Massey should support Te Tira Ahu Pae.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is urging Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University not to proceed with their decision to pull funding from students’ association Te Tira Ahu Pae.

Kaiwhakahaere | Organiser Ben Schmidt says “students associations are a vital part of any university. They enrich campus life, and the independent advocacy and student voice they provide cannot be replicated by any other service not owned and run by students, for students.”

“The ‘Student Services Fee’ that all students pay on top of their tuition fees replaced compulsory student union membership fees when VSM (Voluntary Student Membership) was enacted over 20 years ago. As such, that money belongs to students and the Tertiary Education Commission makes it clear that students or their representatives must be involved in making decisions about many aspects of how it’s spent.”

“This means institutions should work any issues through with students and their representatives, not unilaterally decide to spend the money themselves.”

“It’s worth remembering that people’s livelihoods are at stake when choices like this are made. Te Tira Ahu Pae employs a number of staff who don’t deserve to be caught in the middle of this and have their lives negatively impacted.”