Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association
Encyclopedia
The Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) is the official student
s' association at Victoria University of Wellington
, New Zealand
. VUWSA was established in 1899 as the Victoria University College Students' Society.
The VUWSA Executive consists of thirteen positions who govern the Association: the President, Vice-President (Education), Vice-President (Welfare), Vice-President (Administration), Campaigns Officer, Women's Rights
Officer, Clubs Officer, Welfare Officer, Education Officer, Activities Officer, Queer
Officer, Environment Officer and International Student
s' Officer.
Notable previous executive members include, Green MP Sue Kedgley
, current Wellington Deputy Mayor
and incoming University Chancellor
Ian McKinnon
, Sir Tipene O'Regan
, former Cabinet Minister Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
, Chris Hipkins
, Professor Margaret Clark, and EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little.
The Association employs a number of staff who work for students and assist the Executive in achieving its strategic and operation goals. They are led by the Association Manager who oversees the financial and operational functions of the Association and include a Student Advocate who provides independent and trained representation in cases of misconduct within the University and grievances with bodies such as StudyLink, a Education Organiser who coordinates and trains the student representative system consisting of over 600 students ranging from Class Reps to University Councilors , a Clubs Development Officer who assist the nearly 90 VUWSA-affiliated cultural and sporting clubs on campus, Campus Activities Coordinator and an Representative Groups Administrator.
and the War in Iraq. In recent years, VUWSA has supported the campaign for the Prostitution Reform Bill
and the Civil Union Bill
and opposed initiatives to raise the legal drinking age to 20 years.
Since 1937 VUWSA have funded the student magazine Salient
, and recently the only major student and community radio station in the City, the The VBC
.
itself. The Society is run by an elected committee of eleven people (Victoria University of Wellington students), which organises regular debating grades, public debates, debating tournaments, and social events.
The Society meets in the University's Student Union Building each Wednesday night during the university year, and attends national and international tournaments during each of the mid-trimester and trimester breaks. The Society also organises the prestigious Plunket Medal Oratory Contest, the oldest prize for public speaking in New Zealand.
Within New Zealand, it has won the Officers' Cup for impromptu debating at the New Zealand University Games sports tournament for the last thirteen years. It is the current holder of the Joynt Scroll for prepared debating, and it has won this trophy more than any other university. It has won the NZ British Parliamentary Debating Champs in five of the seven years it has been held.
The Society also has a long history of competing in international tournaments. Victoria won the 2010 and 2011 Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships
and reached the Grand Final in 2007 and 2009, finishing as runner-up on both occasions. In January 2009, a Victoria team reached the semi-finals of the World Universities Debating Championships in Cork
, Ireland.
The Society has honours boards in the bottom foyer of the historic Hunter Building at Victoria University, which are maintained by the University. The original wooden honours boards were maintained and restored when the Hunter Building itself was restored and renovated in the early 1990s. The honours boards list by year Victoria students who have won the Joynt Scroll, the Bledisloe Medal for Oratory, the Plunket Medal, and the now defunct Union Prize.
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s' association at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. VUWSA was established in 1899 as the Victoria University College Students' Society.
Organisation
The Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) is the official representative body for all students enrolled at Victoria University.The VUWSA Executive consists of thirteen positions who govern the Association: the President, Vice-President (Education), Vice-President (Welfare), Vice-President (Administration), Campaigns Officer, Women's Rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
Officer, Clubs Officer, Welfare Officer, Education Officer, Activities Officer, Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
Officer, Environment Officer and International Student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s' Officer.
Notable previous executive members include, Green MP Sue Kedgley
Sue Kedgley
Susan Jane Kedgley , BA , TTC , MA , is a New Zealand politician, food campaigner and author.-Early career and Wellington City Council:...
, current Wellington Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
and incoming University Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Ian McKinnon
Ian McKinnon
Ian Duncan McKinnon, QSO, JP, is a New Zealand educator and local politician, serving presently as Deputy Mayor on Wellington City Council.-Teacher administrator:Ian McKinnon, BCom, DipEd, began his teaching career at King's College, Auckland...
, Sir Tipene O'Regan
Tipene O'Regan
Sir Tipene O'Regan is a New Zealand academic and company director. Born Stephen Gerard O'Regan, son of Dr Rolland O'Regan and Rena Ruhia , he is a director of a wide range of South Island Maori enterprises...
, former Cabinet Minister Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office...
, Chris Hipkins
Chris Hipkins
Christopher John "Chris" Hipkins is a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is the Labour Party MP for Rimutaka, and was elected for the first time at the 2008 election. Before his election, he worked as a senior adviser to the administration of Prime Minister Helen Clark.-Early...
, Professor Margaret Clark, and EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little.
The Association employs a number of staff who work for students and assist the Executive in achieving its strategic and operation goals. They are led by the Association Manager who oversees the financial and operational functions of the Association and include a Student Advocate who provides independent and trained representation in cases of misconduct within the University and grievances with bodies such as StudyLink, a Education Organiser who coordinates and trains the student representative system consisting of over 600 students ranging from Class Reps to University Councilors , a Clubs Development Officer who assist the nearly 90 VUWSA-affiliated cultural and sporting clubs on campus, Campus Activities Coordinator and an Representative Groups Administrator.
History
Historically, VUWSA has had a reputation as a left-wing organisation. VUWSA has traditionally maintained a heavy involvement in New Zealand's social and political movements such as the Nuclear Free New Zealand Movement, the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the War in Iraq. In recent years, VUWSA has supported the campaign for the Prostitution Reform Bill
Prostitution in New Zealand
Prostitution , brothel keeping, living off the proceeds of someone else's prostitution and street solicitation are legal and regulated in New Zealand...
and the Civil Union Bill
Civil unions in New Zealand
Civil union has been legal in New Zealand since 26 April 2005. The Civil Union Act to establish the institution of civil union for same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed by the Parliament on 9 December 2004. The Act has been described as very similar to the Marriage Act with references to...
and opposed initiatives to raise the legal drinking age to 20 years.
Since 1937 VUWSA have funded the student magazine Salient
Salient (magazine)
Salient is the weekly students' magazine of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Salient was established in 1938 and originally published in newspaper format, but has lately become a magazine. Salient's style and editorial...
, and recently the only major student and community radio station in the City, the The VBC
The VBC
The VBC 88.3 FM is a non-profit student radio station based at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, launched in March 2007. It is funded by the university and the compulsory students' association, VUWSA, and also runs advertisements....
.
Debating Society
The Victoria University of Wellington Debating Society (Inc.), formed in 1899, prior to the formation of Victoria UniversityVictoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
itself. The Society is run by an elected committee of eleven people (Victoria University of Wellington students), which organises regular debating grades, public debates, debating tournaments, and social events.
The Society meets in the University's Student Union Building each Wednesday night during the university year, and attends national and international tournaments during each of the mid-trimester and trimester breaks. The Society also organises the prestigious Plunket Medal Oratory Contest, the oldest prize for public speaking in New Zealand.
Within New Zealand, it has won the Officers' Cup for impromptu debating at the New Zealand University Games sports tournament for the last thirteen years. It is the current holder of the Joynt Scroll for prepared debating, and it has won this trophy more than any other university. It has won the NZ British Parliamentary Debating Champs in five of the seven years it has been held.
The Society also has a long history of competing in international tournaments. Victoria won the 2010 and 2011 Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships
Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships
The Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships is an annual debating tournament for teams from universities in the Australasian region. It is one of the world's largest debating tournaments, second only in size to the World Universities Debating Championship , and one of the largest annual...
and reached the Grand Final in 2007 and 2009, finishing as runner-up on both occasions. In January 2009, a Victoria team reached the semi-finals of the World Universities Debating Championships in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland.
The Society has honours boards in the bottom foyer of the historic Hunter Building at Victoria University, which are maintained by the University. The original wooden honours boards were maintained and restored when the Hunter Building itself was restored and renovated in the early 1990s. The honours boards list by year Victoria students who have won the Joynt Scroll, the Bledisloe Medal for Oratory, the Plunket Medal, and the now defunct Union Prize.