Otago University Students’ Association
2014 President’s Annual Report
Written by Ruby Sycamore-Smith
This photograph was taken at the Election Food Festival. It was part of the successful 2014
New Zealand General Election Drive.
The purpose of this document is to illustrate the year of OUSA in 2014. It touches on
the year’s operating highlights and areas of success.
It is to be formally noted that due to international opportunities, my resignation
occurred on 15 November. From then Paul Hunt, Finance Officer and PresidentElect was able to develop his goals for 2015,which is similar to what I had
experienced at the end of 2013.
Contents:
1. Presidential Summary
2. Members of the 2014 Executive and notable achievements
3. Operations
a. Events
b. Recreation
c. Student Support
4. Subsidiaries
a. Planet Media Dunedin Limited
b. Critic Magazine
c. Radio One
d. University Book Store
5. Overall Achievements
a. Strong financial position
b. Effective student engagement
c. Influence and engagement with external stakeholders
d. The 2014 New Zealand General Election Drive
e. Strategic Developments
1. Presidential Summary
I would first like to thank everyone who was a part of Otago University Students’
Association (OUSA); no matter how large or small your involvement was with
the Association, your valuable work has been greatly appreciated! I am happy to
announce that OUSA continues to be a strong association that values the needs of
students attending the University of Otago, and continues to provide them with
the ultimate student experience.
I wish to also extend a very special thanks to the student executive. It was great
to see strong teamwork, which resulted in achieving our various goals.
The staff and volunteers at OUSA, PMDL, and also UBS, are to be thanked for
their tireless effort to create such a strong student association. We are known
across the country for our invaluable engagement with students. This would not
be possible without the support of the staff. A special thank-you to Darel Hall,
who has been the General Manager for three years; 2014 was also his final year
of service to the association, and he should be proud of the growth the
association saw during his time. I extend a very special thank-you also to the
wonderful and very talented Donna Jones, who continues to be the heart and
soul of OUSA, and without whom OUSA would not be the same.
I would like to thank the University of Otago, and especially Vice-Chancellor
Professor Harlene Hayne. The support that the University provides enables
OUSA to focus on going from strength to strength. Our relationship also allows
OUSA to hold the University accountable, and I am satisfied to see this
relationship continue to flourish.
It is also important to thank those important relationships locally and nationally.
The relationship with the Dunedin City Council has enabled OUSA to look at
various ways to show students what is possible in the wider city of Dunedin,
beyond campus. Nationally we are able to continue our strong engagements with
the student associations across the country, with thanks to NZUSA.
My time as the OUSA President has been an experience that I will always
treasure; it is a privilege to see passionate people join the OUSA whanau and
grow not only within themselves but also with the association and wider
community. I look forward to continually watching the association grow.
Sincerely,
Ruby Sycamore-Smith
OUSA President 2014
2. Members of the 2014 Executive
Officer
President
Name
Ruby SycamoreSmith
Vice-President
Ryan Edgar
Finance Officer
(Q1-Q2)
Nick Tenci
Finance Officer
(Q3-Q4)
Paul Hunt
Education
Officer (Q1)
Education
Officer (Q2-Q4)
Jordan Taylor
Welfare Officer
(Q1-Q2)
Nali Lee
Welfare Officer
(Q3-Q4)
Payal Remritu
Campaigns
Officer
Recreation
Officer
Hamish Barker
Post Graduate
Officer
Kurt Purdon
Colleges Officer
(Q1-Q2)
Brydie Ockwell
Laura Harris
Henri Faulkner
Main Accomplishments
1. Successful New Zealand General
Election drive, with an increased
voter turnout in Dunedin.
2. Training manual and
communication strategies.
1. Beginning policy changes and
revitalising the policy committee
2. Removing VSA membership.
1. Working on a diversification of
investments
2. Handover for Paul
1. Rallying the students together to
ensure they are active in the LAPP
discussions with the DCC
2. Increasing engagement with
societies and looking to arrange
MOUs.
1. Organising Sex Week
2. Handover for Laura
1. Organising the exam packs for
students
2. Working with the university to
ensure students are more engaged
in Summer School
1. Organising the Cat Clinic for
students
2. Chairing Welfare Meetings
1. Developing Hump Day Help and
engaging Welfare Members
2. Supporting her Welfare Members
to create events such as Women’s
Week.
1. Mental Health Awareness Week
2. Arranging ANZAC Day service
1. Organising the Gaming
Tournaments for students
2. Strong attendance during Relay for
Life
1. Increasing OUSA budget for the
Post-Graduate students
2. Active in PMDL services and areas
of growth.
1. Inter-college music event and
swimming sports
2. Active in changing policy in Halls.
Colleges Officer
(Q3-Q4)
Jess McLean
International
Officer (Q1-Q2)
Kamil Saifuddin
International
Officer (Q4)
Eric Lim
TRM Officer
Mariana Te Pou
1. Hall Contact phone book
2. Finishing off the policy changes in
Halls.
1. International food festival and
areas of improvement
2. Building relationship with ICC and
OUSA
1. Changing the International OUSA
Policy
2. Securing the relationship between
ICC and OUSA
1. Strengthening relationship
between OUSA and TRM
2. Greater promotion of TRM
3. Operations
OUSA continues to be a leading student association that covers a range of needs
for Otago students across New Zealand. There is a huge amount of preparation
that goes into such services and events, which ensure that their time with the
University of Otago is an enjoyable one.
Events
The incredible events department continues to be a huge competitor on the New
Zealand platform. This year we were able to create another outstanding
Orientation, with special international guest Tinie Tempah.
The Hyde Street Keg Party was another huge success, with thanks to the
University and local authorities. The event is also seeing further engagement
with the residents of Hyde Street, who want to work with OUSA.
The Events department continued to look at ways to engage the students and
their musical talents; this was seen with Battle of the Bands and also the Dunedin
Art Week. These events are critical during the student semester as it provides
students with extra curricular activities while studying, as well as further
engagement with the city.
Another success was the strong support from the Events team in regards to the
Election Drive. Notable was the success of the Election Food Festival, where
there was live music, food stalls and politicians on campus. This was very well
received by students and staff alike.
This year was the second year of the Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival, and it
was a notable success. We were able to increase the number of attendees and
also stalls. Furthermore, OUSA received the award for the best beer event in the
South Island, awarded by SOBA.
This year, Darel and I worked together to also sign an MOU with the Forsyth Barr
Stadium, which will highlight a further relationship with the stadium and ensure
that it remains an accessible venue for the students.
Recreation
The Recreation Centre had a fantastic year with the formal opening of its newly
renovated premises! There was a formal opening to celebrate the revitalised
space, which will empower students to create and collaborate. With special
guests including Dave Cull, David Clark and VC Professor Harlene Hayne, it was a
great celebration.
The Grants Panel has seen greater funding allocated to it, which means that we
are able to support more students and their club pursuits. Paul Hunt also
finished negotiations with many of the on-campus groups, which meant further
networking opportunities. The Recreation staff are also looking at revamping
their clubs support and granting further access to tools and different ways of
communicating.
This year we also saw a number of sports teams travel to Australia and compete
in the University Games. This was great for OUSA, as it gave valuable team
players an opportunity to develop their skills, and also saw OUSA take home a
number of first-place prizes! It is also great to see further promotion of OUSA
and the University of Otago, internationally.
Student Support
Student Support is another department within OUSA, which is seeing strong
development.
The Class Representation process is going incredibly well and has seen a huge
increase in relation to student involvement and engagement. Issues that students
have with their papers are being resolved as the students have support from
OUSA, and the University is prepared to work together to make these changes.
Student Support has also worked along side the University to develop a locals
program, which allows students who live in Dunedin additional support that
they need in their first year.
Student Support was able to organise a number of campaigns, the continuation
of healthy relationships on campus and also Diversity Week. This was a great
success and saw a large attendance. Most notable were the t-shirts that were
printed in support of LBGQTI; these were given out to students for free and were
allocated completely within two hours. Flatting Week was another great week
where we were able to educate students about healthy flats and how to
communicate with their landlords so that they do not live in unhealthy
environments.
The strong support from the Volunteer Program was also another great project
and has hugely increased. Volunteer fairs at the University have reinforced how
much students are continuing to give to the community. Furthermore, projects
have been run to enable the volunteers at both Radio One and Critic more
support in their content creation. The support of Are You Ok at events highlights
the growth of support within the University.
4. Subsidaries
Planet Media Dunedin Limited
PMDL saw staff turnover when one of the Events staff members moved into the
PMDL Accounts department. This will be a promising change. Furthermore,
PMDL is re-evaluating the products that they are selling, especially in relation to
Orientation Packs.
It is notable the increase in sales due to the Radio One Card, and also the Craft
Beer and Food Festival. These are great products that are not only attractive to
the students, but also to locals, which supports the external relationship that
PMDL has with the wider community.
The PMDL board also has been going through a much-needed evaluation in order
to enable more suitable governance. The distinction between both OUSA and
PMDL is not robust enough, and the Critic charter as it stands is unable to
provide suitable accountability through OUSA and PMDL. It has been
recommended to allow an independent chair for PMDL, so that there is adequate
strategic planning for this commercial arm and its media outlets.
Critic Magazine
For the third year in a row Critic was awarded the best student magazine in the
country, which is a great success. There were significant strategic developments
from the 2014 Editor, which have enabled a strong set-up for future years. For
example, the newly created Features Editor, which ensured several ASPA
awards. In light of this, Critic was allocated extra funding in order to hire an
additional editor to focus on the cultural section of the magazine. There may
need to be improved performance markers for 2015 to ensure such roles lead to
improvements.
The support from Critic in relation to their political aspects in the election year
should be noted, as it meant that students were able to further engage with their
New Zealand representatives. Of particular interest was the Critic-organised
Back Benchers event, which highlighted areas of growth where they were able to
engage in discussions while also producing a current magazine.
Radio One
Once again it was a great year at Radio One, particularly with their social media;
you can see there is a sustained increase in their devoted listeners. It is notable
that they have also received awards for various shows, including The Revolution
Will Not Be Televised.
Radio One also made an effort with its own events: they organised their own
Orientation events, which in turn increased engagement. They have continued to
hold events throughout Dunedin to promote the station. The Radio One card has
further seen great engagement from the students and also brand awareness
between OUSA and Radio One. This year Radio One also partnered with the TEU
to bring international musician Boots Riley to New Zealand.
Radio One was a huge support in relation to the Election Drive; they were able to
produce an outstanding Election Drive party, which students were only allowed
to attend once they had enrolled to vote. It was a great event and highlighted the
importance of music as a political statement.
The involvement of Radio One within some University papers is also something
that is allowing more students to be engaged with Radio One and further develop
their crafts. This is a partnership that I hope continues to grow.
University Book Store
The UBS continues to be a sound investment for the OUSA. The have continued to
expand into the on-campus store, providing greater access to the staff and
students.
The UBS also opened a pop-up children’s store this year. This was a great move
as they are able to expand their impact on Dunedin’s community.
The Finance and Expenditure committee also worked with the board and
Deloitte to work on a sound document, which highlights the needs and values for
UBS and students.
5. Overall Achievements:
Strong Financial Position
It is with pride that I am able to highlight that OUSA continues to see great
management of its financials: the 2015 Budget is sound, and the SLA negotiations
have been incredibly productive. Once more we can see that OUSA is looking
further to develop stronger investments to enable a continued strategic
independence from the University.
Please regard the Audited accounts for more information.
Effective Student Engagement
This year we were able to see with the OUSA survey a high level of satisfaction
within the student body. The students are incredibly pleased with the services
that OUSA is currently offering. There were areas of criticism that allowed for
further discussions around what OUSA can do better, and I believe that this is a
positive as it highlights that students are actually engaged and have ideas they
would like to contribute.
It was important this year to also look after OUSA members who were not on
campus. We have students who are in Invercargill, Wellington and Auckland. A
staff member from student support and myself went around the country to
support those students and pinpoint areas where OUSA can further advocate for
and support those students. This project was incredibly well received by the
students and University.
Influence and Engagement with Stakeholders
Relationships continue to flourish within the Dunedin Community. The MOU
with the DCC continues achieving students’ needs. Most notable have been the
safety of students on campus. Being direct in regards to the LAPP was also with
thanks to the relationship that has been managed throughout the years.
The relationship with OPSA continues to be positive, and one with great results
as we saw a student discount on public transport, which enables students to live
further from campus in better homes.
This year we worked with the University to oppose the education amendment
bill and to ensure that there will always be adequate student representation on
the University Council. This is important, as the students need to have a strong
voice on the council. We also opposed an increase in student fees, but this was
sadly unsuccessful.
We have also supported Rate My Flat, which is a website that has been created
by students to enable them to rate their flats and highlight problems to potential
future tenants. The site has been incredibly well received.
Throughout the year I found our relationship with NZUSA to be one that allowed
OUSA the freedom to achieve its own organisational goals, and also receive
national support. The relationship was valued in relation to one strong student
voice and the valuable election material.
The 2014 New Zealand Election Drive
The Election Drive was a huge campaign, which educated students and gave
them efficient access to information so that they could be informed voters.
Reflecting on the results we also saw an increase in voter turnout in the Dunedin
region. This highlights that the work OUSA did over the election period was well
received.
OUSA is a political institution, which is why it is important that we prioritised the
elections. It is our function as an association to inform the students on their
rights in relation to their parliamentary representatives. Because of the rich
variety of University of Otago students, it was important that this would be a
campaign that would engage everyone. Therefore OUSA collaborated with all of
its departments and subsidiaries to target areas where we could engage and
increase voting.
There were several events; including debates, which allowed the students to talk
directly with various representatives and ask hard-hitting questions. There was
a debate for the North Dunedin Candidates, and the education minsters.
We also held a food festival; this had stalls from around Dunedin, and also live
music and political figures on campus to engage with the students. This was well
received. We also had two other music events including one at Re:Fuel and the
Union Hall.
Finally we created a website, which gathered all relevant material and original
video footage. This was a hub that students could visit and find information
about how to vote, who to vote for and how easy it was to do so on campus.
Strategic Planning
Because of the number of Executive resignations throughout the year, which
were due to international exchanges or poor time management, I wanted to
ensure that we were going to increase our training for the Executives who were
voted in halfway through the year. The training manual was revitalised and had a
strong contribution from the various staff at OUSA.
Another important project was a suitable communication strategy. This was to
ensure that the Executives were looking at ways to keep their students informed
as OUSA grows. It had various weekly milestones that will ensure that they are
out there with the students and addressing their concerns.
This year a panel organised by the University reviewed the OUSA; this is
regularly done to aid OUSA in various areas. Overall the review was positive,
however, there were some areas that need to be improved. One was the role of
Planet Media as a separate company. This needs to see some development, as
many staff members are confused about their respective roles and differences.
The process saw both staff and executive engagement, which was positive.