Students attack plan for private university

Press, 20 April 1988, Page 15

Students attack plan for private university

PA j i Wellington The emergence of another plan to set up a private university in New Zealand has j been condemned by the president of the University Students’ Association, Mr Andrew Little. The Lower Hutt City Council proposal is one of three suggested for (the Wellington area this year. There have also been two to set I up private universities in Auckland. Mr Little said the continuing theme with the proposals was to make money, which I he saw as a perversion of! the job of education. . I "Education! should be an important I part of an individual’s life and to use it just as a means of raising mbney is wrong,”

he said. Mr Little said there needed to be more market research into the feasibility of setting up a private university, j The proposals ( made public so far were aimed at attracting overseas students, he said, j The reason overseas students studied here now was because they did not i have to pay the full cost of tuition as they did in I countries like Australia, I Canada and Britain. If they had to pay to I study at a private univer- . sity with an unproved reputation they might put their money into universij ties in other countries j which had a proved record, Mr Little said. The proposal also lacked any information about the need to provide

student accommodation or support services such as welfare, guidance and counselling help, he said. The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr Glen Evans, said if there was a demand for a private university Lower Hutt would be a good place for it. The Wellington Regional Enterprise Board was seeking overseas financial backing and !the council could help provide a site and a supportive environment.

He said that to attract fee-paying overseas students the university would have to be led! by an! “entrepreneurial academic of high standard,” haye outstanding academic staff, and offer courses which were in demand.