Students vow to fight open entry elimination

THE AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION (INC.)
TE ROOPU TAUIRA O TE WHARE WAANANGA O TAMAKI MAKAURAU
www.ausa.auckland.ac.nz

Media Release - 4 December 2007 - For Immediate Use

Senate votes to eliminate open entry, students vow to fight on

Auckland students are disappointed that the University of Auckland Senate voted to approve a proposal to eliminate open entry into the University from 2009.

Today’s Senate meeting lasted more than two hours, and was marked by strong debate and passionate expression of views. Those who spoke were mostly against the proposal. In the end however, Senate voted overwhelmingly for the proposal. Student representatives and some professors voted against.

“While we didn’t win the vote, we’re pleased Senate at least gave some pause to the myriad issues surrounding this,” says David Do, AUSA Education Vice President.

The Senate also agreed to a ‘compromise’ measure that would set up a cross-faculty Taskforce to look specifically at equity issues involved in a limited entry scheme. This taskforce would report back to the March Senate.

Student representatives do not believe the Taskforce is an adequate solution to the issues that have been raised.

“Once again it’s the cart before the horse. This was a last minute addition raised at the meeting itself. We’re not convinced this is a genuine attempt to look at the real issues, especially as it reports back months after a final decision may have already been made,” says David Do.

“We don’t even know exactly what its terms of references will be, or who exactly will be on it. We’re concerned that this will become a toothless talkfest with no real power to effect changes on the eventual design of the limitations scheme.”

Nevertheless, AUSA hopes that student representatives will be part of this Taskforce, if only to ensure the body includes a strong student-focused perspective.

The proposal to eliminate open entry now goes to a final decision at the University of Auckland Council on the 10th, where student representatives there will continue to raise the significant issues associated with this proposal.

ENDS

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