Policy & Management

1. Christchurch Rebuild The wave of new students/trainees in construction don’t yet have a job to go to, with rebuilding in Christchurch not yet starting – comments by BCITO’s Ruma Karaitiana and CPIT’s Phil Agnew.
2. Wings Trimmed Southern Wings Aviation College, which is shifting away from being an SIT subcontractor, has had an EFTS cut as TEC introduces a new aviation training cap.
3. Marae Gateway Victoria has a new marae gateway and it looks pretty good. Much better than the simple alleyway that they used to have.
4. Loans Students are borrowing more (interest.co.nz).
5. Canterbury Changes The TEU’s Sandra Grey (ED Blog’s Best Lobbyist Singer of the Year) muses on whether Canterbury will cut whole departments. Meanwhile, Canterbury is to spend $1.6m on an emergency communication system.
6. Extras: release on Tai Poutini’s EER; Otago Poly’s Matt Carter and his management success; HSI and Waiariki board member gets new job; new Chancellor at Canterbury (RNZ); Deborah Hill Cone’s underdeveloped views on university marketing, participation and organisation; TWOA’s Tai Wananga has good demand; car parking changes in Dunedin; Auckland hostel to be extended.

Research & Innovation

1. Women in Newspapers Massey’s Catherine Strong has released some strong findings on newspaper careers for women. I’ll be interested to see how it is covered.
2. Too Much Salt Otago Uni’s Rachael McLean has found that Kiwis eat too much salt (RNZ, The Press, NZN).
3. Old Shoppers Waikato’s Margaret Richardson is trying to make life easier for older shoppers.
4. Baby Deaths Auckland’s Shirley Tonkin and colleagues have found that tongue growth and jaw looseness can contribute to sudden infant deaths. Unlike much of the research in this area, it actually seems science-based and clear – read it now before its gets washed through the Ministry of Health!
5. Solar Car TV3 did a piece on the Waikato solar car, the German uni’s team’s car and a local car. I feel sorry for them given they have no windows and no A/C!
6. Extras: Victoria’s Melanie Johnston-Hollitt working on astronomy software; Massey’s Sitaleki Finau on Pasifika spirituality; Massey’s Kerry Taylor on a museum’s history; research by Otago Uni’s Bernard Venn cited (on potatoes); art making by MIT’s Bill Riley; Otago Uni’s Tony Reeder on sun safety; Victoria’s Elisabeth McDonald on changes to sex-attack justice; nice profile of Massey’s Evelyn Sattlegger; art conference at Vic this week.

Public Issues

1. Breastfeeding on P? Auckland’s Trecia Wouldes notes that there’s not much evidence on the effect of breastfeeding while taking P.
2. Home for Xmas Massey bird saviours hope to be home for Xmas after releasing the last of the oiled birds – also Canterbury’s Prof David Schiel on the cleanup an d Waikato’s Prof Chris Battershill on the environmental recovery.
3. Immigration Alleged comments by AUT’s Prof Charles Crothers are being used by a local Grey Power group to support an inquiry into Auckland’s ethnic makeup (I think they don’t want non-white people).
4. Gift-Giving Waikato’s Carolyn Costley on the psychology of gift-giving – which makes me wonder whether academics can find as many angles on Xmas as they did for the RWC. I spoke too soon – BOPP’s Esta Chappell is commenting on the greenness of real vs fake Xmas trees.
5. Bank Downgrades…attracted comments from Massey’s David Tripe (and again and again).
6. Extras: Victoria’s Maria Bargh on Labour and Maori and Robert Ayson on Iran-Britain relations; Otago Uni seminar on food production; Canterbury’s John Cookson on post-quake Christchurch; Otago Uni’s Dr Blackman on chemistry hero Ernest Solvay; Massey’s Clare Robinson on David Shearer; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on voter turnout and Labour’s list; Massey’s David Deakins on business real estate; AUT’s Elaine Rush on drinking water; Otago Uni’s Andrea Insch on a marketing campaign and Prof Stephen Wing responds to some odd marine theories; more from OIA request of Auckland’s Alex McMillan; Auckland’s Barry Gustafson on coalition deals.

Students

1. NZer of the Year Canterbury’s Sam Johnson (Student Volunteer Army) has been nominated by the NZ Herald as a NZer of the Year finalist.
2. Art Over Panel Beating Here’s a story of a student who chose art at Massey over a panel beating apprenticeship.
3. Listening to Kiwis Bay of Plenty Poly students have put in kiwi listening stations on the Kepler Track near Te Anau (release).
4. Cunliffe Support Auckland’s Young Nats have come out for David Cunliffe, claiming he joined up via a BBQ draw (Homepaddock).
5. Morals An AUT student has a NZ Herald op-ed on media morals.
6. Extras: BOPP grad top regional motor apprentice; Massey eventing rider; Auckland architecture student’s win; Stephen Franks on a Canterbury alumni event; Wintec hospital history; Otago Uni students’ moot win and fair trade coffee research; odd media release about OUSA prez and SJS; Unitec students’ house-building; kea blood tests by an Otago Uni student; Otago Uni runner wins race; Canterbury’s girls software challenge; Otago Poly chef grad profile.

Stakeholders

1. Dental Clinic Otago Uni is opening a new kids’ dental clinic – good idea and good story.
2. Extras: SIT drops racing car sponsorship; Otago Poly staff supporting a Foodbank; cycling race at Canterbury.

Teaching & Learning

1. Facebook German Canterbury’s Vera Leier has got her students working on a class Facebook page, but they must change their settings to German – the language which she is teaching them. It’s a good idea to make language learning seem more everyday.
2. Teacher Awards Students have recognised their top teachers at Massey – congrats to Mike Joy, Sean Phelan, Prof Barrie Macdonald and Gina Salapata.
3. Extras: sustainable skills summer school.