1. Wings Clipped The flight training school that was the focus of a bad IEAA report has closed down. The Wings Flight Training Academy owner said the students were out to get him: “RP Singh is like an innocent-looking rabbit in the forest when you’ve got 10 greyhounds trying to kill him”. I challenge people in trouble to come up with a better quote this year J
2. Glass The Wanganui Glass School’s low enrolments are stirring discussion in the town.
3. New Media Centre Whitireia has moved into a new, much more modern, space after exiting its earthquake prone Wellington Media Centre premises.
4. Treasury BIM The TEU’s Sandra Grey had a post on The Standard last week about Treasury’s BIM – it’s a good opinion piece (here’s a relevant story about mature career changers). Kerre Woodham writes a piece on the same issue claiming that elitism is good – one of her commenters says “university study is a drain on society and serves only to allow communism to find sympathisers”. Hmm.
5. Fake Quals The Commerce Commission is investigating Genesis Eight International College of Security, a security training operator that wasn’t NZQA registered (RNZ). Apparently the operator plagiarised material from Wintec and TSSL (a PTE)
6. Extras: Labour’s David Shearer visited Massey; progress on Otago Uni neurological chair fundraising (plus another story); The Press covers Rod Carr’s salary issues; proposed Christchurch heating system might involve CPIT; visit to Waikato by Chinese university partner; export education links with China; new Pasifika centre at Canterbury; an interesting piece on Asian student experiences in NZ (and a more formal article quoting Auckland’s Manying Ip).

Research & Innovation

1. Kauri Rings Auckland’s Anthony Fowler and colleagues have used kauri rings to deduce how affected we will be by El Nino/ La Nina (SMC, Stuff, NZ Herald, RNZ, AAP, TV3).
2. Storm Petrels Auckland’s Matt Rayner and others have found good evidence of NZ storm petrels breeding in the Hauraki Gulf – they’re only 35g and it’s hard to find them on land (Fairfax, RNZ).
3. Population The population research by Natalie Jackson and a student has generated stories on Waitaki population and Tararua/Waitaki along with earlier stories. It’s a good example of how to generate many stories by providing local angles.
4. Ethics Changes Various Otago and Auckland academics are concerned about changes to government ethics committees.
5. Extras: Otago Uni’s PhD student looking at time banking, Ken Hodge on master’s competitors and Jill Paris on literacy research in Southland; more on Otago Uni’s HIV research (and again and again); Canterbury links with venture capital; Massey hosting finance research conference; Victoria’s Prof Sir Paul Callaghan on clean-tech; Massey’s Steve Corbett on a story about invention; sticK on KiwiNet’s new portal.

Public Issues

1. Public Academics The NZ Herald had a piece traversing the issue of whether there are enough public academics in New Zealand. Personally, having trawled through academics’ public comments for the last two years, I can’t see any great problem at all. Many, many academics are engaged in public debate in New Zealand. In fact, I decided last month to do a monthly recognition of a public academic – first one will be in February.
2. Academic-Bashing? Auckland’s Margaret Mutu has written in Australian academic discussion blog The Conversation about her experiences of “academic-bashing”. Now she overstates it when she says she was nearly “sacked” (Auckland was appropriately supportive of her throughout) but she makes some good points about the public response to her comments about immigration. On the other hand, she did engage in an emotive issue and did not present any particular evidence to support her views (either then or in this latest post), although I imagine the people who emailed her did not present their arguments in as civil a manner as she did.
3. Brothels Otago Uni’s Gillian Abel and Victoria’s Dena Knight comment on brothel regulation.
4. Class Size Massey’s Prof John O’Neill criticises proposals to increase class sizes (Manawatu Standard).
5. Farm Sales AUT’s Rawiri Taonui on farm sales.
6. Extras: Auckland’s Rhema Vaithianathan on NZ businesses; Massey’s Ted Zorn on the Air NZ CEO; WITT’s Margaret Smith on a Waitangi Day panel; Waikato’s Jagdeep Singh-Ladhar on water allocation (Waikato Times); Massey caring for 22 Rena birds; Victoria’s Peter Thompson on public broadcasting; AUT’s Brian Broom diagnoses a columnist; Massey’s Mike Joy on fish quotas.

Students

1. Liquor Ban Dunedin City Council is considering a liquor ban in the main student area of North Dunedin.
2. Olympics Profile of Waiariki Olympic kayakers.
3. Orientation… at Aoraki and Otago Uni.
4. Bullet Problem An Otago Uni student was being held in India after 3 .22 bullets were found in his luggage (Hawke’s Bay Today).
5. High Rents Auckland students are complaining of high rents – the school leaver that is the focus has to weigh up flatting or living with his parents on the North Shore and commuting. And this is a problem how?
6. Extras: Cook Islands student off to AUT, with a recent Otago Uni grad returning; Careers NZ advice to students; Auckland student trialling macular degeneration treatment; Victoria student promoting a jet board while dressed up as a penguin.

Stakeholders

1. Army Friend Auckland won top Territorial employer for their region.
2. Extras: top game at Waikato Game Jam; Otago Uni’s Mike Harte on a local UFB trust; Massey’s museum building in Wellington is being used for a film (again); Canterbury helping with a museum display; UCOL and Massey productions have received theatre award nominations; TWOA teacher in kapa haka competition.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: Otago Uni forensic biology summer class; Victoria architecture guest lecture; Massey’s teacher education courses start, along with a new Maori immersion course; AUT hosting a graffiti artist.

Policy, Management & People

1. PEI to Close Practical Education Institute in New Plymouth is going to close, with the loss of 110 jobs (initial story). PEI lost most of its TEC funding this year, after continuing low course completion rates (49% in 2009, 52% in 2010, compared to a TEC threshold of 55%). Those with a long memory will remember PEI, then named PETC, made headlines for even worse completion rates in 2000 or so (under 10% from memory), which sparked the use of completion rates as a measurement in tertiary education (and restrictions on giving away computers to entice students to enrol…). I can imagine a few people involved back then may not be that sad at this demise. For me, I’m just happy to see TEC following through on its performance messages. I only wish TEC had put out a release setting out how the money had been reallocated to more useful courses at better performing PTEs, which would provide a more balanced picture.
2. New Prof Otago Poly has made Khyla Russell a professor (ODT).
3. Zero Fees There’s a good story on SIT’s Zero fees scheme today – well worth a read.
4. Extras: interview with Labour’s Grant Robertson; AUT’s marae featured in Tamati Coffey’s wedding (I know it’s not really about tertiary education); The Manawatu Standard gets grumpy about VSM; BOPP jazz teacher; Victoria trans-Tasman rower plans to get back to work; Unitec ads; profile of TWOA’s early learning manager; CPIT lecturer standing for Council; man accused of impersonating Massey staffer to go to court today;

Research & Innovation

1. Search Engines Victoria’s Daniel Crabtree has new ideas for search engines.
2. Extras: Massey property research; Waikato and Massey scientists using fungi to reduce dioxins.

Public Issues

1. Wilding Pines Otago Uni’s Mick Strack has an interesting piece on wilding pines in Central Otago.
2. Extras: Otago Uni scientists warn about Dunedin quake risk; blogger has a go at Auckland’s Chris de Freitas over climate change denial; Auckland’s Warren Brookbanks misses the point (or was partially quoted) about a petition; Canterbury’s Ian Lochhead on heritage buildings; EIT’s Derek Lardelli is part of a group repatriating toi moko.

Students

1. Fines Down Otago Uni’s fining of students went down by $2K to about $11K. Does any other provider fine students?
2. Top Covers The cover designer of OUSA paper Critic has won international recognition. Here are some of the covers, which are pretty good.
3. Extras: student tracking albatrosses; top school student off to Auckland; Canterbury PhD grad’s award; school science students at Otago Uni; no sign of Otago Uni student missing off Porirua; Auckland Summer Shakespeare.; Massey Black Stick.

Teaching & Learning

1. Adjunct Faculty Waiariki is putting together an adjunct faculty group to give students in its Maori school better links to industry/community expertise.

1. Aviation Liquidation Bay Flight Aviation closed just before Xmas, apparently leaving 20 staff and 60 students in limbo. A buyer is being sought and a deal could be signed soon. The current owner blamed bad weather and “something in behind the scenes” for the liquidation. I wonder whether they lost EFTS funding due to the TEC reduction of pilot training EFTS, as Bay Flight Aviation was apparently an NMIT subcontractor. The first liquidators’ report doesn’t tell us much.
2. Ag Skills Some agricultural occupations were added to the skills shortages list, so Massey’s Jacqueline Rowarth said agriculture was undervalued and Labour’s Grant Robertson said it was the government’s fault.
3. Christchurch Enrolments CPIT international student numbers are down – domestically, Canterbury is down 5% for first years and CPIT down 25% (but they closed for an extra week due to Dec quakes)
4. Want an Honorary Degree? Maori Research Institute people are heading off to India and their Indian partner wants to award a Maori Elder an honorary degree while they’re there. So, the Institute is calling for nominations, which I think is much more democratic than just brainstorming in the VC’s office or the marketing department…
5. Extras: UCOL trades academy enrolments; more from the Herald on workforce literacy, with Workbase’s Katherine Percy; Indian Newslink published old industry training stories from Steven Joyce and the ITF; Otago Uni’s Najib Lafraie features in an exhibition.

Research & Innovation

1. Drug Addiction Victoria’s Bronwyn Kivell is looking into anti-addiction compounds (RNZ).
2. Predator Diets Massey’s David Raubenheimer has been looking into the discriminating diet of predators (SMC).
3. Storm Petrels Auckland’s Mark Rayner is trying to find storm petrels – it’s an interesting story.
4. More Regulation Otago Uni’s Prof Janet Hoek wants more regulation on product marketing after a research study.
5. Extras: Massey home affordability research gets criticised in Hawke’s Bay; Canterbury’s Michael Albrow on astronomy finds; Massey’s Phil Broadhurst releases a new jazz CD; Otago Uni research on counting pigeons; Canterbury’s Prof David Schiel on Christchurch’s estuary post-quakes; Victoria research on psychopaths.

Public Issues

1. Internet Addiction Otago Uni’s Prof Dough Sellman has branched out to Internet addiction.
2. Sea Monster? Otago Uni’s Prof Ewan Fordyce thinks he’s identified a basking shark but the guy who found it still thinks it’s a dinosaur.
3. Rena Birds There’s 1 dotterel left with Massey, but more penguins are coming in.
4. Turangi Attack Auckland’s Prof Warren Brookbanks and others provide useful context on the judge’s comments in the Turangi attack case.
5. Extras: Otago Uni’s David Orlovich on a mystery smell, Prof Mark Henaghen on consent over newborn bloodspot cards and Winsome Parnell on soft drink labels; Canterbury’s Stefano Pampanin on quake risk during construction while Ian Lochhead is at the end of this long story on quake-hit heritage buildings; Canterbury’s Jarrod Gilbert is non-committal on Christchurch crime; BOPP’s Dean Tully on bluebottles at the beach; Victoria philosopher Dan Weijers on summer weather disappointment; Massey’s David Tripe on the European downgrade.

Students

1. Drowning Death An Otago Uni student may have drowned while swimming at Titahi Bay, Porirua (Dom Post, TVNZ).
2. Great Restaurant BOPP’s training restaurant has received an award again (SunLive).
3. Extras: Massey triathlete; Auckland student identified whale bones; Waikato student working with kids over summer; Victoria cricketer; cyclist off to Massey; science school for secondary students at Otago Uni; Otago rower; Auckland student coordinating a music contest; Canterbury’s Sam Johnson up for young NZer of the year award.

Stakeholders

1. South Dunedin Otago Poly students are helping to rebrand South Dunedin.
2. Extras: Profs Caroline Saunders and Paul Dalziel from Lincoln are speaking in Selwyn; savaged penguin treated at Massey.

Teaching & Learning

1. Private Tutors Samantha Berry is launching a website to match university students with tutors at Otago Uni. She wants to expand it to other universities and I wish her luck – nice idea.
2. Extras: Massey’s new international security course.

1. Destiny Church Pundit’s Tim Watkin on Destiny Church’s university plans as does Labour’s Grant Robertson.
2. Extras: ATTTO appoints John Cassidy to aviation role.

Research & Innovation

1. Seaweed AUT’s Lindsey White reckons we’re sitting on an Undaria seaweed goldmine and other colleagues are doing more research on taste comparisons between NZ and other seaweed.
2. Toothfish The toothfish seem to be being decimated off Antarctica, according to Auckland’s Clive Evans.
3. Astronomy Canterbury’s Michael Albrow and Karen Pollard are part of an international team looking at the Milky Way (RNZ).
4. House Prices New Massey home affordability research (NZ Herald, APNZ, TV3)
5. Extras: Canterbury’s Philip Armstrong has won a prize for an essay about earthquakes; Otago Uni’s Robin Quigg gets more coverage for playground research; Unitec’s Wei Loo looking at quake-resistant timber buildings; blogger MacDoctor on Waikato taste research; Waikato’s Earl Bardsley gets national hydrology award; Massey helped with software success story.

Public Issues

1. Turangi Attack Waikato’s Brenda Midson on sentencing options.
2. Extras: Victoria’s Adrian Macey speaking on climate change; 7 Rena-affected birds off to Massey (release);

Students

1. NCEA These two students plan to go to Victoria (as does one here), while this one wants to be a vet.
2. Extras: Canterbury student went to Antarctica; UCOL performer off to the Globe theatre; BOPP art student; experience of top building apprentices; Waikato Chinese student refused service, but seems to be about licensing rules;

Stakeholders

1. Extras: EIT’s support for Goldie painting restoration.

Teaching & Learning

1. RPL Story/advertorial about BCITO’s experience recognition programme.
2. Extras: the Marine ITO has new marina quals.

1. Agencies Differ Over Pilot School A Palmerston North flying school, Wings Flight Training Academy, seems at high risk of closure after the International Education Appeal Authority found that accommodation and settling in of students were not up to standards. The IEAA has recommended six months suspension for the provider, during which time no students could be enrolled. On the other hand, NZQA’s EER report in June had the following text (you decide who is right – NB NZQA has made a statement in the comments for this post):

   “Students are guided and supported well from the time they arrive in New Zealand to when they leave. They are met at the airport on arrival and introduced to New Zealand culture, which is very different to Indian culture. Most stay in the accommodation provided by WFTA which has separate houses for the male and female students, an arrangement the students’ parents expect and appreciate. As discussed earlier in this report, the chief flying instructor acts as a respected father figure which encourages parents to recommend WFTA to their children and helps students feel safe and secure, as they would at home.

   Students interviewed by the evaluation team commented that they were disciplined and counselled which showed that the academy was concerned for them and believed that they could succeed. They agreed that the accommodation provided, including the separation of the men and women and the bans on smoking and alcohol, were appropriate and helped them to stay focussed on their study and to make the most of their time at the academy.”

   The rating for learner guidance and support area was excellent for performance and self-assessment.

2. Grant’s Back Grant Robertson is back as Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson, while David Shearer keeps science and innovation. Recent Otago Uni hall of residence warden David Clark picks up associate tertiary.
3. Extras: Ag ITO’s AgExcel expands to quad bike tutors.

Research & Innovation

1. Fish Ears An Otago Uni PhD student is doing geochemical analysis of fish ear bones and it has a useful purpose.
2. Smoking Auckland’s Natalie Walker has been trialling some low nicotine cigarettes, which sound promising as part of a smoking cessation programme. This story also cites Otago/Auckland Uni research.
3. Canterbury Treasure A new book on Canterbury’s treasure is being launched in March, profiling the Library’s best holdings.
4. Extras: Otago Uni Maori research report; $100K donation to Otago Uni zebrafish facility.

Public Issues

1. Medication Labels Otago Uni’s David Reith wants medication packaging to focus on active ingredients rather than brands, to reduce the risk of over-medication.
2. Domestic Violence Retiring academic Ruth Busch (Waikato) says domestic violence is not dealt with well due to biases in the legal system.
3. Extras: Robert Patman on Kim Jong-il; Otago Uni’s Jim Mann on sedentary Kiwis (people); Otago Uni HIV figures cited; Victoria’s Dean Knight makes the news in Southland over knighthoods.

Students

1. Hitchhiking A UCOL student hitchhiked from Dannevirke to Palmie four days a week this year.
2. Extras: school maths teacher developing skills at Massey; Auckland law student at Durban climate change conference; Waiariki students raised $4K for a hospice.

Stakeholders

1. Queensland Trouble A jilted sculptor is trying to get Auckland’s Michael Parekowhai to withdraw from his sculpture competition win.
2. League Whitireia is linking up with a local league club.
3. Extras: Victoria mourns passing of Vaclav Havel; the wife of Prof Leon Phillips is spotting bears while he is on a fellowship in Colorado; Auckland-National Library collaboration on map records.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: Otago Poly trades academy ready to start in Central Otago in 2012;

1. Lincoln Closures Lincoln is moving staff out of its Hilgendorf and Student Union buildings due to poor seismic ratings (FAQ, campus map – Hilgendorf at bottom left, student union in middle – NewstalkZB, The Press, ). They’re doing a space audit to find new places for displaced people and are confident they can find the space. But Hilgendorf is a big loss in size, while the Student Union has their cafe. Big call and reading between the lines, these buildings may not be repaired, but demolished.
2. Auckland Prof Sir Peter Gluckman spoke on research and innovation needs for NZ and also touched on tertiary education issues in Auckland. He seemed to suggest IRL would be in the new Wynyard Precinct.
3. WelTec Precinct WelTec is seeking to have a Tertiary Education Precinct designation in their area to avoid endless fights with the locals about parking and other issues.
4. School Closure Wellington Business School has closed – I might write more about it.
5. Extras: WITT’s Richard Handley calling for Taranaki buses to lift South Taranaki enrolments; Victoria marae gateway; the busy life of Massey’s Lisa Strathdee; the ITF’s Ian Elliott on system complexity.

Research & Innovation

1. Musical Law Canterbury’s Prof Stephen Todd is developing lyrics for 26 law cases set to Gilbert and Sullivan music and will soon have an illustrated songbook and CD. Why, you may ask. Why indeed. The media release has copious information, but does not answer why.
2. Dioxin Waikato’s Prof Roberta Farrell has found that fungi can reduce toxic dioxins in soil.
3. Marsden Grant Canterbury’s Michael Plank has received a late Marsden grant for work on cell invasion.
4. Personal Bacteria Otago Uni’s Prof Greg Cook has had a bacteria named after him.
5. Electric Car…from Waikato has reached Invercargill.
6. Extras: an oyster farm restoration project will provide research opportunities for Auckland students; PhD by Whitireia’s Sue Chard on 3D web-based learning environments.

Public Issues

1. Charter Schools Auckland’s Peter O’Connor and Massey’s John O’Neill don’t support charter schools.
2. Fightback Labour’s Clare Curran hits back at criticism by Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards.
3. Google Searches Victoria’s Marc Wilson and Massey’s Robert McLachlan comment on Google searches for NZ – the Google lists are better.\
4. Moreporks Waikato’s Dai Morgan is looking for moreporks.
5. Extras: Auckland’s Paerau Warbrick on Maori voter turnout; Auckland’s Denise Conroy on retail therapy; Auckland’s Helen Cooper Thomas on networking; Victoria’s Prof Martin Manning on giant sunshades for the earth; Mana seems to want Auckland lecturers to be trespassed; Victoria’s Graham Hassall on Fiji.

Students

1. Autism Success Here’s a story of a student with autism who was well behind other students early on at school but is now studying at university.
2. Cool Fashion The ODT profiles some work by an Otago Poly fashion grad who will appear in the iD fashion show (release). Plus CPIT had their fashion show.
3. Extras: Otago Uni rowers and bank grad job; Wintec and WITT journalism grads off to Taranaki; WelTec student’s cricket coaching; UCOL golfer (and an EIT one and a Waikato one); school students’ tertiary plans in Marlborough (and again); AUT grad’s abseiling fall; Victoria student wins scriptwriting prize; OUSA club grants; Lincoln student’s water use study; Canterbury students painting pianos.

Stakeholders

1. Dealing Liquor Otago Uni’s Doug Sellman is opposing a liquor license for a supermarket in his local area and has said that New World are “probably the single biggest drug dealers in New Zealand” (RNZ, TV3).
2. Extras: Canterbury hosting a management conference; Massey’s Prof Paul Kenyon on sheep farming; AUT’s Anil Narayan on NZ CPA board; WITT’s Graeme Cawsey cooking with asparagus; leisure studies conference at Otago Uni; TWOA’s Pererika Mahika’s waka ama work; film based at Canterbury to screen; Victoria student’s design win; successful farm purchase for an AG ITO training adviser; UCOL ICT industry placements.

Teaching & Learning

1. Top Unitec Lecturer Unitec students have voted for their top lecturer and for the FIFTH year it has been won by Susan White of the Dept of Nursing. The Unitec Student Union also had a 5 minute interview with the winner, which was a nice touch – more people should do this sort of thing!

1. Labour Leadership David Shearer’s speech to the NZ Tertiary Education Summit has been talked up as a Labour leadership speech – I was there and it was a good speech and I have a lot of time for him. Auckland’s Joe Atkinson comments briefly on the race.
2. Extras: recognition for CPIT TV ads; SIT’s good financial rating; Auckland’s Darren Levy becomes a chartered marketer.

Research & Innovation

1. NZARE The NZ Assn for Research in Education conference is this week, and a satellite event on Māori education has been run already.
2. Aged Care Auckland’s Prof Martin Connolly and Michal Boyd have checked out changes in uptake for residential aged care and changes in residents’ characteristics – interesting.
3. Extras: Massey’s Prof Sally Casswell (and others) may extend an alcohol study to Asia; Nigel Calder’s maths book (Waikato); disability research conference at Otago Uni; WelTec helps GNS scientist; academics talking about gastroenterology; new Waikato research centre; Waikato emeritus prof Jon McCraw’s Waikato River book.

Public Issues

1. Rock Climbing There’s a rock climbing congress at Canterbury this week.
2. Occupy Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis on an Occupy trespass notice.
3. Gender Pay Gap Massey’s Deborah Russell on the gender pay gap.
4. Rena A journalist spent time with Massey’s Oiled Wildlife Response Unit and has written a great story – that unit won’t need a marketing budget for a couple of years after its Rena exposure!
5. Extras: Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on the impact of minor parties on tight electorate races; Auckland’s Scott Optican and Bill Hodge on an AB’s name suppression; Otago Uni’s emeritus prof Helen Leach with a Xmas cake book; Canterbury’s Prof Greg Newbold on a sexual connection case; AUT’s Geoff Dickson stirs up migrants who love rugby.

Students

1. Orchids Waikato PhD thesis on native orchids.
2. Extras: Waikato geochemistry and earth and ocean science student awards; Auckland student’s music; student tried to enter Tai Poutini’s MAINZ after tough time; Coroner looks at Otago Uni student’s car crash death; Otago Uni medical interns in Nelson; NMIT youth enterprise award winner;

Stakeholders

1. Microsoft Links Canterbury and Microsoft have renewed a partnership and internships with Microsoft will increase.
2. SPCA Links WelTec has signed a good work experience agreement with the SPCA – nice work!
3. Incubators There’s been 10 years of business incubators in NZ, with some now at Auckland, AUT and Wintec.
4. Freemasons a 30 year relationship with the Freemasons and Auckland has been marked with some extra financial support to the Uni.
5. Extras: Sealord sets up scholarship to celebrate 50 years; Ako Aotearoa’s Ngahiwi Apanui profiled for his music-making; Otago Poly’s Joy Gasson on a schools’ computer competition; Jacob Tapiata on Massey Māori book awards; Otago Uni Pasifika research protocol (release).

Teaching & Learning

1. Top Teachers AUT’s students have awarded their top teachers – congrats to Sue Raleigh, overall winner.
2. Extras: Dylan Horrocks’ summer comics course at Whitireia; Ag ITO quad bike training.

Policy & Management

1. Industry Training Drop Labour’s Jacinda Ardern publicises the drop in industry training numbers.
2. VSM Students’ associations preparing for income cut.
3. New ATTTO CE…is Kathy Wolfe, who has been Acting CE.
4. Whitireia Shift Whitireia is shifting into a temporary Kapiti campus until their new campus is ready.
5. Extras: Stuart Middleton redesigns the education system in his lunch hour; project manager on Artena integration at EIT-Tairawhiti.

Research & Innovation

1. Pornography A Marsden Fund grant at Auckland for pornography research has caused a wee stir.
2. Indian Migrants …are the focus of a study by Massey’s Prof Paul Spoonley (Stuff).
3. Pasture Meter Massey’s Ian Yule et al involved in developing a new pasture meter.
4. Coastal Research Waikato is opening a new coastal research field centre – I know Victoria and Auckland have them and I know Otago has a big boat at least, but who else has such a centre?
5. Kids’ Bikes Otago Poly’s Scot Eady has a cool Wellington exhibition about kids’ bikes – have a read.
6. Extras: Auckland’s Hans Edge on Pacific peoples’ hearts and team games; video of Waikato’s solar powered car (release).

Public Issues

1. Elections impact of tertiary education in Dunedin North electorate; Auckland’s Joe Atkinson on Goff’s police allegations; the Canterbury study of election coverage has some interesting results, but I think their apparent lack of correction for size and prominence of story may be a weakness; find out which academics are on TV on Saturday night, while Otago Uni is running its own election TV show; Massey’s Alexander Molchanov finds that elections (and politics) can hurt business; Auckland’s Bill Hodge on the Greens’ Kevin Hague’s Pike River legal action; Massey’s Claire Robinson on John Key (and again, with Auckland’s Joe Atkinson, and both of them on Phil Goff); Te Mana Akonga student voting guide;
2. Rena Waikato’s Prof Chris Battershill on Rena dispersants.
3. Family Violence Auckland’s Janet Fanslow has a NZ herald op-ed on family violence. Otago Uni study on family violence cited.
4. Trademarks Victoria’s Aroha Mead comments on an interesting library software trademark case.
5. Extras: Massey’s Wayne Barrar wins award for art book; Otago Uni academics on the drinking age; Otago/Victoria Uni academics speaking on eco design; Otago and Auckland Uni academics on euthanasia; Canterbury’s Eric Crampton and Auckland’s Tim Hazeldine on privatisation.

Students

1. Grad Shows Massey’s new grads’ fashion is here and here with pictures. Film School graduation in Wellington.
2. Meningitis Auckland’s Nikki Turner on a student vaccination drive.
3. Top Actors Toi Whakaari grads going well in Wellington theatre awards.
4. Extras: disabled people bullied in Nelson, including possibly an NMIT student; Otago Poly tramper rescued; motor racing Canterbury student; hospitality pathways; AUT student model; student film-makers.

Stakeholders

1. Manufacturing Help CPIT and MIT have put together what sound like a great seminar for Christchurch manufacturers.
2. Climate Change A Unitec staffer, Malia Talakai, is becoming a climate change envoy.
3. Extras: profile of Massey’s Sue Prescott; Victoria lecturer’s conviction; Otago Poly’s Matt Carter was a finalist for young exec of the year.

Teaching & Learning

1. Top Salon A New Plymouth salon has been named the top hairdressing training salon by HITO plus 3 Christchurch hairdressers won.

1. Rally Here’s some coverage of the TEU-NZUSA rally last week.
2. Ashburton Challenges…in literacy provision, that is.
3. Extras: Labour’s
   David Cunliffe mentions defence college at Massey and Carol Beaumont on a skills strategy; end of CPIT-TEU dispute; NorthTec has naming rights for a Whangarei building; Otago Uni alcohol ban continues and doctoral scholarships go up; NZUSA on minor parties; Waikato student director on National’s polices; Stuart Middleton on party policies.

Research & Innovation

1. New Centre Waikato has a new Centre for Environmental, Resources and Energy Law.
2. Extras: Victoria sludge recycling scheme for Palmie; accolades for Waikato Maori tattoo book; ex-Waikato’s John McCraw writes river book (Waikato Times); Waikato’s Vic Arcus looking at old bacteria.

Public Issues

1. Election AUT’s Ella Henry will be on Maori TV on election night; Victoria’s Maria Bargh on the Maori seats and the Maori party; Auckland’s Jennifer Lees-Marshment thinks we don’t have a healthy democracy because half of people don’t completely identify with a party (that’s crazy, as it really shows that people aren’t separated on tribal political lines!); profile of Victoria grad (and my very good friend) Greens candidate James Shaw (vote for him in Wellington); Auckland’s Prof Ray Miller on John Key; Victoria’s Steven price on the teapot tapes; Auckland’s Joe Atkinson on last night’s debate; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on bans on election day media coverage (which I really must look into);
2. Solar Eclipse There’s a partial solar eclipse on Friday, according to Canterbury’s Alan Gilmore.
3. Rivers Here’s a good column by top farming journalist Jon Morgan on Mike Joy’s (of Massey) river quality proposals.
4. Extras: Roger Sutton speaks at Canterbury lecture; Victoria’s Jon Johansson campaigns for MMP (he did it on debate analysis last night too).

Students

1. Top Hairdressers The Hairdressing ITO had its annual awards on Sunday night.
2. Voting Tool The Massey On the Fence voting tool (release).
3. Food Bank Student fines at Massey are filling up food banks.
4. Bamboo Bike AUT student designs bamboo bike.
5. Fashion Show The ODT has Otago Poly’s grad show for fashion students.
6. Extras: mentored students hoping to get to uni; EIT scholarship winner gets exhibition; Auckland software experts in NYC; AUT fashion grad interview (with pics); tracking female architecture grads; WITT student art show.

Stakeholders

1. Periodic Table I’ve been following the knitted periodic table for some time and it will be unveiled this week at Waikato for a Chemistry conference. Fabulous.
2. Scholarship Money MFAT has funded 25 geothermal energy scholarships at Auckland;
3. Pork Schnitzel …with Otago Poly’s Daniel Pfyl.
4. Extras: trial of Victoria’s Yvonne van Roy and she was found guilty; AUT sports conference; upcoming DEANZ conference; Corrections picks up te reo Māori award; Auckland and Vic professors on Hastings architecture.

Teaching & Learning

1. Bread Aoraki students got a master class in breadmaking.
2. Extras: successful NMIT students; robot dragon.

1. MIT Review It is review season and MIT has the latest one. TEU has released details of 28 potential job losses in a rightsizing review.
2. Labour Policy Labour released training policy.
3. Whitireia Settlement Whitireia has reached a new employment agreement with TEU members.
4. Commercialisation Auckland has an interesting new Masters in Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship. It almost interests me.
5. Extras: Open Poly won a Lower Hutt business award; Otago Uni building gets Historic Places Trust recognition.

Research & Innovation

1. Weta Head Size Wetas with bigger heads have more mating success, but Massey’s Cilla Wehi is trying to find out if there’s a downside to having a big head, but has not found one yet (NZ Herald, Stuff). There’s a good weta video too.
2. Royal Society Honours More on Otago Uni’s Christine Winterbourn, while Massey recognises Shaun Cooper’s win and Victoria recognises Prof Colleen Ward’s and Prof Rod Downey’s wins. Auckland Joanna Wojnar won a writing award.
3. Extras: AUT’s Prof Paul Moon on his latest book; Auckland’s Prof Annie Goldson wins best director award; Massey’s Prof Bernhard Breier on Omega-3.

Public Issues

1. The Tapes AUT’s Greg Treadwell calls the Police requests for info state bullying but blames it all on John Key. Auckland’s Gehan Gunasekara says there was nothing illegal about the taping. Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer on the legal issues around the search warrants.
2. David Bain Otago Uni’s Kevin Dawkins on David Bain’s compensation bid.
3. Privatisation Auckland’s Prof John Farrar put some political views about privatisation in a poorly structured media release. Really, I think some people should stick to bugging their Facebook friends with their political views rather than putting out media releases.
4. Election Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards and Auckland’s Barry Gustafson on dirty tricks.
5. Language Survival Victoria is bringing back an alumnus from the 1950s to speak at a languages forum.
6. Obama Otago Uni’s Robert Patman thinks a new Marine base in Australia might help (or complicate) NZ-US (or NZ-China) relations.
7. Extras: Auckland’s Jane Kelsey on free trade and Ken Palmer on local body election advertising limits; Massey’s David Raubenheimer on how animals obesity can be used to understand humans’ obesity; Canterbury’s Jarrod Gilbert on gang expansion.

Students

1. Student Marketing AUT is trying to attract Manukau students to new postgrad courses, while Massey is trying to fill a new Bachelor of Natural Sciences.
2. Extras: student off to NY entrepreneurship competition; NorthTec students’ RWC experience; Massey student standing for election; first-time student voters.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Wintec honours a business partner; TWOA manager picks up chair role at dairy farm business; Massey getting penguins ready for release.