This is a bumper news edition, plus check out recent comments (see sidebar at right) on the TEU and ITF Budget posts last week – very shortly we should have NZUSA and ITI.

1. Learning State Learning State, the public sector ITO, is to be established as a separate company - it is currently part of the State Services Commission.
2. Nude Vets 3rd Veterinary Science students at Massey have a tradition of creating a nude calendar to pay for their Half Way Day party, held after 2.5 years of study. This year’s calendar goes on sale 12 May – check out the preview.  (HT NZ Girl)
3. Bum Note for Canty The University of Canterbury’s proposal to build a music school at the Christchurch Arts Centre, its old campus, has been knocked back by a resource consent panel. VC Rod Carr says that the decision is unlikely to be appealed and a new music school will probably be built on the main Ilam campus. It’s a big decision and the issue has had a high profile in Christchurch, but now the view from the Dux De Lux pub is safe. (HT The Fundy Post) The City councillors are commenting on it this morning, warming up for re-election. Meanwhile, the TEU argues that morale at the University is slipping, due to ongoing staffing reviews.
4. Laws on WINZ Michael Laws weighed into the debate about whether a political science grad should have been told by WINZ to drop her degree from her application for supermarket jobs. He wrote with his usual wit and sarcasm, so if you want to be amused or outraged (depending upon you views), go here.
5. Sharples at Infratrain Pita Sharples spoke at an Infratrain scholarship ceremony last week, as they’re running a Maori in Industry and Trade Training initiative.
6. I couldn’t develop a tasteful headline for this one, where a UCOL student learned how to make paper from bull excrement. There are some advertising materials on Facebook.
7. PTEs in Receivership I hadn’t followed this, but several PTEs in NZ (Design and Arts College of NZ, Crown Institute of Studies and Going Places) have been caught up in their Australian parent’s receivership in November 2009. All have continued trading and have been, or will be, sold as going concerns. The Australian parent was the one that operated a PTE from the old CIT campus in Lower Hutt. This link has the details and a couple of other links.
8. Job Success I referred to a story on Friday about a student seeking work by holding up a sign on street corners – well, seems like he’s had some success.
9. Undie 500 I’ve run a few stories on this, but here’s a media release about a research study to address the issues around it. The ODT also ran a story about the release, with some self-justification. The University of Otago is also looking at a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm - the ideas have a mix of practicality and, being the University of Otago, paternalism.
10. Security Cheats The firm accused of giving its security guards the answers to assessments is now facing commercial pressures, with the Waikato DHB being challenged about giving them a new contract.
11. Whitireia Site Closure Whitireia Community Polytechnic is closing its Lindale site, near Paraparaumu, as the area has not developed as expected. They’ll get a smaller new site in Paraparaumu.
12. Otago Poly Council The ODT had a story on the final makeup of Otago Polytechnic’s Council last week – good to see my old friend Rebecca Parata is staying on.
13. Vic Entry Victoria University is apparently tightening up entry to fit within their funding cap.
14. National Supporting VSM? An NZ Herald article claims that the signs point to National backing the VSM Bill, although no evidence is presented to that effect.
15. Science Video The following video by University of Auckland students won the inaugural Comvita Video Challenge for a science video. Peter Griffin at the Science Media Centre has the details.