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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 21. 5th September 1973
Red Dawn At Victoria?
Red Dawn At Victoria?
Degrees and terms will be abolished, $1200 will be given to the Vietnam Aid Appeal, $500 will go to Te Reo Maori Society and another $500 to Nga Tamatoa, and the price of tea and coffee in the cafe will be lowered from 10c to 5c if the Student Representative Council has its way. Motions including these items were passed at its meeting last Thursday.
Students should not look for a red dawn tomorrow, however, as power over exams rests solely with the university, and Students' Association money is controlled by its executive and not SRC. The executive is likely to follow the direction of the Representative Council, if the money can be found. Members of the Union Management Committee are reported to have brought up their dinners in disgust on hearing of the price of tea motion.
| 1) | That certification of only those who 'pass' be abolished in favour of certificate or statement indicating the number of years spent at the University; |
| 2) | That for courses only a pass/fail distinction shall be made in the assessment, and the recording of those distinction for purposes of certification shall be abolished. |
| 3) | That students should nominate their method of assessment, "continuous assessment" or "final exam assessment", with those who fail the former being able to pass in the final exam, if they display the required standard. |
| 4) | That terms requirements be sbolished |
| 5) | That "continuous assessment" be redefined away from "continuous exams" to an emphasis on essay, assignment and practical work. |
| 6) | That a staff/student committee with a student majority be given power to change courses, workloads and assessment methods. |
| 7) | That the students on this committee be elected by SRC. |
| 8) | That this committee must co-opt from the department being examined, both staff and students from all levels, the latter forming the majority |
| 9) | That this committee should consult with both staff and student before making decisions for any department. |
| 10) | That one of the first tasks of this committee be to look at workloads, and reducing these by eliminating superficial knowledge gathering. |
| 11) | That methods of making flexible the meeting of essay-assignment and practical work be investigated by the committee, and that arbitary deadlines in the interim be suspended by the automatic granting of three week extensions. |
All these motions were discussed together and all passed with very little dissent. After all, they are only matters of principle, and it is known that the beliefs of students make little headway with the conservative administraiton of this university.
Debate heated up over Don Carson's motion"that VUWSA donate $1200 to the Vietnam Aid Appeal." Don said that the money would supplement the money raised by various activities on campus during Vietnam Aid Appeal Week. The total amount would just about purchase a mobile surgical unit (total price about $2000) for use in PRG zones of control in Vietnam.
Ian Caddis, a law student who achieved notoriety when he sought an injunction against money voted for medical aid last year, featured again in this year's debate. He asked whether the students' association, not as New Zealanders but as students, should be making a donation to this appeal which was not even an educational charity, "if it was a charity at all." It was quickly established that it was indeed a registered charity.
Student association president, Peter Wilson, left the chair to make a few observations. While he was sympathetic to the cause, he said, he wanted to stress that the giving of money should be a political action and that it should be raised not given. It was not so important to give this 'drop in the bucket' as to raise the political consciousness of New Zealanders.
It was repeated to Peter that this sum would only consolidate the excellent efforts made in raising money during Aid Appeal Week. One speaker said that Wilson was equivocating like Walter Nash, except that he also sounded like George Fyson.
Another speaker, John Mc-Caffery, set out to make the gathering feel uncomfortable. The Studass, he said, was very good at giving money to groups outside New Zealand. "It seems sad at a time when Nga Tamatoa is scraping the barrel for funds for its legal defence scheme, and Te Reo Maori (Maori Language) Society has no money to sponsor the Maori Language Day, Te Ra Nui O Te Reo Maori."
McCaffery's point was answered after the Aid Appeal motion was convincingly won. A motion was immediately put and passed to allocate $500 each for Nga Tamatoa and the Te Reo Maori Society.
by Roger Steele