1. Whitireia Buildings Whitireia has pulled out of a $3m contribution to a performing arts development in Porirua, both because they’ve moved their course into Wellington and approved a $20m development at Porirua for classrooms etc to replace prefabs. It’s upset some people in Porirua, but it’s hard to fault the priorities.
2. Industry Training The MOE will be getting a strong submission from Horticulture NZ on the industry training review.
3. Congrats Richard Richard Handley, WITT CE, has been congratulated by iwi on meeting Treaty responsibilities.
4. Titles Race? Ha ha, last week I suggested that Auckland’s appointment of 13 Distinguished Professors might start an arms race around titles and now Lincoln has named one! To be fair, the decision would have been made before Auckland’s release, but it does look like a developing trend anyway.
5. VSM Hearing Te Mana Akonga has apparently gained a Waitangi Tribunal hearing into its claims about VSM legislation.
6. Tough Competition The Spirit of Adventure is running a special trip for unemployed 17-20 year olds.
7. Raukawa App Te Wananga O Raukawa has had some bad news recently but I just came across this cool app they have, eWai, that has waiata tawhito on it. If I have it correctly, they are the traditional chants heard on marae.
8. Extras: Victoria now has the triple crown of business school accreditation; Methven summer school enrolments; new construction and student facilities at UCOL Wairarapa.

Research & Innovation

1. Food Science Lincoln’s first professor of food science, Charles Brennan, sees a bright future in the area for NZ.
2. Extras: Auckland cigarette research; three Canterbury researchers to give papers at human-computer interaction conference; new Victoria climate change book.

Public Issues

1. Aviation Oddity The person who allegedly impersonated Massey’s Frank Sharp, head of the aviation school, in an email that was entered into evidence at a coroner’s inquiry into an aviation accident has been revealed. It turns out that Peter Kirker, a CAA employee (he resigned last week), may have sent the email but the charges will be defended. This is very odd, but has got media coverage from RNZ, NewstalkZB, APNZ, APNZ, One News, NZN, Dom Post, Fairfax and Fairfax.
2. Summer Reading Massey’s Prof Tom Nicholson has devised a kids summer reading programme, funded by a donation, to stop kids falling back in reading ability during the break.
3. Charter Schools Auckland’s Peter O’Connor gets a swerve from Karl Du Fresne over charter schools views.
4. Extras: Unitec’s Keith Rankin on the global debt crisis; Massey’s Chris Wilkins on the war on P; Auckland’s Michael Littlewood on KiwiSaver; Otago Uni’s Najib Lafraie on an Otago Museum exhibition; Waiariki’s Narissa Bayler on social media tribute pages; WITT’s Robyn Trewern making salads.

Students

1. SVA Nelson The Student Volunteer Army is heading off to help in Nelson.
2. Glacier Art Auckland student Amelia Hitchcock collaborated with Massey’s Martin Brook and Rob Dykes to create art on a glacier lake.
3. EIT…fashion end of year show (nice pics) and art exhibition.
4. Extras: Canterbury grads get fire safety design awards in Singapore.

Stakeholders

1. Squid AUT is showing off its giant squid at Auckland Museum this summer.
2. Rowing Lincoln’s Martin Berka is rowing across the Tasman (with a group) but is battling a bad foot infection (release).
3. Extras: Unitec’s Jamie Lane is also a top snowboarding coach/selector; Otago Uni’s Dave Gerrard moonlights as the chair of the Drowning Prevention Council; Waikato’s Prof David Hamilton helping improve lake quality; Massey is supporting a new Wellington Fashion Week.

Teaching & Learning

1. Extras: ATITO’s first carding technician grad; EIT’s new music programme.

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. 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. Student Fees Otago Uni has boosted its 2012 student services fees by $92 above the uni and students’ assn charges this year, while OUSA will be able to keep all of its staff.
2. 13 Top Professors Auckland has named 13 new Distinguished Professors – 5 existing ones were appointed in 2001. Does this start an arms race amongst universities on titles?
3. Canterbury Analysis Eric Crampton analyses market movements in Canterbury bonds, which he and I were discussing last week.
4. Extras: new fundraiser at Otago Uni (release); Canterbury grad survey; editorial on alternative education; more stuff about Te Wananga o Raukawa’s poor performance.

Research & Innovation

1. Higgs Boson Victoria’s Prof Shaun Hendy gives a very matter of fact explanation of the latest Higgs Boson results.
2. Zebrafish Otago Uni has been given another $100K for its zebrafish facility.
3. WWI A new history of WWI is being edited by Massey’s Prof Glyn Harper.
4. Extras: Massey’s Natasha Swainson on sheep methane emissions; Massey Prof Ralph Sims on energy-smart agriculture; Canterbury’s Prof Arthur Williamson on carbon storage; Canterbury quake-related smartphone app; Auckland’s Yvette Wharton is studying Antarctic penguins; Massey hair dye and lipstick tests; Massey’s work with an electronics cluster; two Massey books on Māori development.

Public Issues

1. Politics Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on the Labour leadership (and more detail).
2. Media Regulation Canterbury’s Donald Matheson on proposed new media regulation.
3. Charter Schools Auckland’s Peter O’Connor launches a passionate attack on charter schools.
4. Extras: Otago Uni’s emeritus Prof Helen Leach has a Xmas cakes book; letter to the editor by Waikato’s Prof David Lowe; Auckland’s Prof Scott Optican on a former All Black’s name suppression; Canterbury’s Greg Newbold on anti-police behaviour and on the RNZ reporter’s murder; Rena penguin photos and video; Waikato coastal forum.

Students

1. Extras: a Victoria student on crime near where a RNZ reporter was killed.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Massey’s Prof Paul Kenyon talking to farmers; the Open Poly is picking up a failed finance company director as a student.

Teaching & Learning

1. Medical Simulation Auckland’s medical simulation centre is covered well in this story – worth a read.
2. 3D Training A 3D mine rescue training simulator will be set up near Greymouth.

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. Whanganui Fears Misplaced? A UCOL Whanganui grad and student (and couple) are worried that arts provision in the town will be downgraded by UCOL, but UCOL’s Whanganui head says there’s nothing to worry about.
2. Aoraki Cuts Decided Aoraki Poly will cut 11 courses and 11 positions next year across Dunedin (4), Oamaru (1), Ashburton (1), Christchurch (3) and Timaru (2) (ODT).
3. Parity of Esteem…is Stuart Middleton’s latest topic.
4. Extras: profile of Koru Institute of Training and Education; Wairarapa service academy; consent issues are holding up a Canterbury archive project.

Research & Innovation

1. Lost Chimneys Canterbury’s Prof Geoff Rice has written a book about Christchurch’s lost chimneys.
2. Growth Meeting The National Research Centre for Growth and Development is holding its annual symposium in Dunedin.
3. Spirituality Otago Uni’s Richard Egan et al have explored what spirituality means in healthcare.
4. Extras: postgrad conference at Waikato; Auckland’s Quentin Atkinson on primate evolution; Canterbury’s Mark Quigley received a communication award for quake comment.

Public Issues

1. Election Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer on the Banks-Key tape;
2. Zac Guilford Massey’s Steve Stannard proposes a fairly dopey link between Zac Guilford’s professional rugby career, alcohol sponsorship and his excessive drinking. He was hardly the only 22 year old to get far too drunk last weekend, but he was the only one famous enough to make the front page.
3. Horses Waikato’s Stuart Locke has a prescription to improve the equine industry.
4. Polynesian Union Auckland’s Steven Ratuva on a proposed Polynesian Union.
5. Extras: Victoria’s Stephen Burnell on employment prospects; Otago Uni’s Robert Patman on Syria; Otago Uni academic on pavlova; Auckland’s Kathleen Callaghan to appear at the Pike River inquiry; Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis cited in the NZ Herald; CTU follows up on Massey’s nursing burnout research; Massey’s Micah Jensen looking after penguins; Otago Uni’s Robin Gauld on a new DHB CE; Auckland’s Rhema Vaithianathan on the “holiday highway”; Victoria’s Jonathan Boston on a public sector CE investigation.

Students

1. Google Earth Dunedin I like that Otago Poly has given its architectural draughting students a project to help fill the gap in Dunedin 3D buildings on Google Earth.
2. Tourism Awards ATTTO’s A+ awards were announced last week for their top trainees and Modern Apprentices (TIANZ, Mountain Scene).
3. Great Pathway A student has gone from a WINZ-funded YMCA course to Toi Whakaari/NZ Drama School – great story.
4. Cool Chair A Unitec student has created a pretty cool-looking chair that has won an award.
   
5. Op Shop Fashion Waiariki students created some pretty cool op shop fashion.
6. Boy Genius A high performing 17 year old is the feature of a recent documentary and started tertiary education at Te Wananga o Raukawa.
7. Extras: NMIT student on the ghost chips ad; students checking on water quality; end of year music show at UCOL; Whitireia to launch 2011 edition of literary journal;
   new app wins health and safety award at Otago Poly; Xterra athlete at Waikato; Dunedin student fires.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: crazy fun kids race at BOPP (SunLive); market day at NorthTec.

1. Apprenticeships A Retail Meat ITO board member is on the soapbox for a Stuff election story on apprenticeships.
2. Raukawa Te Mana Akonga president says that students are happy with Te Wananga O Raukawa.
3. New Services Academies Anne Tolley has announced 8 new Services Academies in schools.
4. Seismic Survey Otago Poly’s building should be OK in an earthquake.
5. Aoraki IR/Review Aoraki TEU members have asked the Poly to enter into mediation over various issues, while the review of various courses has been delayed a bit.
6. Capital Issues Stuart Middleton branches out into capital investment issues and proposes integration of school and tertiary facilities to make the best use of resources.
7. Extras: Labour repackaged their previously released education policy; Learning State CE Jeremy Baker challenges public sector employers to train their staff; NorthTec’s upgraded art gallery reopens; Otago Poly’s trades expo for women and possible closure of South Dunedin computing centre; International Travel College won a marketing award.

Research & Innovation

1. Killer Plagues Massey’s Prof Nigel French and Prof Mick Robertson on the veracity of new film Contagion (3 News).
2. RSNZ Medal AUT’s Prof Stephen Henry has an RJ Scott medal from the Royal Society of NZ.
3. Baby Sleep An ACC-funded study into babies’ sleep patterns by Otago Uni was mocked.
4. Nurse Burnout A Massey pilot study by Martin Woods has found that 60% of nurses have quit jobs due to burnout and other issues.
5. Extras: Victoria’s Kat Thornton’s Fulbright plans; Massey’s Prof Harjinder Singh wins a Shorland Medal (another colleague also won, Stuff); TV3 on the CSI Otago work (and ODT); Massey’s Karen Stockin to get a dead dusky dolphin.

Public Issues

1. 1961 Crash The Waikato Times has a story on a 1961 air crash and the Auckland and Canterbury academics at the time who contested the official view. Interesting.
2. Election Labour’s Shane Jones spoke to Otago Poly students; Massey’s Claire Robinson on web campaigning; mall visits by politicians gets comment by Victoria’s Jon Johansson, Massey’s Claire Robinson and Auckland’s Jennifer Lee-Marshment; Auckland’s Michael Littlewood on KiwiSaver; TWOA’s Sehai Orgad standing for Labour and AUT PhD student Sue Bradford standing for Mana; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on pessimism (with Victoria’s Marc Wilson); Bryce Edwards and AUT’s Paul White on party advertising; Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer and Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on the Key-Banks tape.
3. MMP Victoria’s Nigel Roberts and TEU’s Sandra Grey (in an MMP campaign role) on MMP (and Nigel again); Waikato’s Alan Simpson also commented on MMP.
4. Occupy Otago Uni’s Andrew Geddis has an op-ed on why the Octagon occupation will continue. Auckland’s Campbell Jones reckons Occupy will be staying in Aotea Square until the world changes, which may be a long time.
5. Extras: Canterbury’s Ursula Cheer on media approaches to name suppression; Waikato academics on Rena spill (release) and at a dive event; Wintec hosting youth suicide campaigner; Otago Uni’s Dr Blackman on silver; Massey’s Rana Ravindran on iodine in food; Massey’s Kate Hill on a dog nursing kittens.

Students

1. Year End exhibitions… at MIT, AUT (release), Aoraki and UCOL (and again).
2. Storm Petrels Massey’s Megan Young is studying them.
3. Extras: Waiariki golfers; Massey students researching tui; more on Otago Poly student’s software sale; Otago Poly student wins film award; Victoria student on indigenous tour guiding (and interpreters); UCOL student acting; collecting for foodbanks; AIESEC students doing volunteer work overseas; rower doing Massey study; Otago Uni students’ op-ed on climate change; WITT student’s benefit issues; Massey child tracker wrist band.

Stakeholders

1. Film Partners The ODT has a great wee story on the links between Otago Uni and Natural History NZ over a natural history film-making course. Well worth a read. There’s also a story on the ScienceTeller Festival.

Teaching & Learning

1. E-zine Unitec has a new e-zine for English language teachers.

Yesterday Radio New Zealand ran a story and I’ve pasted the key details below and audio is here.

Only 43% of students successfully finish their courses, compared with almost twice as many at Te Wananga o Aotearoa (76%), and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi (89%). Te Wananga o Raukawa’s Chief Executive, Mereana Selby, says the statistics are not good. But she says other wananga tend to select already high achieving students for their programmes. Ms Selby says Raukawa’s philosophy is to accept all those who are willing to learn. She says work has started to improve the low course completion rate, with many tutors undergoing professional development to strengthen students’ understanding of numeracy and literacy.

What amazes me about this story is what a bad rationale Mereana Selby came up with (and I’m relying on RNZ’s translation from the Maori). She says that they have an open enrolment policy compared to the other wananga’s selective policies, but that is unsupportable. TWOA is a mass market provider that relies on large enrolments in open entry programmes – p.6 of its enrolment guide basically says that most programmes are open entry. Awanuiarangi has a mix of entry requirements from open entry to more restrictive for their degree programmes (but most of their enrolments are sub-degree). Besides all that, Raukawa has quality assurance requirements to ensure people who enter have a good chance in the programme and support them in completing it.

It might have been better for Raukawa just to admit that they haven’t prioritised completions that much and now they’re working on literacy and numeracy to improve completions (and good on them for it). That’s a simple and accurate line as opposed to claiming that your peer institutions are creaming off the best students.

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.

1. Uni Bailout? Canterbury is seeking another $150m from the government to deal with its quake woes.
2. Kids Barred? Some kids may be pulled from school if Canterbury builds a bar next door (NB sounds like hyperbole to me).
3. Maori Trades Otago Poly is helping to encourage more Maori into trades.
4. Extras: NZUSA on the student loan burden on students; Waiariki involved in wood chip power plant;

Research & Innovation

1. Royal Society Fellows 13 new fellows were elected to the Royal Society, including 2 from Otago Uni.
2. Antarctic Waikato team off to the Antarctic.
3. Whales AUT’s Emma Beatson talks about her work analysing stranded whales, while Massey academics have ruled on cause of death for 2 whales.
4. Extras: Massey’s Caroline McQuarrie to exhibit; Otago Uni Fulbright winner Jacinta Ruru to look at indigenous property law; Canterbury’s Misko Cubrinovski has new quake research; community research seminar at Unitec; book on Canterbury art launched.

Public Issues

1. iPhones Victoria’s Paul Warren reckons that the Kiwi accent might baffle the new iPhone’s Siri voice recognition system.
2. Extras: Otago Uni’s Doug Sellman on alcohol and free trade; Massey’s Grant Duncan on the electoral referendum; Massey unconference on sustainability; Massey’s David Tripe on Westpac profits; more penguins moving into aviaries in BOP; part-time Unitec lecturer on housing density;

Students

1. Krazy Karts WelTec welding students held a race with their pedal karts in Petone.
2. New Apps Waikato students have developed some useful smart phone apps.
3. Extras: Raukawa student standing for Mana; Jade Prize winners at Lincoln; WelTec student exhibition on Wellington wharf; Canterbury Maori leader scheme; CPIT has 100 new scholarships; awards for UCOL students; electoral sausage sizzle for NorthTec students; BOPP end of year exhibition coming up.

Stakeholders

1. Top Accountants TWOA’s Joe Hanita is a finalist for outstanding new accountant, while Auckland Chancellor Roger France is up for the top accountant award.
2. Extras: CPIT tutor judging olive oil;

Teaching & Learning

1. Te Reo WITT’s involvement in Te Reo o Taranaki.