New World employees vow to continue fight for pay parity

Posted 10:18am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Joel MacManus

Protests at Centre City New World over a $2 an hour pay gap between North Island and South Island stores have resulted in multiple trespasses, a breakdown in negotiations, and threats of legal action after employees and management failed to reach an agreement after months of Read more...

Nominations close for mayoralty race

Posted 10:24am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Joel MacManus

Dave Cull could be facing a tougher race than usual in this year’s DCC Mayoral election, with a total of 11 candidates standing.  DCC elections are run on a Single Transferrable Vote system whereby voters rank the candidates in terms of favorability, eliminating the lowest polling Read more...

Meningitis case serves as reminder

Posted 10:13am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Hugh Baird

Brittany Arthur, an Otago Polytechnic nursing student in her final year, died last Saturday after an acute case of meningococcal meningitis.  Arthur had been out for dinner, celebrating her final nursing exam. She awoke the next day with a headache and decided to go back to bed. However, she Read more...

Why Local Politics Actually Matter

Posted 11:32am Sunday 7th August 2016 by Jarred Griffiths

At the moment most students see the Dunedin City Council (DCC) as a body that does not serve their interests. And ultimately, that’s the point: it doesn’t. Only one fifth of the elected Councillors are women, none are under the age of thirty, and in photos the lack of diversity is Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 19

Posted 2:16pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Joe Higham

Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Division of Humanities, Tony Ballantyne, attended this week’s executive meeting in order to provide answers to the student representatives in relation to the ‘Management of Change’ process taking place in the division, in which redundancies are certain Read more...

Funnily enough Dunedin does need students

Posted 2:20pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Hugh Baird

The annual University of Otago Economic Impact Report was released last week at the latest University Council meeting. The report, which was compiled by the office of the Vice-Chancellor reported on the economic impact that the University had on the local economy, through expenditure of the Read more...

Viability of computerised exams investigated

Posted 2:24pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Joe Higham

Otago University has revealed it is investigating whether widespread use of computer-based examinations (CBE) is a possibility. A Working Group set up by the University includes representatives from the Divisions of Humanities, Health Science, Science, Commerce, and also OUSA, among others. The Read more...

Sleepy second semester students seek secure study space

Posted 2:28pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Joel MacManus

OUSA is hoping to ensure the return of the 24 Hour Study Space for second semester exam time this year. The initiative, which saw the Clubs and Socs building on Albany Street extend its opening hours pasts its usual 10:30pm closing time, was hugely popular among students, who packed out the Read more...

Yet another proposal could chip away at already diminishing student freedoms

Posted 10:44am Sunday 7th August 2016 by Joe Higham

A registration scheme for students planning flat parties is being considered by OUSA following its successful implementation in the Riccarton West suburb of Christchurch.  The scheme allows people who are planning to throw a party to register it in order to seek advice on issues such as Read more...

Uncertain times for humanities staff as five departments facing redundancies

Posted 10:49am Sunday 7th August 2016 by Joe Higham

A media briefing held by Otago University on Wednesday 3 August, provided few assurances to the future of staff members in the Division of Humanities.  Otago University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, Tony Ballantyne, addressed the media, stating that five departments within the division will Read more...