1. PEI Post-Mortem The Taranaki Daily News did an editorial and story on Practical Education Institute yesterday. They have finally found TEC course completion stats on TEC’s website and it’s interesting that it’s only now, exactly a month after they first broke the story, that they found those figures. It reinforces for me how poorly TEC highlights that data – it’s supposed to help students, while professional journalists can’t easily find it. Anyway, the Daily News is finally bringing some more useful context to the closure – PEI’s poor results. NewstalkZB quotes local mayor Harry Duynhoven on the closure and the impact on staff.
2. 4^th Generation Melanie Bunce is the fourth generation of females in her family to teach at Otago Uni.
3. UC Enrolments Canterbury’s Rod Carr is navigating a fine line between saying enrolments are OK, encouraging new enrolments and not suggesting they’re in trouble. I think he’s doing it well. No-one’s picked up the media release, but the messaging could just as easily be aimed at competitors and agents.
4. Extras: Michael Morrissey is new Waikato writer in residence; honours for Auckland staff; Otago Poly blokarter; extra places for EIT trades academy; EIT merger process rolls on; new EIT associate professors.

Research & Innovation

1. Corruption Victoria’s Ron Fischer and Seini O’Connor have found that corruption declines with rising incomes – anyone surprised? I would have thought a simple correlation of GDP/capita and Transparency International rankings would have told you that.
2. Extras: NMIT tutors put on an art exhibition; Victoria drug research.

Public Issues

1. Yous Victoria’s Laurie Bauer has a nice take on the difference between you and yous.
2. Smoking Otago Uni smoking research has been picked up with most focusing on high rates amongst kohanga reo teachers (ODT, NZH).
3. Generational Advantage Otago Uni’s David Fergusson has found that kids from richer families do better (ODT).
4. Extras: Otago Uni’s Bruce Robertson on sea lions and Prof Mark Henaghen on the Turangi case; dead kakapo to be checked out at Massey; Waikato’s Pawel Olsewski commenting on a really drunk person and Auckland’s Niki Harre on a similar case; Massey’s Mike Joy on fish ropes; Otago Poly’s Daniel Pfyl making beef olives; Auckland’s Julia Tolmie has chaired a group looking at family violence deaths; world’s first (?) magazine on display at Otago Uni; Massey’s David Trip on Oz banks’ staff cuts and Kiwibank’s purchase of GMI; oiled birds released from Massey; NMIT’s Alan Barnes on the building outlook; Canterbury’s Stefano Pampanin on the Grand Chancellor building (The Press).

Students

1. Debating Jargon I have a friend who is keen on debating and he’s always tweeting about teams “breaking” or “making the octo-finals” and I never really have any idea about what he’s on about. This media release from Auckland debaters uses the same jargon that detracts from their good performance in Manila. Victoria debaters did well too.
2. NZer of the Year Auckland’s Lizzie Chan is up for Young NZer of the year.
3. Extras: UCOL grad’s exhibition; Victoria Summer Shakespeare; CPIT lecturer and Canterbury student has successful blog; Waikato student did homeless shelter feasibility study.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Massey ECE teacher does performing arts teaching; Otago Uni’s Judy Bellingham at a summer singing school; rental demand in student towns; EIT student gets Mission scholarship.

Teaching & Learning

1. Tour Course I quite like Excel School of Performing Arts’ tour course, where students spend the year touring the country (and Poland/Germany for part of it). What a great idea.
2. Extras: UCOL trades academy; NorthTec prison training;

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. WITT $$ The Taranaki Daily News has some good news for WITT’s turnaround, based on a TEC report released yesterday.
2. Motel SIT SIT has bought the Aachen Motel in Invercargill to house international students.
3. Extras: flood protection work at Massey.

Research & Innovation

1. Birdflu Auckland’s Siouxsie Wiles comments on the research that may be censored to avoid knowledge about birdflu mutation to get into the wrong hands. The original story is from the US and is quite interesting.
2. Playgrounds Otago Uni’s Robin Quigg has done some research on playgrounds that probably won’t surprise you (NZN).
3. Extras: liver, gout and other research to be funded at Otago Uni; AUT’s Julian Priest on a recent exhibition.

Public Issues & Tertiary People

1. Best One Liner Massey’s Heather Kavan has named the best quote of the year, but the judging process isn’t all that transparent.
2. The Band Wintec tutor Rik Bernards is getting the old band together – a group called Knightshade.
3. Extras: Waikato’s Prof Roger Moltzen on gifted kids; Otago Poly’s Daniel Pfyl making tiramisu; NMIT tutor’s flooding woes; Victoria’s Trish Keeper on takeover authorisation.

Students

1. Puppets Unitec tutors turned a woman off children’s TV (a long time ago) so she became a puppeteer.
2. Extras: profile of AUT fashion grad; a Victoria student comments on an Occupy Wellington split; Aoraki art student.

Stakeholders

1. New House Whitireia’s helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity.
2. Massey & Police Massey has signed a deal with the Police over research, teaching and PD.
   
3. Dog Attack An Australian academic who had her guide dog attacked while in New Zealand for a Waikato conference will probably not return to NZ.
4. Extras: Canterbury is supporting an Akaroa summer festival; Massey has some new business adviser appointments;

Teaching & Learning

1. Cambridge Centre CPIT is the new Christchurch centre for Cambridge English exams – the previous provider closed after the Feb quake. Congrats to Beth and the team.

Policy & Management

1. PEI Job Losses Job losses are on the cards at New Plymouth’s Practical Education Institute, after the TEC has threatened it with lower funding due to poor completions (and has probably pretty much finalised its decisions). It is sad to see job losses but I’m happy to see TEC taking a hard line over performance across the country. More jobs will be created at other organisations with money reallocated for poor performing organisations.
2. No Raukawa Pay Cut Well, it seems that the Te Wananga O Raukawa CE has not had a pay cut – RNZ has corrected an earlier report. Meanwhile, Tariana Turia wished them well.
3. Flight Training Problems A flight safety consultancy has given advice to the Civil Aviation Authority about safety for trainee pilots. It turns out that there are quite a few deaths and near misses – many more than in the 90s even after correcting for extra training being done.
4. WelTec Precinct WelTec will have some planning certainty under a proposed education precinct by their Petone campus – the proposal will be out for consultation next year.
5. Extras: NMIT Chair Ross Butler is chairing a new AMI-related Crown company (release); Dame Malvina Major joins Waikato staff.

Research & Innovation

1. PM’s Science Prizes The PM’s Science Prizes were announced on Friday (Stuff, idealog, RNZ), with the $500K top award going to a NIWA-Otago Uni team working on climate change (ODT, NZN, Hot Topic, Otago release). Victoria’s Rob McKay won $200K for his work as an emerging scientist on glacial deposits (release, NBR). The $100K science media communication prize went to Canterbury’s Mark Quigley, for his quake work (release). Nina Huang won the secondary student’s $50K prize and will go on to study at Auckland, where she found supervision for a science project this year.
2. Signage Research I love this story about UCOL photographers going on a road trip to check out signage in 43 towns around NZ. I’d love to read the full analysis, if there is one.
3. Robots Auckland Uni’s big robotics study is going to get underway with 31 robots being part of six separate projects at a retirement village. They are doing some seriously interesting stuff.
4. Performance Stunt Auckland’s Chris Harvey is planning a performance work involving people laid off by government or otherwise feeling vulnerable. This will make news next year when it runs.
5. Bar Smoke Otago Uni’s Nick Wilson and Richard Edwards have found that second-hand smoke still gets you at bars even if you stay inside.
6. TV=Dole? AUT’s Erik Landhuis has found that TV watching as a child is correlated with later unemployment.
7. Extras: Victoria’s Devon Polaschek busting psychopath myths (RNZ, NZ Herald); Lincoln-CBRE survey on Christchurch office space; Massey’s Phil Broadhurst has a new jazz album; Otago Uni research cited on male grooming and on alcohol; Massey’s involvement in WW1 history project; Otago Uni’s Peter Saxton has done an HIV survey; Otago Uni’s Bruce Robertson on sealions; Otago Uni’s Prof Brian Cox wants Fonterra research money.

Public Issues

1. Politics Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards does some interesting analysis of Dunedin South’s voting pattern at the election; AUT’s Prof Rawiri Taonui on Maori party leadership;
2. Extras: Otago Poly’s Jean Ross on community nursing; Auckland’s Charles Clifton on buildings’ earthquake resilience; Otago Uni’s Miles Lamar on Wellington jellyfish; Otago Uni emeritus Prof Air Alan Mark on opencast mining; AUT’s Grant Schofield on living a healthy life; Auckland’s Prof Bill Hodge on a league player’s name suppression; AUT’s Prof Max Abbott on stingy men; Lincoln’s Caroline Saunders mentioned for her role in a climate change roadshow.

Students

1. Otago Fees Homepaddock complains about the Otago Uni-OUSA fees deal (RNZ), which sparked off many comments, while Steven Joyce offered a toothless warning, as he knew this would happen when he set his regulations. Meanwhile, Orientation will have big events at the new covered stadium (release), but will also feature some more academic elements as the Uni exercises its new financial power over the students’ assn.
2. Floods NMIT managed to put together a small graduation for its international students, after floods caused the cancellation of the main event. Meanwhile two Otago Uni students got married regardless of flood complications – here’s a pic of the happy couple.
3. Piper A Japanese student piped herself to her own graduation.
4. Extras: editorial about EIT art graduate exhibition; Auckland hockey player; profile of Victoria scriptwriter; Waikato busker, with kilt; Miss Hawkes Bay off to Massey; Media Design School has four films in a Bondi competition; Auckland student with cochlear implants.

Stakeholders

1. Sculpture Win Auckland’s Michael Parekowhai has won a Queensland sculpture competition. Here’s the Queensland release and the proposal image is below.
2. DHB Support Taranaki DHB offers 24 scholarships worth $85K to health students;
3. Extras: grads of AUT course run by The Heart Foundation; Lincoln award to Margaret Evans; Auckland and AUT jointly hosted the launch of a Pacific book; AUT involvement in Pacific media research website.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: UCOL sport students working with primary schools.

1. Youth Unemployment The Reject Youth Unemployment coalition wants to meet Paula Bennett to discuss youth unemployment issues – given it is a leftwing coalition that launched a few weeks out from the election, complained about “the last three years” and is now inviting Bennett to meet via media release, I suspect they may not be that successful in their meeting goal.
2. $500K Waikato has gained a $500,000 bequest from Zena Daysh – and her ashes will be interred in New Plymouth today. Read the releases – she was quite a woman.
3. Taratahi Profile The Taranaki Daily News has written a long profile on Taratahi’s presence in the region and you should read it (NB I work with them but it’s still a good article).
4. Extras: Young Nats dislike Otago Uni student services fees but the Uni and OUSA are getting on with Orientation; Education NZ’s future; ITF research on industry training benefits (Idealog); new IBM storage system at Canterbury; Stuart Middleton on (non-tertiary) education Ministers; the NBR Editor has some research funding suggestions for Steven Joyce.

Research & Innovation

1. Smart Crows Auckland researchers have found out how smart crows are, which we largely knew already, but this time they have video to share.
2. Extras: Canterbury PhD student looking at impact of snow on rural areas; Victoria PhD student on learning languages in a pleasurable way; Waikato Tauranga harbour study (SunLive); Auckland tobacco research; Otago Uni’s Maori research report.

Public Issues

1. Cyber Bullying Waiariki’s Narissa Bayler on cyber bullying.
2. SOE Sales Victoria’s Jason Young questions whether preference for NZers in SOE share sales might breach trade agreements.
3. Extras: Otago Uni’s Nick Wilson on turkey tails; AUT’s Grant Schofield on NZers’ health; Auckland’s Michael Littlewood on savings.

Students

1. Murderer Sentenced Honglin Yu will serve at least 17 years for the murder of fellow Chinese student Jiayi ‘Kiko’ Li (3 News, 3 News).
2. Cancelled Graduation NMIT decided to cancel today’s graduation, given all the bad weather around Nelson.
3. Disliked Graduation Canterbury’s Eric Crampton isn’t a fan of graduations so analyses why people do and don’t go.
4. Extras: Victoria rowers; Massey student’s road-inspired exhibition; Canterbury students win national accounting awards; school principal retires to attend Waiariki; Otago Uni equestrian.

Stakeholders

1. Maori Trade Training Hawkins Construction will join with Ngai Tahu, CPIT, BETA and others to support trade training for Canterbury Maori (The Press).
2. Dr Richie McCaw Lincoln will give Richie McCaw an honorary doctorate next year (and I know that doesn’t make him a Dr) along with some other lesser celebrities with decades of professional work behind them (NZN, Stuff).
3. Extras: Victoria creative writing prize and literary journal; WelTec students upgrading ferry air-conditioning; Massey’s Jan Dixon testifies in a fraud case; Game Jam at Waikato; Canterbury artist in residence Fata Feu’u.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: Open Poly’s new science qual for primary school teachers; Waikato’s Holly Thorpe off to teach on a Fulbright.

1. ITO Costs/Benefits The ITF has released research they commissioned from BERL on the costs and benefits of industry training (Dom Post, Stuff).
2. Extras: Aoraki-Lincoln articulation; AUT’s top managers turn to iPhones; new Canterbury Chancellor; Raukawa head takes pay cut; new NZUSA president.

Research & Innovation

1. Bienniale Massey’s Heather Galbraith will be deputy curator for NZ’s 2013 Venice Bienniale entry.
2. Extras: Waikato electric car.

Public Issues

1. Seal’s Home Visit The cute story of the baby seal that came into someone’s home was commented on by Otago Uni’s Bruce Robertson and Massey’s Brett Gartrell.
2. Commuting FITEC and Auckland commuters discuss their experiences while AUT’s Profs Charles Crothers and Grant Schofield analyse it all.
3. Domestic Violence Waikato’s Ruth Busch reflects on her specialty of domestic violence as she retires.
4. Extras: Massey’s Nick Cave on dogs’ health; Otago Uni’s Prof Jennie Connor on alcohol research (release); Otago Uni’s Winsome Parnell on food guidelines; Canterbury’s Mark Billinghurst on invisible computing.

Students

1. Abseiling Graduate The AUT grad who had an abseiling accident last week recovered enough to attend the graduation ceremony yesterday.
2. Posthumous PhD AUT has granted a posthumous PhD – have a read.
3. Student Growth Here’s a lovely story of a student’s development at UCOL.
4. Architecture Overall results from an NZIA architecture competition for top students.
5. Extras: NMIT business student award; SJS in Otago (ODT).

Stakeholders

1. Whale Win Auckland’s Mazdak Radjainia has won the 2011 New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Award for the Wildlife Category for the whale photo below. Wonderful.
2. Japan NZ Massey has helped develop a logo to mark 60 years of NZ-Japan diplomatic relations;
3. Extras: finance conference at AUT.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: new counselling course at Vision College.

1. New Ministers John Key announced new Ministers yesterday, with Steven Joyce keeping tertiary education (adding “skills and employment” too) and picking up economic development, plus science and innovation – Hekia Parata gained education (all the following stories are pretty generic: NewstalkZB, NewstalkZB, RadioLIVE, Kapiti Independent, APNZ, NZ Herald, NZ Herald, RNZ, BusinessDesk, Idealog, One News, Stuff, NBR, TV3). Reaction came from TEU, Universities NZ, NZUSA, frogblog. Later stories focused on Steven Joyce’s key role, including NZ Herald, NZ Herald and Fairfax.
2. Raukawa Funding Cut Te Wananga O Raukawa has had a $1.9m funding cut for next year after a second year of poor course completions in 2010 – they went from 42% to 43% (updated story and again). The new target is 55%, the level at which PTEs are offered zero funding. The wananga is claiming they should be measured according to their Kaupapa but the other two wananga get course completions in the 70s and 80s. Personally, I haven’t seen any credible argument to explain why they should be allowed to continue their low performance. I covered the issue back in August.
3. New NZUSA Prez NZUSA has elected its first ITP President ever – Pete Hodkinson of Unitec. They also recently appointed Alistair Shaw as Executive Director.
4. Aoraki Growth Aoraki expects to grow next year and has finalised a new collective agreement.
5. Extras: Winnie Laban seeking more Pasifika students for Victoria (release);

Research & Innovation

1. Higgs Boson Victoria’s Prof Shaun Hendy comments on the possible discovery of the Higgs boson, as does Massey’s Prof Tony Signal.
2. Low Carbon Transport Auckland’s Jamie Hosking helped write a WHO report on low carbon transport systems released in Durban.
3. Extras: AUT business incubation conference; Antonia Lyons on social networking and alcohol; Massey goat research;

Public Issues

1. Extras: Auckland’s Glenn Simmons on slavery in fisheries; Massey’s emeritus Prof Ivan Snook cited on charter schools; Victoria’s Gerard Kennedy on sleep;

Students

1. Graduate Success Canterbury is claiming high graduate employment on the back of a larger survey response.
2. Design The Dom Post had a long story profiling Victoria design students’ creations.
3. Extras: Victoria cheerleader and research into weeds on Nauru; top squash player off to AUT; student/club grants by OUSA;

Stakeholders

1. Jazz Tui…award nominations have been gained by Massey’s Phil Broadhurst.
2. Extras: Otago Poly’s Jean Ross getting involved in nursing politics;

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: tributes for (I think ex-) head of NMIT’s fisheries school, who died while tramping;

1. Joyce’s Roles The NZ Herald reckons that Steven Joyce can “expect to leap to a front-bench position and the economic development and science and innovation portfolios as well as hanging on to tertiary education”. That’s been my pick for some time too.
2. Ad Complaint Unitec had a complaint made to the Advertising Standards Authority about one of their ads. The complaint wasn’t upheld, but it claimed that “”Trade skills are in demand. Join the supply. Get a headstart with apprentice training.” was misleading as the building industry was very tight. Unitec welcomed the decision. It’s probably good to test tertiary education marketing claims from time to time though. Here’s the actual decision.
3. BEST Year The Best Leadership Academy is celebrating a year of operation.
4. Weatherston Work Otago Uni has deleted some work by former tutor and convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston from an online archive. The father of his victim is happy but I don’t think that it was a good idea to delete the work.
5. Trademarks Issues Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, soon to start in Wellington, has had a trademark application turned down.
6. Extras: Victoria Chancellor/Pro-Chancellor re-elected; student services fee story; Sean Plunket on Whitireia’s journalism school building closure; new Nelson pilot training school is very confidential…; building leased by Victoria for academics is strengthened.

Research & Innovation

1. Internet AUT’s Prof Allan Bell has led the NZ part of the World Internet Project survey of Internet use (ComputerWorld, NZ Herald, Dom Post).
2. Repatriation A Neurological Foundation grant is leading to the repatriation of a NZ researcher to Auckland.
3. Whale Head Otago Uni’s Prof Ewan Fordyce dissected a whale’s head.
4. Extras: more criticism of ant research at Victoria; Auckland’s electric vehicle deal; Victoria PhD’s cancer research (Dom Post); Massey’s Antonia Lyons looking at youth drinking and social networking (RNZ); Otago Uni’s Pauline Gulliver on child maltreatment (NZ Herald, release); Otago Uni’s Prof Richard Cannon gets award for oral disease research.

Public Issues

1. Windy Wellington Victoria’s Michael Donn on building for windy Wellington.
2. Politics Canterbury’s John Mitchell on the Maori Party‘s coalition goals (and Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards and AUT’s Rawiri Taonui). After the deal with National was agreed AUT’s Ian Hassall liked the poverty committee and Bryce Edwards said not very much.
3. Alcohol Two Anti-alcohol lobbyists from Otago Uni concerned about a survey not being released (TV3).
4. Extras: Canterbury’s emeritus Prof John Cookson on Christchurch heritage; Auckland’s Katie Fitzpatrick and AUT’s Grant Schofield on kids’ exercise; Victoria’s David Stewart on Kirkcaldies; Massey’s David Tripe on covered bonds; Auckland financial market regulation conference; review of Waikato River book by ex-Waikato Prof John McCraw; Massey’s Malcolm Wright on fuel discounts; Canterbury’s Ken Daniels on fertility ethics; AUT’s Paul White on a fizzy drink’s marketing; Canterbury mobile phone app; Otago Uni’s Prof Julian Crane takes aim at kids allergy advice; Otago Uni’s Stephanie Moor on kids’ post-quake anxiety.

Students

1. Chasing a Job Some top Media Design School grads climbed scaffolding outside an ad agency to show off their work – nice initiative.
2. Remaking Denniston A Victoria grad designed a new vision for mining ghost town Denniston.
3. Vet Calendar The Massey students’ vet calendar has raised lots of money for charity (Dom Post).
4. Moose Film Two Otago Uni students have made a doco about Fiordland moose.
5. Virginia Tech A NZ student was at Virginia Tech when the shooting occurred.
6. Extras: SIT student finishing nursing degree just after having a baby; Massey design student’s idea for trucks; 14 year old off to Otago Uni; Otago Uni golfer, runner, rower and Otago Poly snowsports grad; Waikato students get police commendations; two WITT students with a great back-story; the role of TV dramas in medical careers; school science student’s project overseen by Auckland academics.

Stakeholders

1. Adventure Ed NMIT has gained industry accreditation for its adventure tourism course.
2. Painted Pianos – nice photos from the Canterbury student initiative.
3. Extras: Massey cycling venue unlikely; graduations helping Dunedin retailers; Canterbury’s Prof Michael Endres raising money for Christchurch; Waiariki’s Narissa Bayler helped a 9 year old raise money for Christchurch; Isla McRae, who helped Wintec and Massey, died; Otago Uni might host court cases if Dunedin’s courthouse is closed.

Teaching & Learning

1. 3D Degree Media Design School has gained approval for a visual effects and 3D degree.
2. Extras: a debate on whether chiropractic education is worth it or a have.

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. Centre Closes Otago Poly is closing a South Dunedin learning centre.
2. Wellness A TWOA wellness app is up for a Microsoft award.
3. VSM Kiwiblog has a post on alleged misuse of funds by VUWSA, but he’s barking up the wrong tree in my opinion (I have an involvement up there).
4. Opposition Advice Stuart Middleton offers some advice to the Opposition parties.
5. Extras: risks of giving students Internet access.

Research & Innovation

1. Ants Ant findings by Victoria academics disputed.
2. Methane Massey’s Natasha Swainson has been researching how feed affects sheep methane emissions.
3. Extras: Massey robots conference and a book on kiwi by Isabel Castro.

Public Issues

1. Forgery Arrest The man who allegedly forged an email from Massey’s Frank Sharp about a coroner’s inquiry into an air crash has been arrested (NZ Herald, RNZ).
2. Papua Coverage AUT’s Prof David Robie says the NZ media’s coverage of West Papua and other Melanesian issues is shameful.
3. Extras: Canterbury’s John Cookson on the modernisation of Christchurch; Massey’s Jane Parker on gender bias in occupations.

Students

1. NZer of the Year Massey student Kimberley White is up for NZer of the Year, for getting through a very tough situation.
2. Adopt a Kindy UCOL carpentry students are going to adopt kindy in the Wairarapa and do some free work for them as a practical exercise.
3. Extras: Waikato cellist wins music competition; Otago Uni student model plus a singer and film-maker; Wintec student’s deck problems; Waikato student off for placement at Toshiba in Japan.

Stakeholders

1. Kendo CPIT had a kendo demonstration as part of their links with a Japanese university.
2. Manawatu History Massey’s Kerry Taylor co-curated a Manawatu history exhibition.
3. Roger Awards Auckland’s Joce Jesson and AUT’s Wayne Hope are judging the Roger Awards for NZ’s worst transnational corporation.
4. Extras: NMIT tutor also co-ordinates a motorbike club.