1. The Communications and Media ITO is now offering the NC in Business Administration and Computing L2 and L3.
2. The ETITO is offering similar quals through a specialist website, Skills Plus, where you can sign up for the NC Business Administration and Computing L3, NC in Business Administration L4 and NC in Business (First Line Management).

The latter site is quite interesting because it doesn’t seem bound to any industry and only has a $50 annual fee (plus a $500 bonus payment to employers upon completion). It seems like quite a good way to build up scale in relatively easy to deliver qualifications.

Back in the mid-90s, ED did a feasibility study for a Computing ITO and the only way they were going to make money was by running something like Skills Plus, focused on basic user ICT training across the workforce. The computing industry wasn’t that interested in the idea (they quite reasonably cared more about software developers) and didn’t establish the ITO (although the idea of an ITO comes up again every few years). Still, offering basic business admin courses in the workforce seems like a simple enough idea and there’s plenty of demand for it.

I’m just wondering whether more ITOs are doing the same thing. Any ideas from readers? Is it a reaction to tougher funding rules affecting other qualifications or just a coincidence?

Policy, Management & People

1. Get Exporting! In what must be one of his silliest public comments, Steven Joyce said in a NZ Herald op-ed that the main problem facing the University of Auckland is that it doesn’t have enough international students and it should work harder to get them. Maybe, just maybe, other factors also have an effect. I have a lot of time for Joyce but that column is just a blinkered joke. Having spent yesterday reading Auckland’s 2011 annual report for ED Insider, I don’t think the Uni is sitting on their hands waiting for helpful advice like “get exporting”, especially since they’re the biggest education exporter in the country…
2. Teacher Ed Hekia Parata, Minister of Education, announced yesterday that a postgrad qual would be a new prerequisite for teachers. Massey’s Prof James Chapman loved the idea because he’s just approved the same changes (colleague Prof John O’Neill disagreed), while a primary school principal spokesperson didn’t like it. Victoria’s Dugald Scott helpfully punctured the idea that class sizes are everything – if they were, universities would be in trouble.
3. PBRF Costs TEU reps, past and present, comment on the impact of the PBRF on redundancies and research activity.
4. WIE Wins Dispute Waikato Institute of Education won in the Disputes Tribunal after student claims of wrongdoing.
5. Sport Space Otago Poly will be getting a new sports hub.
6. Extras: Wanganui vet likes Massey’s vet facility plans; WITT hosted Chinese delegation; Auckland remembered they won a good employer award 13 days ago; Otago Uni’s Prof Keith Hunter on using Singapore as a science model.

Research & Innovation

1. Port Hills Canterbury’s Ben Mackey is using new techniques to explore ancient earthquakes in Christchurch’s Port Hills.
2. Antarctica South Korea’s building a $90m Antarctic research station and Canterbury’s
   Prof Bryan Storey will be liaising with them (release). Some academics were also in this book on science on the ice.
3. Extras: Otago Uni’s Fiona Gunasekara on income and health; Massey alumni’s terrorist analysis; Massey PhD on motherhood; Victoria PhD student’s drug research; Fed Farmers supports Otago Uni look into coroners’ recommendations.

Public Issues

1. Marine Resources Three academics comment on a RSNZ piece on marine resources/environment.
2. Europe Auckland’s David Mayes on the Euro crisis.
3. Business Development Massey’s Claire Massey on business support and an upcoming conference.
4. Pirate Party The Pirate Party might launch out of Waikato, or not.
5. Extras: Otago Uni’s Tony Blakely on prescription fee hikes; Otago Uni’s James Henry on cruise ship passengers; Auckland’s Cameron Grant on whooping cough; Massey’s David Tripe on interest rates; Canterbury visiting fellow on EQC model; Victoria’s Rachel McKee on deaf interpreters and Peter Thompson on the Commerce Act.

Students

1. Car Crash A US student remains in critical condition, while the bodies of her three fellow students have been released by Police.
2. Nice Recovery An Otago Uni student is recovering well from a spinal injury last year.
3. Olympics Vision College has a distance student, Andy Moloney, gearing up for the Laser Class dinghy racing in London.
4. Extras: Canterbury rugby player; success for Taratahi/AgITO trainees; sports turf grad at Dunedin stadium; SkyCity apprentice chef wins regional competition.

Stakeholders

1. Winston…was speaking at Wintec.
2. Kingitanga Day…was held at Waikato yesterday.
3. Diversity Unitec is up for an ethnic diversity award.
4. Employer Award Auckland has given Bayleys an award as a good graduate employer.
5. Extras: Hekia Parata praises Canterbury Pacific outreach programme; Aoraki body-painter does fundraiser; emeritus prof Ivan Snook honoured by Massey; Massey Writers Read Week;

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: prisoners learning first aid.

Policy, Management & People

1. Premier Uni Auckland’s Prof Tim Hazeldine argues for downsizing Auckland’s enrolments and upping its funding so that it becomes a top world university. Today a student wrote about how entry scores to Auckland aren’t as high as those at the University of Melbourne, which is one reason to study over there.
2. Music Review A review of Canterbury’s music school shows that it needs 200 EFTS but is currently only getting 85 (and only had 130-140 before the quakes). Canterbury still plans to fund the deficit though.
3. Oh Dear Some papers can be partisan to their local institutions but the Manawatu Standard takes the cake when it says Massey could teach other universities about sticking to their knitting, like vet studies. Maybe they forgot the Wellington and Albany campuses.
4. Rec Centre Wintec is making a last push to get the Hamilton City Council to part-fund a rec centre (NZ Herald). Wintec’s putting money on the table.
5. Allowances’ A school careers adviser had an op-ed on the costs of studying. Two student leaders had an op-ed calling for more funding for students. EXMSS’ Dave Crampton in a NZ Herald op-ed.
6. Visas Migration figures showed a drop in student visas (old news really) but also that Indian students are moving through to residence in greater numbers.
7. Extras: Massey vet school (RNZ); Landcorp on its Crafar farm training operation; Le Cordon Bleu’s wine director; David Farrar supports Massey teacher ed; NMIT Arts and Media building gets NZIA recognition.

Research & Innovation

1. Coroners Otago Uni’s Prof Mark Henaghen and Jennifer Moore are looking into how coroners’ recommendations are taken up (The Press, One News).
2. Tui Massey’s Sam Hill on tui songs (3 News).
3. Want $20K? If you’re at Canterbury and have a good technology idea, you might be in.
4. Extras: David Farrar on Otago Uni law costs research; Winston Peters on Massey ethnic signage research (NZ Herald, comments, and a follow-up story); KPMG and Massey research partnership; Massey PhD thesis on airports and another on mothering.

Public Issues

1. Pork Diseases Massey’s Eric Neumann on pork disease risks.
   
2. Weird Entry to Debate Waikato’s Prof Natalie Jackson says statistics should be brought into the debate on welfare reform and sole parents, but then offers stats on all sole parents, not those on benefits. The stats are simply irrelevant.
3. Prescriptions Auckland’s Marewa Glover doesn’t like prescription price hikes as they may affect smokers and neither does Otago Uni’s Prof Tony Blakeley (One News).
4. Extras: Canterbury’s Ian Lochhead on an ugly Christchurch building; Otago Uni’s Prof Nicola Peart on proceeds of crime.

Students

1. Car Crash The families and friends of the American students killed at the weekend are dealing with the tragedy. The critically injured student was due to fly back this week.
2. Back to the US Two Massey exchange students from the US are keen to get back there to start their businesses.
3. Name Auction More on the Media Design School student selling his name – here’s the auction.
4. V48 Four UCOL teams are taking part in the V48 Hours Film Festival.
5. Extras: CPIT NASDA students doing Shakespeare; Canterbury Ultimate champion; Massey display of capping magazines; person cycling to Massey hit by car; Wintec student on bus music.

Stakeholders

1. Pink Shirt Day…at Unitec this Friday in an anti-bullying awareness drive.
2. Extras: Canterbury mentoring scheme at high school (Fairfax); Awanuiarangi’s Prof Kuni Jenkins to head Maori children’s’ organisation; AUT’s Kathryn McPherson on WINZ Board; EIT students with arboretum ideas.

Teaching & Learning

1. Game Degrees Media Design School is launching two new degrees for game developers, in creative technologies and software development.

Policy, Management & People

1. Nursing Investigation UCOL, NMIT and Waiariki are being investigated by NZQA over allegations of shonky entry standards by Indian nursing students.
2. Vet School Massey is going to spend $75m to improve its veterinary facilities, so it can boost intakes from 100 to 140 (Fairfax, NewstalkZB).
3. Easy to Qualify Some old timers think that today’s trade quals are too easy to get and want to bring back exams.
4. New Dean Auckland has attracted Prof Robert Greenberg from CUNY to be its new Dean of the Faculty of Arts (NewstalkZB).
5. VSM David Farrar on students’ assn perfidy and Salient had an anonymous column on Victoria’s alleged plans to undermine the students’ assn.
6. Making Up Figures Rod Oram said “our universities have the lowest funding per student in the developed world” which seems completely false to me. I’d love to see his source for that.
7. Loans and Allowances Salient on loans and allowances, a Dom Post editorial and school students at an open day. Also Indian Newslink (and again and again).
8. Extras: TEU on council petition; protests against Canterbury cuts (The Press); silly Massey graphic; NZUSA challenged by students over stance on asset sales; WWF wants the TEC to promote sustainability; Massey responds to teacher ed concerns.

Research & Innovation

1. Pygmy Elephants A Victoria PhD student has been researching pygmy elephants in Borneo.
2. Cost of Laws Otago Uni public health researchers estimated the costs of developing laws (RNZ, Homepaddock, NBR).
3. 3D Guitars We mentioned the 3D printed guitars form Massey yesterday, but this link has a video with the maker playing it.
4. Backyard Science Canterbury’s Mark Quigley dug up his own backyard to find old liquefaction.
5. Extras: rare plant blooms at Waikato; NetSafe cites Auckland research; Southland Times editorial on Canterbury virtual spiders; Massey researchers found some Kiwis don’t like ethnic signs; Otago Uni’s Prof John Campbell on the ageing population and Anthony Watts on an undersea volcano.

Public Issues

1. Employment Disputes Auckland’s Bill Hodge offered views on current disputes.
2. Extras: Victoria’s Susan Corbett on VPN provision; Otago Uni’s Shane Sexton on school science; Canterbury’s Chris Gallavin on insanity defences; Waikato’s Doug Boer on cycles of abuse; academics on taxing Sky to pay for the TV they like.

Students

1. Name for Sale A Media Design School student is selling his name on TradeMe to raise money for setting up a business
2. Fatal Crash AUT offered condolences for an American exchange student of theirs (and the two Auckland students) who died in the car crash (we reported it was all Auckland students yesterday). Police following up (release, 3 News) and road safety questioned after fatal crash with American students. One of the students remains in critical condition.
3. Mural Nice big mural by CPIT staff and students, with the community.
4. Extras: university project leads to dining site; Otago Uni singer; Aoraki student-built house sold; apprenticeships at Dunedin career expo; person who attacked Otago Uni student jailed; Dunedin student business competition; Canterbury night surfers; BOPP wrestler; art grad talking to Waiariki artists; Canterbury tweeters.

Stakeholders

1. PR Win Canterbury staff won a PRINZ award for their PR work during the quakes as did some AUT students for another project.
2. Theatre AUT has agreed a partnership with Auckland Theatre Company.
3. Extras: Open Poly supporting policy and wellbeing conference; Otago Uni grad with lecture notes selling site; Waikato VC meets Rotary.

Teaching & Learning

1. APL Otago Poly APL/RPL seminars.
2. Extras: Massey Albany teaching and learning unit relocation.

Policy, Management & People

1. World Class Salaries Canterbury’s Eric Crampton makes a blatant play for a higher salary but make some interesting points along the way about how salary setting in NZ universities may disadvantage some areas.
2. Buildings UCOL wants to demolish an old building so that they can build a new one with Maori groups.
3. Teacher Ed More on Massey teacher ed changes (RNZ) with NZEI disagreeing with the move.
4. Councils OUSA wants to keep student representation on uni councils.
5. New Chair Prof Sally Poppitt has taken up the new Fonterra-funded Chair in Human Nutrition at Auckland.
6. Extras: the Greens’ Catherine Delahunty on ACE; Otago Uni is part of the Dunedin stadium cost overruns story (RNZ, Fairfax, NewstalkZB, One News); big graduation at Awanuiarangi to mark 20 years, while NZ Tertiary College celebrated 30 years; Otago Uni quake fixes in Christchurch; Otago Uni tramper still missing (Fairfax); Le Cordon Bleu is winning a trademark fight (and gaining a MasterChef contestant); Christchurch rebuild costs (RNZ, APNZ); NZ Herald is about a year late on predicting the post-quake location of Saudi students; Critic on loans and allowances; Auckland fire alarms; NZAS conference follow-up.

Research & Innovation

1. Hotels and Feng Shui AUT’s Jill Poulston and Rene Bennett have proved links between feng shui evaluations and hotels’ success. The write-up is a little vague…
2. 3D Guitars Massey’s Olaf Diegelmade has created electric guitars via 3D printing.
3. Spinoffs The NZ Herald looks at spinoffs from Auckland.
4. MacDiarmid Auckland is joining the MacDiarmid Institute as a full partner.
5. Bullying An Otago Uni study, with Australian Catholic Uni, has looked into schools’ bullying policies (Fairfax). This sparked more comment by Auckland’s Ian Lambie (who also commented on child pornography) and Massey’s Ann Ryan.
6. Robots Otago Uni PhD on collaborative robots sounds interesting.
7. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Cliona Ni Mhurchu on salt in food; Lincoln Psa virus report (One News); David Farrar on Otago Uni income mobility report; Victoria assessment of police safety orders; Auckland’s Trecia Wouldes on drinking in pregnancy; Otago Uni coronial review.

Public Issues

1. Drugs Canterbury’s Jarrod Gilbert offers thoughts on drug smuggling in Akaroa and Greg Newbold comments about prison guards getting drugs to inmates.
2. Maori Heads AUT’s Paul Moon inspired a story on toi moko.
3. Death Canterbury’s Ruth McManus on death in a big feature in The Press.
4. Fish Dumping Auckland’s Glenn Simmons on filming of fish dumping.
5. Extras: Victoria’s Trevor Bradley on keeping track of those on bail; NZ Herald editorial on TPP letter by academics; Unitec’s Keith Rankin on austerity; UCOL lecturer on foie gras protests (Whale Oil); Massey’s Karyn O’Keeffe on sleep and obesity; Otago Uni’s Erika Wolf to give a talk on a photographer’s work and Philippa Howden-Chapman on home insulation; Auckland’s Ellis on tabloid-size newspapers; Auckland visiting lecturer on babies and toddlers; Auckland’s Susan St John on family planning, Prof Rob Brodie on branding and Douglas Elliffe on coffee pricing.

Students

1. Fatal Crash Three Boston University students on exchange at the University of Auckland have died in a car crash south of Turangi, with five more admitted to hospital (one critical). Their vehicle went into the gravel on the left side of the road and then flipped after a correction (Fairfax, 3 News, RNZ, One News, RadioLIVE, RadioLIVE). The first people on the scene were another carload of the same group – they were all on their way to do the Tongariro Crossing, as part of a plan to see Lord of the Rings sites. RBZ bizarrely headlined a story as “University touched by NZ support over deaths” as though it was important that NZ was thanked. The Herald on Sunday had more sensitive coverage of the reaction in Boston (NewstalkZB, Fairfax, NZN, 3 News). The car rolled outside the house of an ex-paramedic and his eight year old daughter, who both helped the injured (3 News). A road safety campaigner talked about the problem of gravel road edges (NewstalkZB). Five other American students were rescued off Mt Ngauruhoe via helicopter (3 News) and had dinner with their rescuers last night.
2. Tweet Your Thesis…is a competition at Canterbury.
3. 60kg That’s how much weight a Victoria student lost.
4. Imagine Cup Otago Uni Imagine Cup competitors (and a judge’s perspective).
5. Tensions There’s some tensions between We Are The University and VUWSA.
6. Extras: Massey women’s soccer team; Japanese SIT soccer player; Lincoln netballer; Auckland student talking about Facebook; David Farrar on VSM, NZUSA and asset sales; UCOL baker; Lincoln students fundraising; Colin Slade back to studies; SJS Otago stats; students cleaning up abandoned Christchurch sites; AUT parking problem.

Stakeholders

1. Fat Duck BOPP’s Lee Pearce has close links to the Fat Duck restaurant and Heston Blumenthal.
2. MEPs Some MEPs visited Lincoln.
3. Fudan University Day…at Otago Uni.
4. Extras: Waikato open day (and Massey Albany); Otago Uni’s Judy Bellingham giving charity concert; BOPP to get Rena lifeboat; Victoria saddened by death of ex-Cook Islands PM Sir Geoffrey Henry; review of Massey drama society production; Whitireia grads win radio awards; Otago Poly’s Kerry Adams at virtual midwives’ conference; Otago Uni PE wall of fame; career planning for Otago school students; fertiliser education programme to be launched at Waikato.

Teaching & Learning

1. Trades Academy Wintec is involved in a new trades academy based in Te Kuiti.
2. Extras: Massey mediation classes sell out; CPIT social media courses; ATTTO on their new Maori tourism qual.

Policy, Management & People

1. Chch Renewal Plan Ministers released a Christchurch draft education renewal programme yesterday (TV3, The Press, NZEI, The Press).
2. Teacher Ed Massey has confirmed its shift of teacher education from an undergrad to a postgrad teaching model (Fairfax).
3. Young Farmer Taratahi’s Tony Dowman is getting ready to compete in the Young Farmer competition.
4. Land Purchase Otago Uni has spent $5.5m to buy a site in Christchurch next to the hospital, as part of a long-term plan to consolidate current leased premises. It’s their first land purchase in Christchurch.
5. Extras: Massey has appointed Pushpa Wood as head of a personal financial education centre; Stuart Middleton supports helping those who are first in their family into tertiary education; BOPP had Chinese and Qatari delegations visiting; hunt for Otago Uni tramper scaled down (The Press, ODT, ODT); WelTec tutor on a boat; Mai Chen on student loans; ECE centre changes at Canterbury.

Research & Innovation

1. Art Residency WelTec’s latest artist in residence looks pretty talented.
2. Kanuka-Manuka Victoria’s Prof Shaun Holt is being challenged over his claims that kanuka honey is better than manuka honey, especially since he commissioned the testing research and has set up his own kanuka honey company.
3. Extras: Massey academic gets gannet data; RNZ story on KiwiNet; Otago Uni’s Marg Butler on Psa virus origins (Fairfax); more on Lincoln research on impact of Psa virus (NZN).

Public Issues

1. Billboards Otago Uni’s Prof Rex Ahdar offers a piece criticising the ASA decision against a Christian billboard that said “Jesus heals cancer”. I’m quite sympathetic to his view.
2. Fruit Flies Lincoln’s Karen Armstrong on our fruit fly scare.
3. Norway Massacre A visiting Norwegian prof at Otago Uni offers views on the Breivik massacre.
4. Extras: Canterbury’s Greg Newbold on justice mistakes; Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis cited in ODT; NZUSA on asset sales (release); Auckland’s Jennifer Curtin on Aussie budget; AUT’s Hayden McRobbie on smoking cessation; Lincoln’s Glen Creasy on Japanese wine; Victoria academics on climate change; Massey’s Tim Upperton reviews a Gregory O’Brien book.

Students

1. Top Baker A UCOL student is a finalist in an apprentice baking competition.
2. Extras: Lincoln student in Queenstown song contest; SIT basketballer; Auckland singer; Otago Uni athlete; TWOA student becomes a citizen.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Massey penguin operation; Otago Poly physical conditioning symposium; Tai Poutini hosts talent auditions; Canterbury supported the development of power quality guidelines.

Teaching & Learning

1. Teaching Excellence Canterbury has recognised six top lecturers for teaching excellence.
2. Extras: Massey’s Prof Steve La Grow in Mongolia.

• Trace the ancestry and fate of the Khazars using DNA samples …
• Using sound to inexpensively monitor impacts of urbanization on freshwater habitats…
• SLOW CELL AGING! Help us build a ground breaking smart phone app that will protect…
• Dive into the mangroves and find out how birth control is causing fish to change sex!

ED Blog has put US$50 into the Evolution in Action project by Auckland’s Siouxsie Wiles. She’s looking into how bacteria evolve to cause disease and has raised over $2,000 of her $3,000 goal.

Besides helping some worthy science and getting to feel like an MSI boss, you can also get cool rewards like all crowdfunding sites. In response to ED Blog’s donation, Siouxsie’s team will “use our bioluminescent bacteria to ‘draw’ your name and send you a picture of the glowing result.” It’ll look like the photo below, drawn from Siouxsie’s post on the project, although hopefully it won’t say Eve.

So, check out the 75 projects and see if one of the projects/rewards tickles your fancy. Maybe you could name a salamander, get a postcard from Ohio or get photos of Amazonian fires.

Incidentally, Siouxsie heads the Bioluminescent Superbugs Group –if more science teams had names like that, there’d be no problem getting kids into science.

Policy, Management & People

1. Creative Industries The Nelson Mail had a good article on the shift of NMIT’s school of arts and media to a school of creative industries. There’s also an accompanying comment piece.
2. Extras: Otago Uni staffer missing after a tramp; Tariana Turia recognised Sir Mason Durie’s work (RNZ).

Research & Innovation

1. 1820s History AUT’s Prof Paul Mon is releasing a new history on 1820s New Zealand (I bet this gets lots of press).
2. Income Mobility Otago Uni’s Kristie Carter and Fiona Imlach Gunasekara have found both income mobility and chronic low income (RNZ, NZ Herald). Treasury and Bill English liked the income mobility, while the Greens focused on the low income.
3. Lego Canterbury’s Christoph Bartneck is cataloguing Lego figures (there are photos).
4. Industrial Coating Susan Krumdieck’s team at Canterbury has developed an interesting industrial coating process.
5. Self-Harm Victoria’s Marc Wilson on self-harm – (I misspelled Marc’s name yesterday).
6. Burial Rituals Otago Uni’s Nancy Beaven and Sian Halcrow have been investigating burial rituals in Cambodia (New Zealand News.net).
7. Extras: another op-ed on Dr Bogan; exhibition by Massey’s Lee Jensen; academics on structural steel; Auckland dolphin DNA tests; Lincoln kiwifruit PSA virus research (RNZ, NZ Herald); Massey’s Mary Paul editing Robin Hyde’s writings; Canterbury start-ups in running for tech awards (RNZ).

Public Issues

1. Extras: Auckland’s Tom Agee on fair trade; AUT’s Max Abbott on gambling.

Students

1. Olympics Waiariki kayakers have checked out the Olympic course.
2. Extras: Waikato students’ balloon; Otago Uni singers competing; NZUSA opposition to asset sales; Waikato rugby player makes U-20 NZ team.

Stakeholders

1. Crayons CPIT staff and students helped develop a big crayon drawing at Sumner.
2. Extras: Otago Uni PE wall of fame; more on TWOA/Auckland grants by community trust; Auckland’s Dr Airini to speak at Business NZ-Every Child Counts event; International Travel College sponsoring Bellyful NZ; search function added to Canterbury’s CEISMIC digital archive.

Teaching & Learning

1. WITT Uniforms WITT’s nursing students have a new bright blue uniform.
2. Spiders A NorthTec student will be checking out spiders’ habitat.
3. Extras: UCOL lecturer’s MS stretch class; EIT film students getting good help; Ag ITO’s Farming to Succeed programme looks good.

Policy, Management & People

1. TEU on Blogs The TEU’s Sandra Grey had guest posts in Kiwiblog (PBRF) and The Standard (Uni councils) on the same day.
2. Saudi Ban Saudi scholarship recipients can’t study in Christchurch.
3. Durie Retires Massey’s Prof Sir Mason Durie is retiring in a month (Manawatu Standard). He’s 73, so it’s not an early one J
4. Student Support Steven Joyce said the allowance cuts might affect 4,000-5,000 students (Labour, RNZ). Bloggers Keith Ng and David Farrar commented. Grant Robertson put up some FAQs. A Maori PTE thinks the changes will affect te reo teaching applicants.
5. Events Centre Canterbury’s new student events centre will open today.
6. PBRF Otago Uni’s Prof Keith Hunter likes extra science teaching subsidies.
7. MOU Education NZ and Immigration NZ have signed an MOU that looks quite useful.
8. Extras: more on EIT Maori faculty building; Otago Uni numbers down but finances OK; Primary Industry Capability Alliance launched.

Research & Innovation

1. Blindness Auckland’s Prof Helen Danesh-Meyer and Prof Colin Green have been looking into how to deal with eye strokes.
2. Bogan PhD Another column on the Waikato bogan PhD.
3. Self-Harm Victoria’s Marc Wilson is leading a four-year project on teen self-harm.
4. Extras: Massey research on warm emotional climate in schools; Auckland and Unitec to be involved in energy use trial; Canterbury trees in cities research.

Public Issues

1. Apples WITT’s Robyn Trowern cooks with apples.
2. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Jane Kelsey on TPP and Scott Optican on Urewera 4; Massey’s Claire Matthews on Reserve Bank tools; Auckland’s Prof Basil Sharp criticised over oil/gas drilling; Auckland’s Gavin Ellis on NZ Herald buyers; TWFG on welfare reform.

Students

1. Gala Concerto An Auckland pianist won the university’s graduate concerto.
2. Capping OUSA capping show (ODT).
3. Extras: reporter gets NMIT facial.

Stakeholders

1. Op Shops The Red Cross has an op shop dressing challenge for students and some students tried it out.
2. Extras: Otago Uni neurosurgery fundraising; WITT hosting hospo competition.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: feedback for UCOL fashion students; CPIT and Unitec engineering students in Christchurch CBD.

1. Fraud Apparently a lot of fraud in tertiary education (and other public sector areas) doesn’t get reported to the Police.
2. Councils The TEU opposes the Government’s proposed changes to university councils.
3. World Class Uni Stuart Middleton provides a simple (but accurate) prescription for having a world class uni in NZ.
4. Student Support David Farrar compares tax and loan changes, and loans for the dole. Homepaddock on offshore interest. Mana Party’s John Minot says allowance changes will hit Māori and Pacifica more. Gordon Campbell offers a more nuanced view than we linked to yesterday (shorter version). Salient covered the changes.
5. PBRF Good Universities NZ says the PBRF is good.
6. Extras: new Māori faculty building for EIT; Waiariki growth in Chinese students; WelTec artists in residence; review of Auckland trip to China; new Otago Poly sport space.

Research & Innovation

1. Nutrition Massey’s David Raubenheimer has co-authored a book on nutrition.
2. Trees Growing In one of those “why did they bother” pieces of research, Canterbury and offshore academics have found that trees grow faster in cities because they’re warmer.
3. SMEs Massey SME research on crisis preparedness generated coverage by Fairfax, Unlimited, NewstalkZB, The Press and One News.
4. Extras: Massey work on equine flu; Victoria scientists on Taupo eruption; Massey’s Martin Sullivan on spinal injuries; Waiariki staff having a walking challenge.

Public Issues

1. News Massey might have paid $50,000 for its participation in a new news show (probably worth it).
2. BSA Complaint Canterbury’s Mark Quigley was misquoted in a TV3 item according to the BSA.
3. Extras: Laidlaw’s Mark Keown on compassion.

Students

1. Rocket Launch A rocket launched by a Canterbury student was largely successful.
2. Extras: Waikato wins netball comp; community service programme at Canterbury.

Stakeholders

1. ASB Trust…gives money to tertiary education.
2. Transit of Venus Victoria is involved in the Transit of Venus celebrations.
3. Extras: congrats to an old fiend for his Waikato alumni award win; Otago Poly physical conditioning symposium; TEIs involved in Dunedin economic strategy.

Teaching & Learning

1. CircoArts CPIT is looking at how to find a temporary home for its CircoArts programme, which was suspended for 2011 and 2012 after its building was lost.
2. Fan Cam Unitec’s photography students are taking fan photos at Blues games – nice idea.
3. Winston…spoke to Victoria politics students (AAP).
4. Blind Movement Massey’s Prof Steve La Grow is heading to Mongolia to teach blind people how to become more mobile.
5. Engineering CPIT engineering students getting practical experience during the rebuild.
6. Extras: Otago Poly’s Phil Ker is keen on more flexible learning options.