After riding the high of their election wins last year, the OUSA Executive have had to put their heads down and start the mahi for 2026.
The Exec gets paid through something called ‘honorariums’. In order to receive their honorarium, the Exec members must hand in a quarterly report showing what they’ve been up to. It must be approved by the rest of the executive for the member to get their full honorarium. Sucks for them – imagine if StudyLink didn’t come into your bank account until you had caught up on all your lectures.
Luckily, Critic Te Ārohi has your back. We've summarised what’s the go and what’s been happening with your elected representatives, to save you from reading nearly 10k words across 12 reports. Thank fuck these reports are only quarterly.
REPORT NOTES:
President: Daniel Leamy
Required: 40 hours weekly / Averaged: 42.42 hours weekly
As the big boss, Daniel is the spokesperson of OUSA. This involves a lot of meetings for University related matters, engaging with the wider community, and Daniel has reinstated monthly meetings with the OUSA board (since he clearly didn’t have enough). Daniel has also been prioritising getting the rest of the exec up to speed as he is the only returning member, and building good working relationships.
Daniel’s goals for the next quarters include lobbying the University to (finally) fund a dedicated student bar to provide a safe drinking alternative, advocate for stronger Healthy Homes compliance by implementing an independent certification service for student flats, and negotiate bulk student deals for essentials like power and Wi-Fi to alleviate cost-of-living pressures for tauira in North D.
Administrative Vice-President: Kamesha Jones
Required: 20 hours weekly / Averaged: 19.29 hours weekly
As the Administrative Vice-President, Kamesha manages internal executive functions, supports the President, focuses on student engagement, and runs their pretty cool Instagram page (@ousaexec). She organised executive training, and maintained a weekly check-in schedule to oversee each exec member's progress, and ensure they adhere to the OUSA Constitution. Another big part of Kamesha’s mahi is around policies – making sure all the corporate documents are up to scratch so everything else can keep ticking along.
In future quarters, Kamesha plans to maintain the momentum of social media engagement and support Flynn (Political Representative) with the upcoming general and by-elections. She is specifically focusing on initiating discourse regarding women’s safety and campus culture.
Finance and Strategy Officer: Troy Gibbons
Required: 20 hours weekly / Averaged: 34.63 hours weekly
The Finance and Strategy Office is the brains behind OUSA’s finances and strategic planning. Troy chairs the Finance, Expenditure and Strategy Committee (FESC), where he has reviewed draft audited accounts and monitored executive spending (sorry Exec members – no spending sprees). He also attended his first University Union Limited (UUL) board meeting to understand OUSA’s investment holdings. He also provided critical support to both the Residential and Political Reps.
In the coming quarters, Troy plans to lead campaigns for the repeal of Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) and advocate for Fees Free, paid placements, and the establishment of a student bar. He also wants to increase organisational transparency for OUSA through improving the relationships with Critic (is this play about us?), noting that “[The] big struggle is balancing transparency without pissing people off”.
Academic Representative: Hansini Wijekoon
Required: 20 hours weekly / Averaged: 22.75 hours weekly
Life as the Academic Representative is dominated by academic committee work and advocacy for student interests in University policy. Hansini participated in the University Senate, various divisional academic boards and the Committee for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching. She collaborated with OUSA’s Student Voice programme to ensure diverse student representation on divisional boards, monitored the efficacy of the class rep system, and provided a student perspective on the University’s AI policy.
The next quarter will see the launch of a university-wide survey to gather data on student AI use and access. Hansini also plans to advance her long-term project on “Paid Placements” by mapping out existing placement structures across departments to identify where financial support is most needed.
Welfare and Equity Representative: Rihana Warsame
Required: 20 hours weekly / Averaged: 16 hours weekly
As the Welfare and Equity Rep, it’s all about making sure all tauira are getting the University experience they deserve to the highest possible quality. Rihana’s been consulting with marginalised student groups to understand the unique academic challenges they face, and has been working to improve campus accessibility and the overall uni experience for these groups. She also sat on several university committees, developed a proposal for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops for first-year students in residential halls, and began the foundational work to establish a Disabled Students Association and a formal Disability Representative position within the OUSA Executive.
In the next quarters, Rihana will hold the first meeting of the Welfare and Equity Committee to collaborate on solutions for student welfare issues.
Postgraduate Representative: Fergus Parkes
Required: 10 hours weekly / Averaged: 10.56 hours weekly
Looking after all things Postgrad for OUSA, Fergus has had a busy first quarter. The Society for Postgraduate Students (SPS) was disbanded following a SGM in March (that saw almost no student attendance, RIP). Fergus concluded that student interest in the club had vanished and that it had failed in its core functions of advocacy and social organisation.
In the coming quarters, Fergus plans to fill the void left by the SPS by deepening cooperation with the Graduate Research School to host more effective postgraduate events. He intends to launch regular "soap box chats" to gather student feedback. Fergus is currently reinforcing a beer crate to use as a platform. Additionally, he is developing a new system to maintain consistent communication with students at satellite campuses, ensuring that those outside of the main Dunedin campus have their voices heard.
International Representative: Irfaan Ariffin
Required: 10 hours weekly / Averaged: 13.67 hours weekly
Irfaan prioritised cultural celebration and integration throughout Dunedin’s student community during his first quarter. The International Food Festival he organised was a resounding success with most clubs selling out within two hours. He also facilitated O Week activities and welcome events, and has established regular meetings for the Otago International Students’ Association (OISA) exec to coordinate upcoming events. Irfaan has also been working to introduce international students to Māori culture through collaboration with university staff.
Plans for the next quarters include launching a Multicultural Ball and collaborating with the Clubs and Societies Representative. He also intends to restart the International Student Podcast to share skills and increase awareness of student issues.
Clubs and Societies Representative: Ella Mary Sangster
Required: 10 hours weekly / Averaged: 13.63 hours weekly
Ella’s role is all about increasing the visibility and engagement of campus clubs through promotion and outreach. She attended Clubs Day to meet student leaders and used the OUSA Instagram to highlight club opportunities and workshops. She hosted the Affiliated Clubs Council, which saw 36 clubs RSVP to discuss collaboration and OUSA resources. She also provided administrative support to the other exec members.
For the upcoming quarters, Ella is developing fundraising and event planning guides to help clubs become more financially self-sufficient. Additionally, she wants to create resources for club conflict resolution (for when the exec beef needs an intervention), and launch an informal club calendar.
Political Representative: Flynn Nisbett
Required: 10 hours weekly / Averaged: 18.55 hours weekly
Flynn’s Q1 has been focused on election planning and advocacy. He met with nearly every local councillor and MP to discuss student issues, coordinated voter enrolment plans for the upcoming by-elections and general elections, and assisted other exec members with campaigns. He also gathered extensive student data for a submission against the Dunedin City Council’s Clyde Street parking cost proposals.
In the next quarters, Flynn will focus on co-ordinating Politics Week and election campaigns for both local and national elections. He plans to chair the Political Action Committee, and to develop questions for DCC candidate forums and for general election debates later in the year.
Residential Representative: Zoe Eckhoff
Required: 10 hours weekly / Averaged: 11.43 hours weekly
Zoe has spent Q1 locked in on student housing education and renter advocacy. She created 3,000 flatting pamphlets providing guidance on tenancy rights and mould prevention. She helped revive the Residential Committee, which has merged with the Subwarden Committee to streamline housing-related mahi. Zoe engaged with organisations like Renters United and Community Law Otago to ensure her advocacy is well-informed and collaborative, and volunteered heavily at Tent City to engage with students directly about their flatting concerns.
For the future, Zoe plans to introduce a ‘green-sticker-system’ to identify student-approved properties for potential renters, and continue to advocate for a rental WOF. She also aims to undertake Healthy Homes inspection training, and collaborate with the DCC on informative videos for property care.
Tumuaki Takirua o Te Rōpū Māori: Sami Harrison Dunn & Jarna Flintoff
Required: 15 hours weekly (each) / Averaged: 29 hours weekly (each)
Sami Harrison and Jarna Flintoff, the Co-Presidents of Te Rōpū Māori (TRM), focused on operational stability and cultural engagement. They successfully managed O Week (Wiki O) events and a collaborative BBQ with UOPISA. Internally, they oversaw a major review of TRM policies and the association’s constitution to ensure compliance with the 2022 Incorporated Societies Act. They also maintained weekly meetings with the DVC-Māori and built stronger relationships with other student execs across campus. Additionally, they’ve initiated "Project Pūtea", which is a strategic planning process for the association’s reserve funds.
University of Otago Pacific Island Students’ Association (UOPISA) President: Adeleine Dunn
Not required to report hours to the Executive
It’s been a busy year from the get go for Adeleine. So far, she has participated in the University Senate, worked closely with the Pacific Islands Centre to establish support systems for student associations, and maintained a strong connection with Te Rōpū Māori: co-hosting a collaborative O Week BBQ. She also hosted the annual UOPISA Leadership Weekend, providing student leaders with leadership training and networking opportunities.
Moving forward, Adeleine’s top priority is to re-sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the University to secure equity funding for 2026. She also plans to advocate for a permanent UOPISA office space, as their current location (in the student development building) is temporary, and she intends to increase outreach to Pacific students who are not yet active in existing student associations.
