Auckland University Students' Association

The Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA), founded in 1891, represents students at the University of Auckland. AUSA organises student events, publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student clubs and societies. AUSA also produces Craccum and bFM. The President for 2008 is David Do.

The constitution of the AUSA centers the organisation around student advocacy and the provision of welfare services. Today AUSA has 20,000 members out of 33,000 equivalent full time students currently enrolled at The University of Auckland.

AUSA has over 80 affiliated clubs, two bars on campus (Shadows and Eliv8), a University Bookshop, the StudentCard discount card, Student Job Search on campus, market days and events such as Orientation, Re-Orientation, Summer Shakespeare, End of Daze, Capping week, Womensfest, Cultural mosaic, 15 Minutes of Fame (student film festival), Blues Awards, Ecofest, and hosted the first annual Band Competition in 2005.

The Executive

The AUSA Executive consists of office holders and portfolios. As of 2008, these positions are held by the following people:

Office Holders

*President - David Do
*Educational Vice President - Sophia Blair
*Administrative Vice President - Desley Horton
*Treasurer - Akif Arshad Malik
*Māori Students Officer - Reina Harris and Richard Kaio

Portfolios

*Clubs and Societies Representative - Joe McCrory
*Cultural Affairs Officer - Sonali Nidamarty and Azim Mitha
*Environmental Affairs Officer - Raymond Chu and Raymond Scott
*ETTSA Representative - Angela McInerney
*International Affairs Officer - Omar Hamed
*Media Officer - Aimee-Jane Hudson
*National Affairs Officer - Max Harris and Alex Nelder
*Overseas Students Officer - Laura Woo
*Pacific Island Students Officer - Jordan Peter Kwan
*Sports Officer - Tim Brightwell and Oscar Ellison
*Student Representative Council Chair - Darcy Peacock and Nathan Patterson
*Tamaki Representative - Vacant
*Welfare Officer - Bradley Tokomikahere-Layton
*Women's Rights Officer - Sophie Klinger
*Craccum Editor - Daniel Sloan
*President Elect - Darcy Peacock

As of August 2008, the following people have been elected to next year's executive:

2009 Office Holders

*President - Darcy Peacock
*Administrative Vice President - Joe McCrory
*Education Vice President - Akif Arshad Malik
*Treasurer - Fiona Feng

2009 Portfolios

*Clubs and Societies Representative - Keri Watts
*Cultural Affairs Officer - Elliott Blade
*Environmental Affairs Officer - Hana Christenson and Amanda Stoltz
*International Affairs Officer - Yasmin Chilmeran
*Media Officer - Thomas Carver
*National Affairs Officer - Ralph Hall and Rachel McMaster
*Overseas Students Officer - Kenny Yu
*Sports Officer - Oscar Ellison and Isabella Howie
*Student Representative Council Chair - Gilaad Amir and Oliver Woods
*Tamaki Representative - Stephen Bier
*Welfare Officer - Alison Dunn
*Women's Rights Officer - Caroline Fergusson
*Craccum Editor - Valentine Watkins and Matthew Harnett

Membership

AUSA membership is free to all current students of the University of Auckland. Non students can join as associate members for a $30 associate membership fee.

As required by legislation, the University council conducted a student referendum in 1999 on whether membership in AUSA should be voluntary or compulsory. The majority of students supported voluntary unionism, and so AUSA membership become voluntary. Referendums on the same issue were held in 2001 and 2003 (the request for a referendum is in the form of a petition to the University council, which any student may call, and thus must be conducted, provided no two referendums are less than two years apart), and in each case, the majority of students voted for voluntary unionism.

The current position has AUSA contracted by the University to provide student services. AUSA currently has free membership, but all students pay the University a Student Services Levy, part of which is paid to AUSA to provide student services through AUSA departments like Clubs and Events and WAVE (Welfare, Advocacy, Voice and Education). The amount AUSA receives from the University is not related to its membership level.

Detractors of voluntary student membership (VSM) say that AUSA suffers drastically from it, and that VSM undermines AUSA's ability to advocate on behalf of students and provide welfare services. They also say that in controlling the flow of money, the University dictates the terms to some extent of its operations through a Student Services Agreement.

Proponents of VSM, on the other hand, claim VSM means freedom of choice for students. They cite the United Nations declaration of freedom of association. They also paint AUSA executives under compulsory unionism as being wasteful, and believe that under voluntary AUSA executives are forced to be more accountable to members. They claim that the level of intervention is very limited (for example, the conditions are only that AUSA must run orientation and the like).

Craccum

Craccum is the weekly newspaper produced by the AUSA. The name originated from the scrambled acronym of "Auckland University College Men's Common Room Circular".

The publication has frequently found itself in legal difficulties due to its deliberate attempts to be controversial. These attempts have included an issue containing methods to create a bomb, and an issue discussing ways to commit suicide.

A publicity stunt in 2005 saw Craccum sell its cover - which was ironically bought by Salient, the Student magazine of Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, with the funds from Victoria University of Wellington's marketing fund. The joke turned out to be on them, as the theme of that issue of Craccum was Corporate Sellouts. Craccum successfully made the point that commercialism would erode the students' voice.

bFM

95bFM (or simply 'bFM') is a typical student radio station that plays alternative music. Like other student broadcasters, it supports local artists well before they become mainstream.

Originally started as Radio Bosom - a capping stunt, bFM has gone a long way. Today, with voluntary student union membership, bFM is pushed to make a profit for the Association, and exists more as a corporate entity than a student radio station.

External links

* [http://web.ausa.auckland.ac.nz/ AUSA]

AUSA-affiliated Clubs

A full clubs list can be found on the [http://www.ausa.auckland.ac.nz/clubs/list.html AUSA website] .