ireland
1953 – R. S. Milne and M. J. O’Brien
1952 – I. T. Heath and R. S. Milne
1951 – K. B. O’Brien and I. T. Heath
1950 – R. B. Miller and K. B. O’Brien
1949 – N. R. Taylor and R. B. Miller
1948 – H. B. Lawry and N. R. Taylor
1947 – M. C. Scott and H. B. Lawry
1946 – M. C. Scott (nee Boxer)
1945 – J. B. C. Taylor
1944 – J. B. C. Taylor
1943 – N. V. Ryder and J. B. C. Taylor
1942 – J. W. Mandeno and N. V. Ryder
1941 – N. Begg and J. W. Mandeno
1940 – J. B. Almers and N. Begg
1939 – A. P. Blair and J. B. Almers
1938 – A. P. Blair
1937 – R. M. Young and A. P. Blair
1936 – R. J. Larkin and R. M. Young
1935 – M. Joel, D. M. Burns and R. J. Larkin
1934 – J. G. D. Ward and M. Joel
1933 – M. G. Sullivan and J. G. D. Ward
1932 – E. D. Robins and M. G. Sullivan
1931 – W. J. Mountjoy and E. D. Robinson
1930 – P. S. de Q. Cabot and W. J. Mountjoy
1929 – P. S. de Q. Cabot

Tertiary Women New Zealand

Tertiary Women New Zealand (TWNZ) is a sub-group of NZUSA, dedicated to advocacy on behalf of women in tertiary education across the country. It comes from a position that acknowledges the systematic oppression of women and also considers how this intersects with class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and ability. TWNZ is composed of women's associations at tertiary institutions across the country.^[12]

References

^ "Students have better alternative to VSM - NZUSA". 3 News. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^ "Our Successes". New Zealand Union of Students' Associations.
^ ^a ^b ^c Boot, Sophie (25 September 2014). "VUWSA withdraws from NZUSA". Salient. Wellington. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
^ Pearl, Harry (2 August 2013). "WSU withdraws from national body". Waikato Times. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^ Elder, Vaughan (24 August 2013). "OUSA joins call to rally". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^ McChesney, Sam (1 September 2013). "NZUSA in the Toilet: Hernandez Not Yet Ready to Flush". Critic magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
^ "Vic students to leave NZUSA under VSM cloud". New Zealand Tertiary Education Union. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b Cochrane, Josie (27 November 2014). "OUSA Withdraws From NZUSA". Critic. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
^ McChesney, Sam (30 January 2015). "VUWSA Experiencing Confidence Issues After NZUSA Hooks Up With Its Ex". Salient magazine. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
^ McChesney, Sam (12 June 2015). "NZUSA rides the alimony pony". Salient. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "About Us". New Zealand Union of Students' Associations. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
^ "Tertiary Women New Zealand". New Zealand Union of Students' Associations. Archived from the original on 2015-07-19.