Onus on association to be transparent
Aug 17th, 2010 | By Newswire Team | Category: News
ANGRY STUDENTS: Students at yesterday's special student association meeting.
By Josie Glasson, Amie Hickland and Josh Snee. PHOTO: Sam Guzzo
WHITIREIA’S collapsed independent student association was supposed to operate under rules set out in at least two pieces of legislation.
The Whitireia Independent Students Association (Wisa), like all tertiary students’ associations, is an incorporated society acting under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
Key responsibilities are also stipulated in section 229 of the Education Act 1989, which says to get hold of student money it must have a constitution and give its education institution – in this case Whitireia Community Polytechnic – audited accounts.
The Incorporated Societies Act says associations must lodge with the Charities Commission detailed information, including:
- their annual financial audit,
- any changes in executive membership,
- and details of the charitable purpose of the association.
Access to details of charities is publicly available on the Charities Commission website – including the constitution of Wisa, which is a legally binding document governing how the executive committee of 12 must operate.
The mission statement of Wisa says the association “believes it should have an open book policy, where transparency is evident for all its members”.
The constitution, lodged with the commission on December 18, 2008, says the association pays all members of the executive an honorarium: “However, the President shall be entitled to a salary which shall be decided by the employment subcommittee.”
Victoria University Student Association president Max Hardy (left) says he believes it is standard practice amongst tertiary students’ associations for the president to receive a salary.
So does Alex Lloyd, president of the Massey Student Association: “Our salary is decided at the AGM the year before,” says Mr Lloyd (right).
Section 14.3 of the WISA constitution says the president’s salary is decided by the employment subcommittee, the makeup of which is determined by section 10.5.
The employment subcommittee is responsible for all employment issues.
Cheques drawing Wisa funds must be signed by two of the chairperson (president), the treasurer or vice-chairperson (vice president).
The constitution specifies a 12-member executive committee must be elected at an annual general meeting or special meeting attended by a minimum of 30 student members.
There are 6000 students enrolled at Whitireia.
The executive will then act as advocates for the student body, as mandated in the Charities Commission application record.
UCOL Student Association president Jo Hymers says it is hard to come up with solutions to the sort of problem that has arisen at Whitireia.
But if elections are run utilising the student body to vote and not an AGM or SGM “then you will usually get good people in the role,” she says.
Both the Victoria and Massey student presidents say their associations hold general elections for the student body to vote.
Victoria’s voting is done electronically via an individual’s internal email address with a hyperlink attachment.
Massey does a ballot box election.
“Checks and balances can be in place, but by the time an audit is done it’s usually too late,” says Alex Lloyd.
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Tresurers are so old school for Student Associations, we usually have a finance committee, VP finance, finance admin and/or manager.
AS@U Constitution have the presidents and 3 VP’s pay in there. I put these in the constitution my self to safe guard AS@U.
And ahhhh Alex and Max get their pic in here… wheres mine?!
It is interesting that both VUW and Massey Student President’s tout their general elections as checks and balances, when voter turnout at Victoria sits at about 3-4% of all students, and voter turnout at Massey is similarly low.
The real issue here is that Students are being forced to join associations they want no part of (as demonstrated by the low voter turnouts). These associations have no incentives to manage their finances in a proper way, because they know the money will keep coming in regardless. WISA is a shocking example of the perverse incentives compulsory membership of students associations causes.
It is time students were given a choice about whether or not they want to join these organisations.
I have to say, after reading this again after all this time, I believe the quote from me win’s the stupid award. I didnt articulate myself properly. But hey, one time in the realm of the media is pretty ok. I agree about the being forced issue. I never liked that students had to pay a fee. There is this though… students (and it has to be a large percentage of the student BODY) voted for the membership to be automatic. they had a vision of protecting their education and generations after them.
What is sad is that some people get into the role where they are owned by the student body and they disregard the practice of being of service.
I hope your student body is doing well and have better services available to them now, be it by the Association or the Institute.
If you are not happy with being a member of an Association then withdraw, write a letter to the committee ask for it to be minuted and withdraw either by objection or hardship. Education Act 229a 4 & 5.