1. BIMs Treasury’s BIM sparked media releases from NZUSA’s Pete Hodkinson (opposing interest on student loans) and the TEU’s Sandra Grey (opposing shifting funding to younger students and research money to help the private sector). It is not surprising that NZUSA wasn’t too worried about shifting funding towards younger students as most student reps are…younger students. The EXMSS VP, however, has addressed the focus on younger users in a good post. Bill English said there was nothing new in what Treasury said (NewstalkZB).
2. Rod Carr’s Pay Rod Carr, Canterbury VC, has asked for no pay rise for the final two years of his term. He has better PR sense that the Christchurch City Council CEO, although that has been obvious for some years!
3. Adventure Tourism Here’s a nice profile of adventure tourism coordinator at Waiariki, Nick Chater.
4. Academic Publishing Auckland’s Siouxsie Wiles has written on current academic publishing issues, including the Elsevier boycott (she also wrote on scientist-journalist relations). The TEU also wrote about Elsevier in this week’s newsletter.
5. Extras: Otago Poly has a $1m+ funding boost this year; EXMSS is looking to expand membership beyond Massey; Andy West’s Triumph motorcycle (adjunct at Waikato).

Research & Innovation

1. HIV Data Otago Uni’s Peter Saxton and colleagues recruited 1,049 gay and bisexual men in Auckland to undergo an anonymous HIV test. 6.5% had HIV and 1.3% of the total population were unaware they had HIV (21% of those infected). This sparked many stories from the media, including One News, TV3 (earlier story), Fairfax (and again), APNZ, AAP, gaynz.com (and here and here) and RNZ. The numbers sound terrible, but unfortunately there is no explanation in the media release about their sampling approach (which may well have introduced a bias) or their population estimate. Without identifying sampling issues and margin of error, we really have no idea of whether the research really “suggests” that 6.5% of gay and bisexual men in Auckland have HIV. So then I went to the free online journal article (refereed, but not linked, to in the media release) and found that the “community settings” where participants were sourced were “a gay community fair day, gay bars and sex-on-site venues” – the first is broad (and made up 80% of respondents), but the second and third would skew the sample. There was also a 49% acceptance rate to invitations to participate, and only 80% of those who accepted an invitation supplied a sample. The paper acknowledges that these factors are study limitations but doesn’t explore them in depth. That said, the survey provides an enormous amount of data that illuminates very real health concerns. My critique is really about whether the statistic at the start of the media release is reliable enough to be the lead, especially when the NZ Aids Foundation then treated it as gospel in their release.
2. Hot House Venture capital firm powerhouse has been running a summer programme at Canterbury to mentor students and grads towards commercialising new ideas.
3. Extras: Auckland gout research.

Public Issues

1. Facebook Canterbury’s Anne-Maria Brady on Facebook and China.
2. Extras: Canterbury’s Scott Walker on American politics; Auckland’s Jane Kelsey on loss of sovereignty; US water expert speaks at Waikato.

Students

1. Bad Work Some students allege they were paid very badly and forced to work hours beyond their visa allowances.
2. Missing Out Careers New Zealand’s CE Graeme Benny has tips for students who miss out on their first study choice.
3. Extras: Wintec students to get award for hospital history; Auckland might get a 15 year old student next year.

Stakeholders

1. Tale of Two Ports While Auckland’s Port is having strife, Tauranga’s Port is giving out scholarships (SunLive)
2. Extras: CPIT picks up $80K for its ArtBox project; winners of an Auckland Games Jam held at Media Design School.

Teaching & Learning

1. Carpentry Whitireia and WelTec have set up a joint carpentry programme in and around Kapiti – nice idea.
2. Extras: Aoraki’s Diane Turner off to NY to speak at a conference.

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;

In this last video, you will see that NZUSA’s David Do could not match Sandra’s enthusiasm – he’s second from left.

1. Canterbury Woes Canterbury will have an $11.4m budgeted loss next year, based on their media release – different figures were reported in media yesterday (TV3, BusinessDesk, NBR, RNZ, TEU). 24 staff have been given voluntary redundancy at Canterbury (39 applied).
2. New HSI CE The new HSI CE is Ken Harris – you can find out more about him here. He is appointed on a fixed term, which is sensible given all the merger discussions going on in ITO-land.
3. Unitec Sold Now before Rick Ede tells me off, I should note that the only thing that has been sold is a building that Unitec leases on the North Shore. I mentioned it a little bit ago and the offer sold in 3 weeks.
4. Reinstatement? A former Waiariki manager wants reinstatement, rather than just the compensation awarded by the ERA.
5. Extras: Auckland Council member Jan Dawson is the accountant of the year – TWOA’s Jo Hanita was outstanding new member of the year; update from last week on Auckland-TEU negotiations.

Research & Innovation

1. Baby Sex Victoria’s Diane Ormsby has been looking into the effect of heat on the sex of babies (and hasn’t found any).
2. Microscope Massey’s new digital microscope is being tested by leading palynologists around the world. What’s a palynologist, I hear you ask? Well, it’s someone who studies pollen and other organic microfossils, which are a key part of climate change research.
3. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Ross Lawrenson on prostate cancer research; Māori research projects; cellphone towers don’t affect house values according to Auckland’s Olga Filippova and Michael Rehm; Waikato environmental law centre.

Public Issues

1. Climate Change Here’s a rather negative view of Auckland’s Chris de Freitas’ work in the climate change area.
2. Takahe Massey’s Steve Trewick on a takahe eating a duckling.
3. Gangs Canterbury’s Jarrod Gilbert on the brotherhood of gangs.
4. Battery Car…made by Waikato people gets to Marlborough.
5. Earthquakes Canterbury’s Stefano Pampanin proposed a national earthquake strengthening policy. Massey’s David Johnston on the Christchurch exodus.
6. Extras: Victoria ant research covered by Waikato Times and RNZ; Massey investigating a painted hawk (long story); Auckland’s Rochelle Constantine on humpback whales; Auckland’s Alex Macmillan got some OIA papers; Auckland’s Bill Hodge on arson charges; Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis on teapot tapes; Victoria’s Guy Marriage on refitting buildings; Media Design School’s Mason Herber on CTRL-F; CPIT’s Bruce Russell judges website quality.

Students

1. Top Chefs WelTec, AUT and CPIT trainee chefs won a chef competition (AUT).
2. Student Elections OUSA president Logan Edgar won an SJS council spot but an NZUSA president candidate couldn’t gain the two-thirds vote required.
3. Extras: NMIT student prez on summer jobs; MIT sugar creations; Otago Uni student’s column; Unitec student’s shopping app; Victoria student rescued; mentoring at Auckland’s Liggins Institute; BOPP art student.

Stakeholders

1. YMCA Massey marketing students have been helping out the YMCA with a marketing plan.
2. WITT & Māori WITT’s te reo courses may expand to the South Island.
3. Extras: fiction winner in Massey Maori book awards (main release); Victoria’s science writing prize winner; Māori farming operation keen to help young Māori study farming; Auckland’s Icehouse and its Māori focus; Xmas shopping at AUT.

Teaching & Learning

1. Street Art…courses involving The Learning Connexion and WelTec.

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. National’s Policies National released their tertiary education and skills training policies yesterday (APNZ, NZN, Dom Post, ) and a schools policy too. TV1′s Breakfast show had me on to chat about it. NZUSA said the policy was visionless (NewstalkZB) but Business NZ said it was practical and positive. Massey extramural student president criticises performance-based tuition funding.
2. Protest Here’s one side of an argument about the aftermath of a protest last month at Victoria.
3. Extras: Prof Theodore (Tertiary education) Zorn from Waikato will be Massey’s new head of the College of Business.

Research & Innovation

1. Extras: Otago Uni’s Peter Saxton studying HIV; the Dom Post profiles some top scientists; AUT’s pine bark remedy.

Public Issues

1. Election AUT’s Prof Chris Ohms and Karin Olesen ask voters to look at the big picture on tax policies, but make the release a bit hard to follow for the average voter; how Hone and Hilda Harawira met at Auckland; Victoria’s Prof Paul Morris on religion in NZ politics and Prof Margaret Clark on independent candidates; Massey Claire Robinson on the debate worm (really, basing too much comment on a sample of 65 is lazy comment – it has a margin of error of about 12%); Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer on the tea recording;
2. Birds Go Home Massey is starting to release rescued birds this week; Waikato doctorial student to look at post-Rena wildlife recovery.
3. Extras: Massey’s Chris Wilkins on a big drug bust; Otago Uni research used against GE organisms; Victoria’s Jim McAloon on Wellington’s Town Belt.

Students

1. Voter Help Massey students have designed an online tool to help guide you to the party that is bets for you (Homepaddock). I took the test and received a 91% match with United Future, 55% with Labour and 38% with Mana – regular readers may well debate that match-up. Give the game a go and feed the sheep yourself.
2. Top Film An AUT student has made the finals of a film competition.
3. Weta EIT film student picks up Weta internship.
4. Extras: Auckland’s Elam Graduate Show looks pretty big; Victoria student standing for election; blogger and Victoria student on Rotorua politics; Waikato music student gets good review; Massey student’s Warriors’ trial; UCOL students are celebrating the end of their nursing exams.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Massey’s Paul Kearney giving aviation safety speech in Australia; Victoria hosts sociology conference; Otago Uni/Poly incubator needs entrepreneurs.

Teaching & Learning

1. Xmas Gifts Otago Poly design students have yet again created new products to sell through Port Chalmers Design Store.
2. Extras: Competenz’s welding game.

1. REAP! REAP doesn’t get much media coverage but Southern REAP’s new building attracted the PM and Deputy PM.
2. Civil Defence Hub Massey wants to build a regional civil defence hub at its Wellington campus and have the regional civil defence group fund it via a leasing arrangement. And the Regional Council chair welcomed it this morning.
3. Speak Up Students and unionists are having a rally in Wellington today (NewstalkZB).
4. Extras: Otago Uni library gets award; another Timaru Herald non-story on Aoraki; TWOA courses at Manurewa marae; Otago Uni’s CSAFE research centre has changed its name to CSAFE, but using different words; ODT editorial on bureaucracy at Otago Uni; courses at Canterbury are an option for some surplus school teachers in Canterbury; ETITO on how it can add to productivity.

Research & Innovation

1. Online Dating Auckland’s Meredith Bean researched online dating goals and experiences.
2. Grazing Lincoln’s Peter Nuthall has found out that farmers use intuition more than fancy computers for grazing decisions.
3. Using Pine Trees AUT’s Prof Valery Feigin and Alice Theadom are using pine bark extract to improve memory.
4. Extras: Auckland’s Christopher Hare won a legal research award; cool musical performance in Beijing from Waikato; Massey’s Karen Newton as part of a dance performance; Auckland Trecia Wouldes on meth babies; Waikato solar car; Auckland’s Ian Lambie on bullying; AUT’s Grant Schofield found dog owners were fitter.

Public Issues

1. Pike River Auckland’s Kathleen Callaghan gave evidence to the Pike River inquiry on Friday, criticising the company and the DOL (Stuff, Stuff, NewstalkZB, RNZ, TV3, One News, NZ Herald). Her evidence focused on how a system developed where accidents were noted but not much was done about them. A TV3 reporter also reports on a student film he made while at CPIT about mining risks.
2. Election Views AUT’s Rawiri Taonui on the Maori parties; Massey’s Grant Duncan thought the tea tapes were a turning point (Bryce Edwards said the same and again) and Massey’s Claire Robinson thought it wasn’t a big deal, while Victoria’s Steven Price didn’t like the police warrants and Auckland’s Scott Optican said the media had to comply with them, and Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer comments on a defamation case brought by the taper (I’ll believe that case when I see it…); Deborah Coddington thinks the tea tape shouldn’t be published and has a go at Whitireia’s Jim Tucker for a political hotness poll; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on youth electoral enrolment (and a Victoria student too) and on Te Tai Tonga; WITT poll on the New Plymouth electorate; Waikato’s Alan Simpson thinks Waikato will stay blue; Winston was at SIT last week; a Massey lecturer features in the Labour party closing broadcast.
3. Massey’s Values Study Massey released their regular study of NZers’ values, with Paul Perry commenting. Lots of people disliked asset sales, but almost as many disliked super age increases, showing that you can’t build a win around one policy (of course, Labour’s push this week around asset sales is about protecting from a collapse in their vote, not winning the election). Victoria’s Prof Stephen Levine commented, as did No Right Turn and Hone Harawira.
4. Wellywood? A Massey grad designed he new sign to go up by Wellington airport, a twee option with the last few letters of Wellington being blown away. Personally, I think it’s worse that Wellywood and would have much preferred the taniwha eye option.
5. MMP Victoria’s Prof Nigel Roberts’s great MMP referendum tour.
6. Rena BOP’s sandy beaches made the oil cleanup easier according to Waikato’s Willem de Lange (release, NZ Herald);
7. Pot, Kettle Two of the most vociferous campaigners for alcohol restrictions (Otago Uni’s Prof Doug Sellman and Prof Jennie Connor), with one chairing a government-funded body, criticise the appointment of another lobbyist to a government body.
8. Extras: Waikato’s Amanda Oakely on a troublesome preservative; Occupy enthusiasts should probably head to this Otago Uni forum; Auckland’s Michael Littlewood on super; AUT’s Richard Pamatatau on the Ministry of PI Affairs; Otago’s Prof Mark Henaghen on shifting the Scott Guy trial; Waikato’s Stuart Locke on the equine industry; Otago Uni’s Stephen Wing on fishing sustainability.

Students

1. Hair Jewellery A Unitec student has made jewellery out of human hair.
2. China-NZ Dance Chinese and Auckland students danced together at the weekend – it’s part of an MOU between universities.
3. Extras: acquitted man goes back to study at BOPP: NMIT students squirted a politicians with ideas they didn’t like; Victoria student in legs competition and AUT’s Miss Auckland has a Whangarei connection; EIT grad’s opera success; Otago Poly grad’s art win; Massey student’s tough path to graduation; an Otago Uni student on bad trips; AUT student’s organ donee experience.

Stakeholders

1. Helping Haiti 6 Unitec student and a lecturer are heading to Haiti to help with rebuilding.
2. New Art Lincoln has been loaned and gifted new art.
3. Extras: Massey recognising design stars; someone got done for stealing a drill from SIT; good profile of a visiting Scottish academic (he covers Scottish history).

Teaching & Learning

1. Nursing Curriculum WITT has a new nursing curriculum with a stronger focus than other nursing schools on clinical practice.
2. Extras: Wintec lecturer wins sustainability challenge at Otago Poly.

1. Money Laundering Tow foreign students had their identities used by a fraudster to launder money.
2. CPIT Pay A CPIT pay offer is going to staff for a vote. Looks like it might pass.
3. Aoraki Cuts The TEU says staff are gutted about course cuts at Aoraki. There’s also a story on the Ashburton situation and a brief story on Aoraki cuts
4. UCOL Whanganui UCOL CE Paul McElroy reassured Whanganui students that there was no need to fear the arts courses review.
5. Prison Training Christchurch prison trade training (The Press, RNZ).
6. Extras: profile of NorthTec’s new gallery; EIT’s Trades and Technology Training Centre won a local architecture award; hail caused a sun sail to collapse at Waiariki.

Research & Innovation

1. Snapper Spawning Auckland’s Carina Sim-Smith has found out where snapper spawn.
2. Extras: Auckland’s Janet Fanslow on intimate partner violence; history conference at Waikato; Massey’s Pasture Meter; Massey’s Sarb Johal on the impact on public trust in institutions of the Rena grounding.

Public Issues

1. Election Waikato’s Prof Mark Harcourt on the minimum wage;
2. MMP Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards has an op-ed on MMP, as does Unitec’s Keith Rankin, while NZUSA supports MMP.
3. Speak Out Auckland’s Prof Glenn McGregor urges scientists to speak out on issues like climate change.
4. Science and Poetry Massey’s Brian Walpert on science and poetry.
5. Extras: Auckland’s Jane Kelsey has an op-ed on trade talks; David Farrar criticises Auckland’s Rhema Vaithianathan over non-disclosure; Massey’s Alan Palmer on Manawatu Gorge slips; Massey’s Eric Neumann on pork trade.

Students

1. Mississippi Film Win Media Design School students and staff won an award at the Mississippi International Film festival.
2. Top Chefs Ten trainee chefs have been named as finalists in a national competition – they come from NorthTec, AUT, BOPP, HSI, SkyCity, WelTec, CPIT and Otago Poly.
3. Extras: WITT student named top retailer; Wintec student’s art exhibition; TWOA weaving exhibition; SIT research project display; a quasi-advertorial on a Massey student; Otago Uni student selling cookies; student looking at aviation safety; BOPP’s business students’ SPCA fundraiser; Otago Uni student’s op-ed on keeping energy assets; challenge of getting people into the building industry.

Stakeholders

1. Entrepreneurship Massey is helping to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week with a business case competition and an Intrapreneurship Summit.
2. Extras: Massey lecturer gets US military honour; Victoria recognises Hunter Fellows; great review of Otago Uni’s ScienceTeller Festival; Massey hosting business networking.

Teaching & Learning

1. Taranaki…Adult Learners’ Awards winners.
2. Extras: trades teaching app by Otago Poly.

1. Maori Education RNZ had two rather weak stories yesterday, referring to WITT holding its own on Te Reo Maori against TWOA (which “has several North Island campuses” which understates things a little) and Te Wananga O Raukawa’s badly explaining its poor completions. I might write more on the latter.
2. SIT International The Southland Times covers SIT’s latest marketing efforts in South America.
3. New Student Centre Waikato opened their new student centre yesterday (second release). I will see if I can get some photos of it all (Waikato Times).
4. NMIT Buildings The Nelson Mail has more on the history of old (and dangerous) NMIT buildings – seems I’m not the only sad guy who follows this stuff. But the paper’s editorial takes NMIT to task for not coming up with a strategy to fix the buildings and essentially neglecting them – it seems a bit unfair to me, as the masonry building in particular has always been a death-trap but the Christchurch quakes raised awareness of that enormously.

Research & Innovation

1. Big Sale at Auckland Qualcomm (once famous for Eudora) has bought an Auckland spinoff that does wireless charging of electric cars (RNZ, release, Fairfax). It was apparently Auckland’s biggest deal ever.
2. CSI Otago The ODT does a follow-up story with more details on the Otago Uni team that tracked down a rogue fishing boat.
3. Occupy Otago Uni’s Brian Geddis on why Occupy protestors can’t be easily evicted from public land.
4. Eat Together Having dinner together as a family has lots of benefits according to Auckland’s Jennifer Utter.
5. Extras: The Listener seems to have a good review of Paul Moon’s latest book, but most of it’s behind the paywall (AUT); two Canterbury academics playing in Stoke; Massey’s Brian Wilkinson has helped develop cow vitamins; AUT’s Rosser Johnson on trolling; Auckland’s James Wright bleaching wood pulp.

Public Issues

1. Election Waikato’s Alan Simpson on the value of door knocking; Victoria’s Jon Johansson on Epsom.
2. Extras: Massey’s Claire Matthews on the retirement age; Otago Uni’s Prof Evelyn Tribble on the latest Shakespeare film (release) and Liz Slooten on a Maui dolphin’s death; Auckland’s Michael Littlewood reckons that the NZ Super Fund should be scrapped; Auckland’s Prof Warren Brookbanks on a bail decision.

Students

1. Late Payment NZ First was being chased for not paying for a Victoria student’s billboard design, but it all seems to be sorted now (NZN, NZN, Fairfax). There are comments at all but the last link.
2. Top Photos UCOL’s Fleur Verhoeven won a photography award and now I have some photos.
3. End of Year Events CPIT’s Ignition festival is getting underway, with HIHA! Having a Maori focus. Show by UCOL fine arts grads and fashion too. AUT fashion students’ end of year show. Aoraki Poly art exhibition. Waiariki art students’ exhibition.
4. Student Murdered The 18 year old Christie Marceau killed at her home on Monday was an AUT student (NZ Herald, NZN).
5. Extras: acting by two UCOL students; NZUSA’s David Do voted (as did an Otago Uni student); ESITO’s annual line mechanic and cable jointer competition results; BCITIO Outward Bound winners are happy (Lincoln student is also off to Outward Bound); Victoria student has good summer project; measles seems to have spread a bit more; Massey doctoral student wins research award.

Stakeholders

1. Gold Rush Canterbury is co-hosting a conference in Cromwell to mark 150 years since the Central Otago gold rush.
2. Extras: supplier donates needles etc to Massey’s Rena response centre (and Massey’s work feeding the birds); Otago Poly’s Daniel Pfyl makes seafood risotto; Quake-affected family enjoying stay at Canterbury student apartments; Massey Maori book awards; Waikato involvement in driving analysis; Lincoln’s farmer award winners; Waikato hosting chemistry conference.