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The constitution of the AUSA centers the organisation around student advocacy and the provision of welfare services. Today AUSA has 20,000 members out of 33,000 equivalent full time students currently enrolled at The University of Auckland. 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, Summer Shakespeare, End of Daze, Capping Week , Womensfest, Cultural mosaic, 15 Minutes of Fame (student film festival), Blues Awards , Ecofest, and hosted the first annual Band Competition in 2005. THE EXECUTIVE The AUSA Executive consists of office holders and portfolios Office Holders
Portfolios
MEMBERSHIP Membership of AUSA is free to all current students of the University of Auckland. Non students can join as associate members for a $30 associate membership fee. 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. 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. 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. 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. CRACCUM See Also: Craccum Craccum is the weekly newspaper produced by the AUSA. The name originated from the scrambled acronym of "Auckland University College Men's Common Room Circular". The publication has frequently found itself in legal difficulties due to its deliberate attempts to be controversial. These attempts have included an issue containing methods to create a bomb, and an issue discussing ways to commit suicide. A recent publicity stunt saw Craccum sell its cover - which was ironically bought by Salient , the Student magazine of Victoria University Wellington Students' Association , with the funds from Victoria University 's marketing fund. The joke was on them, as the theme of that issue of Craccum was Corporate Sellouts. Craccum successfully made the point that commercialism would erode the students' voice. BFM See Also: BFM (radio) 95bFM (or simply 'bFM') is a typical student radio station that plays Alternative Music . Like other student broadcasters, it supports local artists well before they become mainstream. Originally started as Radio Bosom - a capping stunt, BFM has gone a long way. Today, with voluntary student union membership, bFM is pushed to make a profit for the Association, and exists more as a corporate entity than a student radio station. EXTERNAL LINKS AUSA owned Businesses AUSA Affiliated Clubs AUSA has over 100 affiliated clubs, a full clubs list can be found here .
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