1. Building/Glass Wintec is finding it hard to fill its construction trades classes while UCOL is not filling the glass school in Wanganui.
2. New Professors Auckland has named 11 new professors.
3. Aviation 25^th Massey’s School of Aviation is celebrating 25 years of operation.
4. New ECE Centre TWOA has started a new ECE centre in Gisborne.
5. Costs Award A sacked Waiariki nursing manager has been awarded $11,000 in costs – this is just the final stage of a case we covered earlier.
6. Hon Docs Owen Glenn (large donor) and Hugh Fletcher (former Chancellor) were given honorary doctorates by Auckland.
7. Extras: Lincoln’s Ann Brower on her lucky quake escape; former South Australian Premier Mike Rann is a visiting fellow at Auckland; NorthTec is getting out to the small centres; EIT Tairawhiti going smokefree and design school head changes; Massey’s Lydia Lobb giving up booze for Feb.

Research & Innovation

1. Cadmium Lincoln’s Brett Robinson is looking into locking up excess cadmium on farms with lignite.
2. Wine Auckland’s Velimir Gayevskiy and Matthew Goddard have found that unique regional wild yeasts play a role in wine.
3. Rock Lobster Victoria’s James Bell is doing DNA tests on rock lobster/crayfish.
4. Traffic Lights Otago Uni’s Rachael McLean supports traffic lights labels on food.
5. Extras: KiwiNet database (ODT); Otago Uni’s Prof Gary Wilson off to the Antarctic; Auckland’s Raina Elley on Pacific adults’ fitness; Auckland’s Steve Matthewman on SUV purchases and Campbell Jones on the Occupy movement; comments on virus research and terrorism.

Public Issues

1. Politics Victoria’s Maria Bargh on Maori Party-National Treaty discussions and again (and AUT’s Rawiri Taonui and Paul Moon too).
2. Whale Death Massey’s Stuart Hunter did a necropsy on a Bryde’s whale.
3. Extras: Harvard professor speaking at AUT; Massey’s Bob Hargreaves on house prices (and in Wellington); support for Victoria’s Winnie Laban over Pacific languages; Auckland’s Prof Des Gorman on sedentary lifestyles; Lincoln’s Prof Keith Woodford quoted over land sales; Auckland’s Peter O’Connor on charter schools; Massey’s Prof Paul Spoonley on Auckland’s growth and Massey’s Mike Joy on dairy; Massey still has 17 penguins.

Students

1. Olympics Two Waiariki paddlers off to Olympics.
2. The Naked and Famous…will play at Auckland’s Orientation.
3. Post VSM Student group EXMSS is promoting its benefits as is the association at Waiarki.
4. Extras: SIT basketballer; woman who poured petrol over herself and lit it is now off to Massey; students doing summer jobs;; Victoria Summer Shakespeare.

Stakeholders

1. Jewellery Mentors Whitireia’s Peter Deckers came up with a great idea to match grads with their jewellery role models, who then agreed to mentor them. Now the grads are having an exhibition. What a fantastic idea.
2. Extras: write Helen Lowe is in residence at Canterbury; Massey pop-up garden.

Teaching & Learning

1. Oral Health AUT is expanding its oral health provision.
2. Extras: Otago Uni summer school weaving.

Policy, Management & People

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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues

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

Students

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

Teaching & Learning

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

1. New ENZ CE Grant McPherson is the new CE of Education New Zealand – he is currently the Deputy CE of NZTE and has a strong trade background.
2. Whitireia Building Closed Whitireia closed its journalism school building yesterday – I wrote about it here – and it will cost about $600K to fix the building (TV3, RNZ, Newswire, One News).
3. Extras: TEU on possible boycott on new Victoria jobs and NorthTec difficulties.

Research & Innovation

1. AUT Research Awards The AUT VC’s research awards have been given out – Prof Elaine Rush was the big winner.
2. Robots Auckland’s Elizabeth Broadbent is trialling robots in an Auckland retirement village.
3. Sea Lions MAF’s proposal to cease limits on sea lion by-catch is challenged by Otago Uni’s Bruce Robertson’s research.
4. Ants Landcare Research is weighing in to dispute Victoria research on Argentina ants.
5. Extras: Massey’s Prof Murray Patterson on Tauranga harbour research (SunLive); Pasifika research conferences at Massey; Victoria PhD research on pleasure reading; Massey PhD research on air pilot-engineer communication; Lincoln’s kiwifruit research; Waikato opens coastal research station (SunLive); Massey’s Prof Ralph Sims on energy-smart food.

Public Issues

1. Spending Cap Auckland’s Chye-Ching Huang has a NZ Herald op-ed against the proposed government spending cap.
2. Beneficiary Bashing Auckland’s Susan St John takes on columnist Karl du Fresne over beneficiary bashing in a Dominion Post op-ed.
3. Christchurch As It Was Canterbury is launching a mobile phone app to show Christchurch how it was (The Press).
4. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Warren Brookbanks on a rapist moving next door; Stuart Middleton on charter schools (and Canterbury’s Eric Crampton); Massey’s Bob Hargreaves on Auckland property prices; Auckland’s Ken Palmer on an Occupy trespass case.

Students

1. Hair Profile of a Palmie hairdresser seeking to get to WorldSkills.
2. Extras: success for BOPP fashion grad; top golf driver and volunteer from Otago Uni; Massey student doing gannet research; a Massey student’s wearable arts show; Auckland student on climate change; Otago’s Poly’s blind student graduate; Waikato cellist’s success.

Stakeholders

1. World Bank Massey is getting a World Bank contract extended by another $5m, to build on NZ-based tuition to offer Asia-based support. Impressive.
2. Extras: Waikato founding professor Theo Roy to get award (NZ Herald); TWOA’s Joe Hanita’s accountancy win is on p.3 here; Victoria involvement in Readers and Writers Week.

Teaching & Learning

1. Art Retreat Otago Poly is involved in a Waiheke Island art retreat – if you’re going to open in Auckland, there’s no need to go to Queen St!
2. Extras: Sri Lankan students on Canterbury summer camp; success of EIT’s Christine Wirihana.

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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues

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

Students

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

Stakeholders

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

Teaching & Learning

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

1. 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.

1. Christchurch Rebuild The wave of new students/trainees in construction don’t yet have a job to go to, with rebuilding in Christchurch not yet starting – comments by BCITO’s Ruma Karaitiana and CPIT’s Phil Agnew.
2. Wings Trimmed Southern Wings Aviation College, which is shifting away from being an SIT subcontractor, has had an EFTS cut as TEC introduces a new aviation training cap.
3. Marae Gateway Victoria has a new marae gateway and it looks pretty good. Much better than the simple alleyway that they used to have.
4. Loans Students are borrowing more (interest.co.nz).
5. Canterbury Changes The TEU’s Sandra Grey (ED Blog’s Best Lobbyist Singer of the Year) muses on whether Canterbury will cut whole departments. Meanwhile, Canterbury is to spend $1.6m on an emergency communication system.
6. Extras: release on Tai Poutini’s EER; Otago Poly’s Matt Carter and his management success; HSI and Waiariki board member gets new job; new Chancellor at Canterbury (RNZ); Deborah Hill Cone’s underdeveloped views on university marketing, participation and organisation; TWOA’s Tai Wananga has good demand; car parking changes in Dunedin; Auckland hostel to be extended.

Research & Innovation

1. Women in Newspapers Massey’s Catherine Strong has released some strong findings on newspaper careers for women. I’ll be interested to see how it is covered.
2. Too Much Salt Otago Uni’s Rachael McLean has found that Kiwis eat too much salt (RNZ, The Press, NZN).
3. Old Shoppers Waikato’s Margaret Richardson is trying to make life easier for older shoppers.
4. Baby Deaths Auckland’s Shirley Tonkin and colleagues have found that tongue growth and jaw looseness can contribute to sudden infant deaths. Unlike much of the research in this area, it actually seems science-based and clear – read it now before its gets washed through the Ministry of Health!
5. Solar Car TV3 did a piece on the Waikato solar car, the German uni’s team’s car and a local car. I feel sorry for them given they have no windows and no A/C!
6. Extras: Victoria’s Melanie Johnston-Hollitt working on astronomy software; Massey’s Sitaleki Finau on Pasifika spirituality; Massey’s Kerry Taylor on a museum’s history; research by Otago Uni’s Bernard Venn cited (on potatoes); art making by MIT’s Bill Riley; Otago Uni’s Tony Reeder on sun safety; Victoria’s Elisabeth McDonald on changes to sex-attack justice; nice profile of Massey’s Evelyn Sattlegger; art conference at Vic this week.

Public Issues

1. Breastfeeding on P? Auckland’s Trecia Wouldes notes that there’s not much evidence on the effect of breastfeeding while taking P.
2. Home for Xmas Massey bird saviours hope to be home for Xmas after releasing the last of the oiled birds – also Canterbury’s Prof David Schiel on the cleanup an d Waikato’s Prof Chris Battershill on the environmental recovery.
3. Immigration Alleged comments by AUT’s Prof Charles Crothers are being used by a local Grey Power group to support an inquiry into Auckland’s ethnic makeup (I think they don’t want non-white people).
4. Gift-Giving Waikato’s Carolyn Costley on the psychology of gift-giving – which makes me wonder whether academics can find as many angles on Xmas as they did for the RWC. I spoke too soon – BOPP’s Esta Chappell is commenting on the greenness of real vs fake Xmas trees.
5. Bank Downgrades…attracted comments from Massey’s David Tripe (and again and again).
6. Extras: Victoria’s Maria Bargh on Labour and Maori and Robert Ayson on Iran-Britain relations; Otago Uni seminar on food production; Canterbury’s John Cookson on post-quake Christchurch; Otago Uni’s Dr Blackman on chemistry hero Ernest Solvay; Massey’s Clare Robinson on David Shearer; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards on voter turnout and Labour’s list; Massey’s David Deakins on business real estate; AUT’s Elaine Rush on drinking water; Otago Uni’s Andrea Insch on a marketing campaign and Prof Stephen Wing responds to some odd marine theories; more from OIA request of Auckland’s Alex McMillan; Auckland’s Barry Gustafson on coalition deals.

Students

1. NZer of the Year Canterbury’s Sam Johnson (Student Volunteer Army) has been nominated by the NZ Herald as a NZer of the Year finalist.
2. Art Over Panel Beating Here’s a story of a student who chose art at Massey over a panel beating apprenticeship.
3. Listening to Kiwis Bay of Plenty Poly students have put in kiwi listening stations on the Kepler Track near Te Anau (release).
4. Cunliffe Support Auckland’s Young Nats have come out for David Cunliffe, claiming he joined up via a BBQ draw (Homepaddock).
5. Morals An AUT student has a NZ Herald op-ed on media morals.
6. Extras: BOPP grad top regional motor apprentice; Massey eventing rider; Auckland architecture student’s win; Stephen Franks on a Canterbury alumni event; Wintec hospital history; Otago Uni students’ moot win and fair trade coffee research; odd media release about OUSA prez and SJS; Unitec students’ house-building; kea blood tests by an Otago Uni student; Otago Uni runner wins race; Canterbury’s girls software challenge; Otago Poly chef grad profile.

Stakeholders

1. Dental Clinic Otago Uni is opening a new kids’ dental clinic – good idea and good story.
2. Extras: SIT drops racing car sponsorship; Otago Poly staff supporting a Foodbank; cycling race at Canterbury.

Teaching & Learning

1. Facebook German Canterbury’s Vera Leier has got her students working on a class Facebook page, but they must change their settings to German – the language which she is teaching them. It’s a good idea to make language learning seem more everyday.
2. Teacher Awards Students have recognised their top teachers at Massey – congrats to Mike Joy, Sean Phelan, Prof Barrie Macdonald and Gina Salapata.
3. Extras: sustainable skills summer school.

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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues

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

Students

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

Stakeholders

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

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.