In order to garner a greater student audience, the executive held its meeting in the university’s Main Common Room. One spectator attended with sushi in hand, though Critic assumes he was simply trying to watch the football playing on the projector.
President Paul Hunt spoke of the upcoming referendum which he was “happy to admit” he had submitted extra questions for. Hunt revealed that one of the questions related to NZUSA. “Hopefully this makes it more exciting,” he said. We can only hope.
Hunt revealed that 20,172 students are enrolled in the university this semester. In order for the referendum to be valid, OUSA needs 1008.6 students, five percent, to vote.
Recreation Officer Jonny Martin spoke of the Festival for the Future he recently attended. Martin said the festival was “incredibly inspiring”. There were many ideas that Martin said OUSA “can support and should support”.
Hunt said the executive need to “put our heads into” the upcoming 2016 budget. This will happen in the immediate two weeks after elections. The recently conducted student services survey has closed, and the executive will use the feedback to organise next year’s budget.
OUSA CEO Debbie Downs said she had spoken with the managers of different departments and “advised” them not to endorse candidates for the upcoming election. Downs also said current executive members who are running for re-election are under strict instructions not to use OUSA resources — “staff are one of these resources”. Downs also said printing and photocopying in OUSA are against the rules.
Admin Vice-President Isaac Yu said the policy committee had discussed the issue of executive members endorsing potential candidates. Yu said no rules had changed since last year, and that executive members were able to endorse others as long as they used a disclaimer that said they were not endorsing in their capacity as an OUSA executive member.
Welfare Officer Payal Ramritu said her neighbourhood project was kicking off, and she is meeting with the DCC and the university next week. Ramritu said the project aims to “make living better for students”, which includes improving flats “structurally and socially” and also targets waste and energy consumption.
The spectator continued to sit and eat his sushi once the meeting had closed.
