1. Lincoln Buildings TV3 had a piece last night on Lincoln’s closed-off buildings.
2. Bond Problems Canterbury could be facing problems with its NZDX bonds (NZ Herald).
3. EER Excitement An Auckland Maori PTE got a good EER report but not a great one but still got a gushing story on RNZ and an even more gushing media release from Pita Sharples. Sheesh, they didn’t even get top marks!
4. Extras: Victoria’s marae gateway; buses to WITT need more passengers; EIT increasing arts and design staff.

Research & Innovation

1. Smoking in Cars People in Wainuiomata are more likely to smoke in cars with children than people in Karori according to Otago Uni’s George Thomson (NewstalkZB, Dom Post, NZN).
2. Energy-Smart Food Massey’s Prof Ralph Sims has just launched a report on for the UN on energy-smart food.
3. Extras: Auckland research on teenagers’ screen time; Massey pill for wild horses.

Public Issues

1. Accents Victoria’s Janet Holmes has an interesting column on accents.
2. DOC Open Letter 107 scientists, almost all from NZ universities, have written an open letter to Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson (39 from Massey). They argue that budget cuts to DOC should not go ahead (release, NZN, Dom Post, Dom Post, NewstalkZB).
3. Mining The government broke a promise on mining according to Otago Uni’s emeritus Prof Sir Alan Mark. Two visiting US academics at Waikato have also written a paper on mining.
4. Extras: Canterbury’s David Small on the Mana party; Otago Uni alcohol research cited; Massey’s Mike Joy on river quality; Auckland’s Scott Optican on a murder charge (not his!); Otago and Massey academics on smart food for babies; Laidlaw’s Mark McKeown on non-voters.

Students

1. SVA There’s a new president of the Canterbury Student Volunteer Army – I’m guessing he won’t want as busy a year as Sam Johnson.
2. Extras: top students to Canterbury; Canterbury triathlete; AUT grad’s abseil fall survival (Auckland Now): ad win for Media Design School students (plus some cool showreels from other students); NorthTec fashion show.

Stakeholders

1. Training Nice Competenz case study of training in a pie factory.
2. Extras: exhibition at NMIT gallery; Massey’s Roger Buckton conducting a choir; university-ICT links in Wellington.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: New UCOL Wairarapa music programme; Unitec congratulates student-chosen top teacher; NMIT’s new mechanical engineering course; Canterbury to offer teaching degree at WITT.

1. Pike River In a small country, a tragedy like that at Pike River affects everyone in some way. For the tertiary education sector, many of the mine workers did some training through Tai Poutini Polytechnic and the graduate chefs there have helped in feeding rescue workers and others. I gave TPP an award last June, on behalf of ITPNZ, for their work in organising assessments of overseas’ workers qualifications at Pike River Coal. Some of those same workers may well have been trapped in the mine. Many readers will have their own personal and professional links to those involved in the tragedy and I’m sure all of our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have been lost.
2. Pike River 2 University of Canterbury geologist David Bell commented on RNZ about gas build-up in the mine (and in NZ Herald). An Otago Uni geologist commented on the risks of coal mining (interesting piece). A Victoria Uni academic comments on the use of robots.
3. Waikato Uni Signs MOUs…with two universities in China, apparently both in the top 25 – the focus will be on management and law.
4. New Grad School Plant and Food Research has combined with the University of Auckland to establish the Joint Graduate School in Plant and Food Science (also RNZ brief). The goal is to double the number of masters and PhD students enrolled in these fields to at least 100 students by 2015. It’s a superb idea and I wish them well.
5. WITT Council Fees There’s a debate at WITT after the Council put up its fees. The increases are due to the Minister increasing possible fees substantially when he reduced the size of ITP Councils. The union is against it – the backdrop is the dragging-on MECA negotiation to which WITT is a party – and the CE also advised against it. For the millions and millions that WITT has cost this country over the last decade, I don’t begrudge a few dollars of it leads to a good Council, which they have usually lacked (this one seems to be doing a good job).
6. EIT EER EIT had some nice coverage of their very positive external evaluation and review report. I reviewed it a few weeks back for ED Insider and was very impressed with EIT’s performance, as I had expected.
7. Wintec Fashion Wintec’s fashion students have just had their end of year show (nice pictures). NorthTec students are preparing for their fashion show.
8. Biological Computer Modelling …is what one of the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship winners from Auckland Uni will be doing.
9. Campus IT Canterbury Uni is using web-based HR tools, while an Auckland Uni IT guy commented about whether personal gadgets should be supported in the workplace.
10. Great Employer Unitec has won the Mainstream Employer of the Year Merit 2010 award (I think that means third place). The awards recognise employers in the state sector for going the extra mile for staff with significant disabilities.
11. Short Bits NorthTec’s Kaitaia students have built a house and are now looking to sell it. Research on suicide reporting (Otago Uni). CPIT’s top chef trainees. WITT’s end of year art exhibition. Waikato Uni’s new population-focused institute is getting some press (and radio). The US ambassador visited AUT and Massey. An Auckland Uni lecturer comments on the North/South Korea skirmish. A new piano trio at Otago Uni. The Treasury Secretary made some general comments about tertiary education.
12. Media Mentions Condemnation of attacks on workers’ rights (Massey Uni).

1. Educational Performance Information
   • TEC released education performance information yesterday – there was also a TEC media release and one from the Minister. I liked the Minister’s ending statement: The Minister reaffirmed that, over time, the government wants to see publication of performance indicators and performance-linked funding to include employment outcomes for students. ”Ultimately the vast majority of students are studying to improve their employment prospects.  It’s important that we develop timely ways of showing them which pathways through study are best at achieving that.”
   • Sector groups have responded to the release. The TEU takes the view that any low performance is simply a matter of the students targeted and delivery style and the government should support providers to improve. Universities New Zealand noted the high level of uni performance. NZUSA noted data gaps and seems to want more, and more coherent info. NZ ITP suggests that the data will help improve performance.
   • Of course, providers have also responded to the release. MIT is the best because it is “the only institute ranked in the top five across all indicators of success” (they have done well, but their measure might be a bit creative!). Whitireia Community Poly brings together their recent EER report and the stats to argue that their teaching is great.  WelTec said they did well and that lower course completions were a 2009 aberration. The Open Polytechnic has defended its extramural delivery mode in the face of some poor qualification completion stats – at the link they also have links to more info. They state that many students just enrol to do one or a few courses. Massey made a similar case about its stats. Massey extramural students felt that the numbers mislead and confuse (no, they expose the lower results of extramural study – what is done about is is a different matter). UCOL is committed to improvement after some poor completion rates and puts out a lot of detail. Unitec welcomed the results and also provided extra detail.
   • The ODT has good coverage of TEIs in the surrounding area while the Timaru Daily Herald covers Aoraki.
   • The Greens’ Gareth Hughes thinks we should spend more money. Grant Robertson made what I think is the most constructive media release I’ve yet seen from him. He says that some polys and PTEs have some explaining to do, while more detailed info would be useful – he also thinks we should spend more money. 
2. Quake Update
   • The University of Canterbury has pushed off the student start date to 20/9, with staff back on 13/9 – their FAQ is great and includes no central library access for the rest of the semester due to the collapse of shelving.
   • CPIT closed until further notice after yesterday’s big aftershock but is now planning to open to all on 13/9.
   • SIT will be back on 13/9.
   • Avonmore staff are back today.
   • The beautiful 7-storey high rise brick building Manchester Courts, which is likely to be demolished, is the home of an ITO’s Chch office – the Retail Institute. Careerforce ITO got back to work on Monday, while I hear BCITO staff have been offered time off to help older people secure their homes.
   • UC Accommodation Student Village has made a great offer, putting up 50 free places for Civil Defence approved quake victims until 20/9, plus 50 places for UC approved quake victims, plus study space for students. Good work Darel!
   • Canty Uni’s Mark Quigley writes about aftershocks.
   • Otago Uni had a lecture on the earthquake and check out the picture here of a row of trees that has ben shifted out of alignment.
   • The Reverse Undie 500 will happen,with the OUSA van bringing up water and food – pity the water came back on today!
   • Some students have helped in the cleanup.
3. Nice Canty News A UC associate professor, Chris Cree Brown, has won 2010 SOUNZ Contemporary Award, the most prestigious annual award for ‘classical’ composition in New Zealand.
4. Fee Increases Massey’s fees rises are not welcomed by students, while NZUSA has blamed the government for fee increases.
5. Uni Rankings The QS World Rankings have been released, and the University of Auckland is the only one in the top 100 and it dropped 7 spots (they put out a release). The ODT covered Otago Uni’s ten places drop.
6. Software Split Waiariki is going for a Tribal student management system, moving on from Artena. Tribal is a UK company that runs the ITP benchmarking software.
7. Bits and Pieces Bay of Plenty Poly music students are doing a showcase. A Waiariki BFA student is exhibiting in Melbourne soon and may also do so in the US (PS she helped design the tino rangatiratanga flag). Here’s another story on the Dyson Award finalists. Otago Uni researchers want top replicate some Aussie research on the effetciveness of public health measures. NMIT is a finalist in the Tourism Industry Awards. An AUT academic comments on Samoan IP rights. Grant Robertson used World Literacy Day to challenge government funding policy. SIT CE Penny Simmonds has been slightly dragged into the mayoral campaign in Invercargill.
8. Aquaculture Local dignitaries visit Bay of Plenty Poly’s new aquaculture centre, building on their long-term involvement in marine studies. NMIT yesterday announced that they had launched NZ’s first aquaculture diploma - I don’t care who is first but both ITPs seem to be responding well to the coming aquaculture boom.