Auckland University Students' Association

The Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA) represents students at the University of Auckland. AUSA publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student clubs and societies. AUSA also produces Craccum and bFM.

Related Topics:
University of Auckland - Craccum - BFM

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The AUSA was founded in 1891. The constitution of the AUSA centers the organisation around student advocacy and the provision of welfare services.

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Today AUSA has 20,000 members out of 33,000 equivalent full time students currently enrolled at Auckland University.

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AUSA boasts over 80 affiliated clubs, two bars on campus (Shadows and Bar None), a University Bookshop, the StudentCard discount card, Student Job Search on campus, market days and events such as Orientation, Re-Orientation, End of Daze, Capping week, Womensfest, Cultural mosaic, 15 Minutes of Fame (student film festival), Blues Awards, Ecofest, and this year (2005) the first annual Band Competition.

Related Topics:
Capping week - Blues Awards - 2005

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As required by legislation, the University council conducted a student referendum in 1999 on whether membership in AUSA should be voluntary or compulsory. The majority of students supported voluntary unionism, and so AUSA membership become voluntary. Referenda on the same issue were held in 2001 and 2003 (the request for a referendum is in the form of a petition to the University council, which any student may call, and thus must be conducted, provided no two referenda are less than two years apart), and in each case, the majority of students voted for voluntary unionism.

Related Topics:
Student referendum - 1999 - 2001 - 2003

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The current position has AUSA contracted by the University to provide student services. Detractors of voluntary student unionism say that AUSA suffers drastically from VSU, and that VSU undermines AUSA's ability to advocate on behalf of students and provide welfare services. They also say that in controlling the flow of money, the University dictates the terms to some extent of its operations through a Student Services Agreement.

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AUSA currently has free membership, but all students pay the University a Student Services Levy, which the University sets and gives a percentage to AUSA according to the number of members it has. Under compulsory (universal) student unionism, students paid the levy directly to AUSA, and through Annual General Meetings had the power to set this levy, overruling any decision any Executive could make.

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Proponents of VSU, on the other hand, claim VSU means freedom of choice for students. They cite the United Nations declaration of freedom of association. They also paint AUSA executives under compulsory unionism as being wasteful, and believe that under voluntary AUSA executives are forced to be more accountable to members. They claim that the level of intervention is very limited (for example, the conditions are only that AUSA must run orientation and the like). VSU campaigners see student associations as filling a service provider role, rather than that of meeting the need of a community and advocating for students.

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