Too much study to cope with?

The Government is consulting with students and tertiary institutions about placing a limit on the amount students can borrow in any one year. The National Party has a manifesto commitment to consult on and institute a limit on funding EFTS units per year. Using Equivalent Full Time [...]]]>  

Too much study to cope with?

The Government is consulting with students and tertiary institutions about placing a limit on the amount students can borrow in any one year. The National Party has a manifesto commitment to consult on and institute a limit on funding EFTS units per year. Using Equivalent Full Time (EFTS) removes the problem of differing costs for differing courses.

What they are proposing is that a maximum of 2.0 EFTS worth of funding can be drawn from a student loan in any one year.

Their concern is students borrowing for a large amount of study and changing their minds multiple times about what they will study. It therefore also appears that they may seek to limit the number of times a student can change their mind about a course of study in a year.

The Ministry document does not mention a relationship with student failure but suggests that this limit would prevent taxpayer money being wasted on large student loans that provide no benefit to the borrower.

Feedback is through online survey and closes on the 3^rd of May. The key point to address is the proposal that a maximum of 2.0 EFTS worth of funding can be drawn from a student loan in any one year.

I encourage students to have their say.

My concern is growing, and is shared among many distance, part time and adult students, that the priorities of the government’s Tertiary Education Strategy do not address the societal need, particularly for women, for accessible second chance education opportunities. Neither does the TES recognise the benefits of study while working. Equally alarming [...]]]> Dear Minister Joyce,

My concern is growing, and is shared among many distance, part time and adult students, that the priorities of the government’s Tertiary Education Strategy do not address the societal need, particularly for women, for accessible second chance education opportunities. Neither does the TES recognise the benefits of study while working. Equally alarming is the impact on our young students who are expected to commit to a specific area of study and a student loan at age seventeen.

Your recent commitment to publish earning data to assist students in decision making alarms me. At age seventeen young people need a holistic understanding of the outcome of the education they are pursuing. Using financial return as a key factor for career choices will not support good decision making from this group.

The current emphasis on young students is reducing access for many looking for a second chance at education; these people, many of whom are women, deserve equitable access. Students who study part time and as adults have a lower loan uptake and do not leave the country following graduation at the same rate as youth students. They also make educational choices borne of experience.

I feel Government has failed in its responsibility to evaluate the options in tertiary provision and outline a tertiary education policy that takes New Zealand to a better place. There is no efficiency in the strategic priorities of the Tertiary Education Commission and it appears socially unjust.

Stephen Joyce, I am asking for you as the Tertiary Education Minister to look closely at the Commission’s priority settings for tertiary education and support a review so a more balanced approach to tertiary education priorities can be developed.

Part-time study in the UK is significant: nearly 40 per cent of higher education students study part-time. A review that sought to understand the economic and social benefits of part-time study in the UK concludes that there are substantial and wide-ranging benefits from studying part-time.

The review also aims to place the discussion in the current [...]]]>

Part-time study in the UK is significant: nearly 40 per cent of higher education students study part-time. A review that sought to understand the economic and social benefits of part-time study in the UK concludes that there are substantial and wide-ranging benefits from studying part-time.

The review also aims to place the discussion in the current policy context by drawing attention to the fact that while part-time study is seen as important for increasing the global competitiveness of the UK economy, expansion of higher education in the UK has tended to focus on the young, full-time student; furthermore, part-time study is less generously resourced compared to full-time study.

Recent policy pronouncements in the UK appear to recognise these policy contradictions, which state that most future growth will be in provision other than the full-time, 3-year undergraduate degree. Indeed, the UK Government’s independent review of fees has recognized that parity of funding is an issue and its recommendations on increasing support for part-time study have been endorsed by the government.

Distance Education has fallen out of favour with our Government. For Massey students this may translate to missing out on a place if you are not enrolled with a qualification pre-specified. It may also mean that you cannot get a place if you are new student and it will mean strict [...]]]>

LET ME STUDY!

Distance Education has fallen out of favour with our Government. For Massey students this may translate to missing out on a place if you are not enrolled with a qualification pre-specified. It may also mean that you cannot get a place if you are new student and it will mean strict enforcement of regulations; if you fail you are out.  

 At the same time, Massey, internally and through its 2020 Strategy, has said it is committed to distance education and the student profile that accompanies that mode. This is not necessarily at odds with Massey’s current Academic Reform Project: rationalizing offerings, which can only be described as prolific and unsustainable, in order to better reflect the current needs of students. But it is at odds with the message that the Investment Plan carries. Clearly there will be a focus of cuts in distance offerings if academic reform is to fit the investment plan vision. So how can Massey’s internal rhetoric be reconciled with Government direction?

Can Massey create an oportunity from the Govt direction?

 I believe that within this period of change there exists an opportunity to strengthen Massey’s position as New Zealand’s preeminent distance education provider. If existing resources are focused on developing the best quality delivery for the distance offerings that remain, and we can be reassured that other providers are being discouraged from expanding their distance programmes, then when the wind changes Massey will be in possession of the most advanced (both technologically and pedagogically) distance education delivery in the country.

Massey and other universities around New Zealand are being forced to introduce regulations that deliver on the Governments Tertiary Education Strategy. Forced because some institutions would prefer to maintain a student body that reflects New Zealand’s education needs, not some reactive strategy that fails to understand educations role in society and [...]]]>

University study? Think again.

Massey and other universities around New Zealand are being forced to introduce regulations that deliver on the Governments Tertiary Education Strategy. Forced because some institutions would prefer to maintain a student body that reflects New Zealand’s education needs, not some reactive strategy that fails to understand educations role in society and economic recovery.

The govenment, not satisfied with the impact of the TES are now looking to restrict access further for mature students. Imagine enquiring about a course and being told that your University Entrance qualification is not good enough. Sorry UE is not what is says. UE means you only have the right to enter university as a Special Admission.

That means you will have to meet a set of criteria that could be cuturally based, academically based or luck based. You will not know if you are successfull until the last minute and your place will gone if you fail or take a break for more than two years.

There is a window of opportunity to have your say. NZQA, who are reviewing entrance criteria, are calling for submissions. I will be submitting on your behalf. Please send me your views and I will make sure thay are included in the EXMSS submission.

Delegates break for a bite to eat and networking time

Representatives from Student Associations around the country met at the end of January to discuss issues that will affect all students. The conference is an opportunity to connect students from both polytechnics and universities in order to develop networks and build strategies [...]]]>  

Delegates break for a bite to eat and networking time

Representatives from Student Associations around the country met at the end of January to discuss issues that will affect all students. The conference is an opportunity to connect students from both polytechnics and universities in order to develop networks and build strategies to promote student support across the country. Four representatives from EXMSS attended the conference.

Much of this year’s discussion related to the government led restrictions being placed on the tertiary sector. High on the agenda were political issues such as the removal of the student positions on Polytechnic Councils, the bill to make Student Association membership opt-in and the reduction of access to tertiary education in the university sector.

Of major concern for the EXMSS team was the omission of life-long learning and the focus on youth and full-time students clearly evident in National’s Tertiary Education Strategy. 

Students associations are effective at keeping these issues on the government’s agenda. Because students are described by the TEC as the most significant stakeholder in the tertiary sector it makes sense that students are in the position (funded and organized) to engage with both their institutions and with government. National student conferences are essential to ensure effective engagement at institution and national level.

 Actions stemming from the conference include national strategy‘s relating to: the Freedom of Association Bill, lobbying Polytechnics to form Student Advisory Committees for their Councils, monitoring of the success of the Youth Guarantee scheme and maintaining pressure on the Government to provide continued access to education for Maori and minority groups.

a) Defining Masters and PhD coursework. The Master’s definitions fall, with little dispute, into [...]]]> As your President I see it as part of my role to bring proposed changes to Massey and Tertiary regulations to your attention. Recently I have been involved in making submissions on the following:

a) Defining Masters and PhD coursework. The Master’s definitions fall, with little dispute, into three categories 1. Coursework only, 2. Coursework plus thesis and 3. Thesis only. Now here’s the rub – it has been suggested that a PhD, which it traditionally thesis only, could have up to 30 credits of coursework included. What do you think about this?

b) A proposal to provide additional information on the Massey Transcript. This could alternatively take the form of a Supplement that a graduate could request after graduation. The intent is to have common information supporting tertiary qualifications throughout South-East Asia for the purpose of assisting employers. Is this a good idea? How much information is too much information? It has been suggested that this may be a compulsory document, is that a good idea?

As well as these issues I can now report that the time at which you can withdraw from a paper without academic penalty (i.e. DNC – Did Not Complete – on your record) has changed from 50% of the coursework to 75% of coursework. I think this is a very positive change with respect to students and I was vocal in my support when this was first suggested.