The ODT is covering Otago Polytechnic’s Council changes this morning in two stories on the general changes and student representation, and both are very interesting. (This is the fourth post in a series on ITP Council changes.)

Otago Poly CEO Phil Ker has proposed that no seat be reserved for him, as he “would always be at the table” – this is the first proposal I’ve seen of a CEO not being on the Council. He also recommended that staff and student representation be dealt with by subcommittees. The four Council-appointed seats should be taken by 2-3 people appointed on the basis of skills and 1-2 people nominated by local runanga.

Phil Ker recommended that the Council make appointments ASAP, so that they were made by the current Council, not the new one after May 1, but Graeme Crombie (Council Chair) and Mark Ryan (Deputy Council Chair) were reluctant to bind the new Council – that are both Ministerial appointees too. Decisions were pushed off to the next meeting.

The second story states that Otago Poly student rep Meegan Cloughley has given up on student representation on the new Council, as any seats would be hard to gain and easy to lose under a new Council dominated by Ministerial appointees – she characterised it as a “hostile takeover”. Instead she will be focusing on setting up a student subcommittee. I know Meegan and she’s made a difficult choice, but the right one in my view. Good luck to her.