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The recent OUSA election, and the withdrawal of the Wellington-based Postgrad candidate under controversial circumstance, has raised questions about the quality of support OUSA gives to distance and satellite students.

Satellite students study at campuses outside Dunedin, while distance students study off-site around the country.
   Kate Amore says OUSA does absolutely nothing for distance students, and merely sends up copies of Critic for students at Wellington’s satellite campus. She wants more communication between OUSA and the Exec, which she believes is the bare minimum for representation. “James [Meager] and Harriet [Geoghegan] have stated that they plan to work to improve communication with satellite and distance students; we're also waiting to hear about this plan and hope that it involves some consultation with the students concerned.”
   Geoghegan did not respond to a request to comment for this article.
   During the OUSA election period, Amore became disillusioned with how distance students were treated. “Students not studying on the Dunedin campus are poorly served, and, as per my candidacy, if you do try to actively participate as an ‘equal’ member of the democracy that is OUSA, there is a lot of resistance.”
   Satellite students in Christchurch have formed associations of their own for both medical and post graduate students. By contrast, satellite students in Wellington opted not to form separate associations.
   The Postgraduate Students Association of Otago in Christchurch (PSOC) has the standing of an affiliated club, rather than an association in its own right, and OUSA redirects most of its levies from Christchurch postgraduate students to PSOC. Distance Postgraduate students in Christchurch automatically become members of PSOC.
   James Dann, the President of PSOC, says that distance students make up around 1000- 2000 of Otago students, and that number is growing. Although distance students are automatically members of OUSA, and pay levies, their levies are mostly reimbursed, as OUSA acknowledges that they gain little from the student association while off-campus.
   Amore thinks a lot more could be done for both distance and satellite students. “I think distance students will be best served by the University; they should be exempted from OUSA levies. Satellite students need better communication and pro-activity from OUSA, but no more funding.”
   Both Dann and Amore are advocating for a distance and satellite representative on the Exec, though Dann notes that this could be difficult given the drastic reduction in Exec members after the recent constitutional upheaval. Amore says that the Exec based in Dunedin has consistently failed to adequately represent and support distance members, and that a member representing these student’s interests is the only way to effect change.