Critic, the Otago Uni student paper, has some good stories with an alternative take this week.

Policy, Management & People

1. Quake Impacts More Christchurch students headed to Dunedin this year – the ODT story is worth a read.
2. Critic Otago student newspaper Critic has some good stories this week on academic suspensions, business competitions, the Uni’s surplus and international students.
3. ACE @ Auckland Auckland is cutting its continuing education classes, with 11/18 tutors made redundant – the other 7 will shift back to mainstream departments. It’s apparently due to lower government funding.
4. Business Links Steven Joyce is keen to encourage universities to work more closely with businesses.
5. Loans NZIER’s Jean-Pierre de Raad wants changes to student loans on the agenda.
6. Extras: salary expectations for students; BOPP’s innovative Allan Dyson; travel and tourism quals map to go to NZQA; dealing with youth unemployment in Oamaru.

Research & Innovation

1. Frogs Victoria’s Ben Bell has been researching Maud Is frogs for 35 years.
2. Extras: Otago Uni and Dunedin biotech companies; Otago Uni’s Prof Jim Mann on a diabetes surgery; Massey dope arrests research gets coverage; Lincoln research on Christchurch CBD.

Public Issues

1. Pokies Auckland’s Peter Adams had an op-ed on pokies and AUT’s Max Abbott commented on tech fixes to problem gambling.
2. Farm Workers Lincoln’s Rupert Tipples on why farmers prefer to employ migrants over Kiwis (Whale Oil).
3. Sierra Leone Auckland’s Chris Mahoney on the trial of Charles Taylor.
4. Gold Canterbury’s Lloyd Carpenter is running a Central Otago gold conference (extra story).
5. Euthanasia Otago Uni’s Prof Grant Gillett and Colin Gavaghan comment on euthanasia.
6. Dolphins Otago Uni’s Liz Slooten on a Maui’s dolphin death (Fairfax) – which is off to Massey for an autopsy (NZN).
7. Extras: Auckland’s Kathy Peri on rest homes; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on the Budget (and voting and David Shearer) and Prof Steven Grover on Petricevic and Andrew Geddis on John Banks’ donations (NZN, Kiwiblog); CPIT’s Paul Norris on court access for media; academic visiting Victoria on managing oceans; digital identity conference at Victoria; Otago Uni’s Kevin Dawkins on Bain legal aid; Lincoln’s Steve Wratten on compost bins; Unitec’s Peter Mellalieu on an old dairy factory; Massey’s Claire Matthews on switching banks and Janet Sayers on home businesses and David Deakins on SMEs.

Students

1. Hitman Bought? An Indian student in NZ is wanted for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill someone in India.
2. Podium A Canterbury student gets his first motor racing podium finish.
3. Great Kids…is what a Dunedin guy thought of student volunteers.
4. Space Balloon Two Waikato twins got a balloon up to almost 32,000 feet. A Canterbury student is working on a rocket.
5. Miss Canterbury…is an Otago Uni student.
6. Extras: Aoraki student’s art exhibition; AUT student seeking osteoarthritis sufferers; Auckland youth politician; PhD on cricket scoring.

Stakeholders

1. Group Training The Restaurant Assn is expanding a group training effort from Auckland to other parts of the North Island, aiming to grow from 38 to 150 apprentices.
2. Jazz CPIT’s Jazz School was heavily involved in the Christchurch International Jazz and Blues Festival.
3. Extras: animal emotions expert to speak at Massey; Steven Braunias back as Wintec’s editor in residence; SIT hosting longest interview record attempt.

Teaching & Learning

1. Literacy Here’s a nice story about overcoming literacy challenges.
2. Extras: EXMSS’s Ralph Springett had a great DEANZ poster; ATTTO marae camp and new Tourism Maori qual; UCOL music students’ performance; more on uni cheating (with graph); NMIT labs for school students.