Polytechnic says it’s there to help students
Aug 17th, 2010 | By Dan Dalgety | Category: News
- ARTHUR GRAVES: Polytech will help a revised student association.
WHITIREIA Polytechnic has vowed to do all it can to support students affected by the financial collapse of the independent student association.
“We need people to realise [we're] there for students,” says Whitireia deputy chief executive Arthur Graves. “Support services for students haven’t been affected,” he says.
He believes the Whitireia Independent Students Association is doing everything it can to fix the chaos that has been caused and any assistance from students would help greatly.
“The independent student association has a whole heap of difficulties to work through, and we would encourage students to get involved with the process of sorting this out.”
This is something that only the students can support.
“It’s a students’ association. It is owned by them and for them and they are the only ones with the right to sort this out.”
He says once the association is back on its feet, Whitireia would be prepared to help out.
If the revised association wanted advice or help about systems, management or governance, the polytechnic would be more than happy to provide it, he says.
The polytechnic stopped collecting student fees on the association’s behalf “for the time being, after we became aware of the seriousness of the situation”, Mr Graves says.
About $70,000 of student funds is being held and will be released once the association is “in the shape to use the money effectively”.
Mr Graves leaves the polytechnic shortly to take up a position with the Tertiary Education Commission.
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I coudn’t agree more with Mr Graves.
Question… Is the Deputy CEO saying that they have stopped collection of student fees or is it meant to read that Whitireia are collecting the fees still but are holding them and not passing them on to WISA for the time being?
Arthur Graves is saying the Polytechnic is withholding the Students’ Association levies (which at the moment stand at about 70k) until S.A is in propoer shape to use the funds effectively.