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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues

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

Students

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

Stakeholders

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

Teaching & Learning

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

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. 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.

1. Diving Deaths There will be no charges for a training provider, subcontracted to Adventure Education, that had two students die as there was no health and safety law breach (RNZ).
2. WelTec Precinct WelTec is moving another step towards gaining its Petone education precinct – the proposal will go out for consultation.
3. Otago Enrolments The ODT has an update on Otago Uni/Poly enrolment trends.
4. Extras: mention of Victoria’s campus hub; Massey’s Prof Jacqueline Rowarth off to Waikato; recognition of Open Poly ad; progress for Otago Uni neurological fundraising; Massey’s Major Josh Wineera to study national security in US.

Research & Innovation

1. Seals Massey’s Laureline Meynier is researching seals.
2. Extras: Auckland masters student doing eye research; Victoria’s Rodriguez Ramirez on the role of surprise in design.

Public Issues

1. Treaty AUT’s Paul Mon had an op-ed on Waitangi Tribunal reports, which must kick of Treaty-comment season leading up to Waitangi Day.
2. Dairying Massey’s Mike Joy is the focus of this piece on dairying’s dirtiness. It’s worth a read.
3. Extras: Massey’s David Tripe on bank job cuts and mortgagee sales; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards thinks the Occupy protests have jumped the shark (NewstalkZB).

Students

1. Country Music Otago Uni’s Jayne Evans won a Blenheim country music competition.
2. Mr March A BOPP student is Mr March in a Men at Work calendar.
3. Extras: searchers for Otago Poly student thanked; Otago Uni netballer; dodgy behaviour in Otago Uni library.

Stakeholders

1. Extras: Whitireia working with local league club; EIT’s Suzette Major on expanding the local art gallery; Massey’s Prof Setaleki Finau on helping Tonga; Massey’s Dorian Scott on Electronics-Auckland.

Teaching & Learning

1. Mentoring Waiariki is launching a new mentoring diploma.
2. Extras: Harvard professor to guest lecture at AUT; Teach First made TVNZ’s Breakfast; Massey entrepreneurship programme; restaurant modern apprentices; lecture by Otago Uni’s Catherine Fowler; UCOL Wairarapa open day.

1. New TV Ads I was going to write a post about new TV ads put out by ITPs, but StopPress wrote much the same thing on Friday, so I’ll pass. It’s worth a read on cool new ads by Open Poly and MIT.
2. Innovation City Prof Sir Peter Gluckman has followed up last year’s speech on Auckland by putting a condensed version in a NZ Herald op-ed. He’s proposing an innovation city and wants some thinking about what should be in it. I smell a wider government agenda.
3. Fund a Prof The ODT is getting in behind a $3m fundraising campaign for a new neurosurgery chair at Otago Uni. So is the Southland Times, which gives more details on other organisations in the campaign. There’s also a media release on the campaign and associated stories here, here, here and here.
4. Whitireia Buildings Whitireia is planning to wipe out a lot more prefabs once its new building is up and running – they blessed the site on Friday and construction should end in a year.
5. Extras: Massey’s Steve Stannard out cycling; Aoraki’s Nicola Pearce off to Outward Bound; Christchurch enrolments; local providers’ reaction to PEI’s demise; Victoria notes the success of its Centre for Strategic Studies.

Research & Innovation

1. Alzheimer’s There’s some interesting work being done on detecting Alzheimer’s disease by Prof Cliff Abrahams at Otago Uni.
2. Extras: Auckland’s Bridget Kool on the impact of multiple medicines on falls; AUT’s Lindsey White on seaweed harvesting; exhibition co-curated by Otago Uni’s Prof Hilary Radner goes to Whangarei; Otago Uni’s Lisa Stamp recognised for early career work.

Public Issues

1. Kids’ Treadmill Who really buys their kid a treadmill? Anyway, Otago Uni’s Kim Meredith-Jones comments on the trend. Meanwhile, Auckland’s Yvonne Anderson is helping with a programme to combat child obesity in Taranaki.
2. Massey Birds Rena-affected birds will now go straight to Massey as numbers reduce, to join one last dotterel.
3. Saving Frogs Otago Uni’s Phil Bishop wants sponsorship to help save frogs.
4. Extras: Auckland’s Ian Lambie on charitable giving; Otago Uni’s Bryce Edwards gets an editorial reference; Massey’s Claire McLachlan on criticism of NZ ECE; Otago Uni staff helped move a seal pup and its mum; blogger Grant Jacobs on Prof Sir Paul Callaghan’s cancer treatment; Auckland’s Basil Sharp on energy prices; Waiariki’s Narissa Bayler on uploading fight videos; AUT’s Kelly Sheerin on barefoot running; Otago Uni’s Mark Henaghen on healthcare and trust and Doug Sellman on alcohol; Victoria’s Peter Barrett and Lincoln’s Shannon Page went to protest lignite mining in Southland (release); AUT’s Vernon Rive on climate change agreements.

Students

1. Music Making Auckland’s Alex Taylor makes a list of musicians to watch in 2012.
2. Extras: early school leaver’s experience – worth a read; Nanocamp for school students at Victoria while others studied science at Otago Uni; OUSA is fixing some squash courts; the student who drowned in Wellington turned out to be a current Otago Poly, and former Otago Uni, student; Dunedin student rentals; Waikato nursing student selling a tattoo on her butt.

Stakeholders

1. A Cute Uni Museum Artist Christine Hellyar is doing an exhibition based on Auckland’s McGregor Museum, which I have just discovered and looks quite interesting (if specialised). Well worth checking out for the science geek.
2. Extras: Auckland monitoring ecohouse; Wanganui’s Council is supporting accommodation for glass students (Wanganui Chronicle); photography exhibition at Victoria.

Teaching & Learning

1. Apple’s Textbooks Apple launched their new textbook software last week and I suspect it won’t shine given its proprietary bounds, but more importantly it’s just another signal of the changing textbook market. The Chronicle of Higher Education has a good review.
2. Teach First…is getting ready to recruit its first students into its condensed teacher education programme (NewstalkZB, AAP). There was a follow-up story today.
3. Extras: UCOL Rangitikei trades academy story.

1. PEI There are more stories on Practical Education Institute’s closure from RNZ (2,700 students and 700 EFTS, with 80% being on the course for which funding was cut), NewstalkZB and NZN.
2. Whitireia Theatre The local community paper has a story on Whitireia’s pulling out of funding a local theatre and I do love the Roger Sowry comment: “There wasn’t any public consultation because it’s not public money, it’s education money.”
3. Extras: mother and daughter maths team at Massey; story on ex Waikato Prof James Milroy;

Research & Innovation

1. Franchising Massey’s Susan Flint-Hartle has looked into conflict in franchise relationships (NewstalkZB, Idealog).
2. Extras: Otago Uni’s Prof Richard Edwards on smoking by occupation;

Public Issues

1. Fear of Bugs Massey’s Steve Trewick feature son a long story about bugs around us and how we interact with them.
2. Grand Chancellor The quake-induced problems of the Grand Chancellor hotel in Christchurch have been reviewed by Canterbury’s Stefano Pampanin (The Press, Star Canterbury).
3. Extras: Otago Uni’s Ian Jamieson on robin breeding and John Guthrie on Olympic shearing; Rena penguin update and Waikato’s Prof Chris Battershill on testing a shark; visiting Otago Uni lecturer on judicial transparency; WITT watermelon recipes;

Students

1. Discrimination? An Indian Unitec grad can’t get a job as a mechanic. A local business operator has some unfortunate comments.
2. Extras: awards for EIT cadets; Massey runner;

Teaching & Learning

1. Science Degree Aoraki and CPIT have agreed a pathway into CPIT’s science degree.
2. Extras: EIT’s new Central Hawke’s Bay trade programme; Oamaru summer school.

Policy, Management & People

1. Otago Clocktower The ODT has done a series on towers around town, including Otago Uni’s Registry Building Clocktower.
2. VSM Impact OUSA’s Darel Hall, a good friend of ED Blog, has opined on how the VSM Bill will make students associations even more accountable and then goes on to diss his beloved old uni, Canterbury, in favour of his new employer J.
3. Whitireia Buildings An ex-Whitireia council chair has criticised the Poly’s decision not to fund a local theatre, but I find it hard to fault Whitireia’s decision-making.
4. Honours Stories on Auckland’s Merata Kawharu and ex-Victoria’s Peter Walls. Canterbury notes 15 alumni received honours.
5. Extras: Kiwiblog criticises the TEU for conflating Destiny Church and trade policy (RNZ covered the original release); BOPP’s Lesley Mochan and her Xterra challenge;

Public Issues

1. Food Bill Otago Uni’s Gabrielle Jenkin has written a lobbying/research piece on the Food Bill, analysing whether food industry or public health groups had their views accepted (RNZ).
2. Balloon Crash Effect AUT’s Prof Simon Milne is commenting on the impact of the balloon crash on tourism – just before Xmas he was commenting on the attack on the Belgian girl in Turangi. Is he the go-to for disaster assessment in tourism?
3. Sahel Auckland’s Chris de Freitas on desertification of the Sahel in Africa.
4. Sea Lions Otago Uni’s Bruce Robertson reckons that DOC research contradicts MAF advice on the effects of squid fishing on sea lions (ODT).
5. Extras: Massey’s wildlife unit is back on standby for Rena oil spill victims;

Students

1. Balloon Crash Victims Media statements from families of balloon crash victims show that Johannes Jordan was an ex-Victoria and current Massey student, while Alexis Still was a Massey student.
2. Extras: Otago Uni Orientation; school leaver gets ready for flying school; 60 English language students starting at CPIT; Otago Uni MBA team does well in Montreal.

Stakeholders

1. African Stats Otago Uni’s John Harraway helping stats education in Africa.
2. Extras: Whitireia has been supporting a youth theatre company; Otago Poly and CPIT staff judging Wanaka art; Auckland’s Dilys John to check out a Southland waka;

Teaching & Learning

1. Pacific Music The NZ School of Music is starting up two new Pacific Islands Performance courses.
2. Extras: Waikato’s Summer School for Year 12 students;

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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues & Tertiary People

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

Students

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

Stakeholders

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

Teaching & Learning

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Research & Innovation

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

Public Issues

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

Students

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

Stakeholders

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

Teaching & Learning

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