Power relations in Universities: " We and Them"

According to Monash University, at a university, professional relationships between staff and students which facilitate learning, research and the exchange of ideas should be facilitated and encouraged. 

The purpose of this procedure is to explain the expectations of staff members with respect to their dealings with students, including relationships with students. 

The nature of the student / teacher relationship or student / supervisor relationship imposes particular responsibilities and duties on the staff member. 

Because of the staff and student roles, a staff member has power over a student even if students are of a similar age to the staff member. 

Nust building (picture by Radio dialogue)

Staff must ensure that they exercise this power in a respectful and fair manner, and that they avoid sexual harassment,bullying, favoritism and exploitation. 

It is a norm among most Universities that when things turn sour the administrators distance themselves from all activities and blame the lecturers and students for the errors that should have been taken care of by the managment.

" We will pay them once Their students have payed fees", "They should tell their students to pay fees on time so that they get their pay in time", Their students owe the Institution a lot of money", these are common saying or phrases uttered by the NUST administrators.

You wounder why the administrators tend to distance themselves from the academics and students.

A University needs a united front that will stand firm and work jointly for the betterment of the Institution.

According to one Academic, Lecturers must stand with their students against management and against the police – the students who fought against the introduction of tuition fees are the same ones standing with staff on picket lines: we owe our students far more than our livelihoods.

Money an Power are two political aspects that can turn the world round and cause a lot of violence. Power and money should be controlled so that student's wellbeing is not trampled one "when the elephants fight"

Stay tuned for more political updates from NUST. Catch you later.

 read more on these issues at:
http://www.radiodialogue.com/nust-lecturers-reject-university-pay-proposal-strike-continues/

 http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-local-byo-64470.html

http://www.chronicle.co.zw/nust-lecturers-go-on-strike/

 http://www.chronicle.co.zw/nust-students-demand-end-to-lecturers-strike/ 

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/09/lecturers-students-preserve-right-protest

www.communicationcache.com/.../power_and_conflict_in_the_student-t...

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/workplace-policy/conduct-compliance/staff-student-relationships.html 

Why should students pay for events on campus

Nust students who attended last year's event ( picture from Southern eye)

It is amazing how NUST handles social activities for students.

Imagine paying for attending the only social pageant made available for students.

some students felt it was the Institutions mandate to make the event free since it did not offer the services they have promised students.  

One student said It is pointless for them to make us pay since they do not even give the contestants worthy prizes.

Bathabile Dlamini one of the Miss Nust pageant winners said: " It is so boring to receive a funny, small hamper with nothing worth the effort and money we part with for  our modeling career." " This demotivates students from participating in these pageants organised by NUST." 

She added that at times as a student you wounder where the money they collect from students as entrance fares is going.

However, some students refused to enter the pageant for free cioting that it is a way of raising funds for the SRC to carter for students wellfare as it is common knowledge to the NUST community that there is no money to carter for all the needs of students.

Mark Ndlovu , a student close with the SRC said there is nothing for free and the reasons his fellow colleagues gave did not hold any water as they seemed unrealistic.

" Am against free things," said Ndlovu " We need money so that if students break the Institution property funds are ready to carter for all the costs and besides money is needed to organise these events and NUST does not have extra cash to use on student entertainment why not channel these funds for education purposes," Ndlovu added.

Some remained curious as they thought such moves were a means of defrauding them of their hard earned cash by the NUST SRC and the organiser of the pageant.

"Hahaha, they only want our money so that they use it on their women and other luxuries," said another student who requested anonymity " I will never fall for their stupid games."

The same questions remain unanswered where is the money going?

Who is benefiting from this money?

What is the SRC doing to communicate such issues with the students?

Is this the kind of body students want to represent them?

Well folks who knows maybe you are the answer to all the questions students have.

last year's miss NUST contestants (picture from Southern eye)

http://bulawayo24.com/sitemap/index-id-news-sc-education-byo-16420-article-Senior+official+%27attempts%27+to+fraudulently+withdraw+Nust+funds.html
http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-entertainment-sc-local-byo-44824.html
http://www.southerneye.co.zw/2014/03/24/miss-nust-2014-pictures/

Is the extra fees for students on attachment justified

picture from Facebook

THE National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has set stringent conditions for students who have not paid registration fees and warned they would be forced to repeat. - See more at: http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-education-byo-11953.html#sthash.zUu8QiLg.dpuf

It has been an issue amongst most students at NUST, they site the fact that they cannot pay more fees when they are not at school.

Most students are attached in places away from their homes and they need money for their wellbeing  in foreign lands.

Carlos Khumalo said we have high rentals and the institution expects us to pay exorbitant fees

He added that: " we pay for internet, sports levy and bus levy whilst we do not use all that and an extra fare for industrial attachment. At times you wounder what all that fees is for they should take into cognisance that most students are struggling to make ends meet as everything is expensive and most attachment places do not pay much".

Another student said the institution is trying by all means to raise funds for its upkeep since it is common knowledge that NUST is bankrupt.

"It is absurd that an institution as big as this one does not care for their students on attachment, why not let those on attachment pay reasonable fees not high fees as they will be away from school, ." said Ngonizashe Muringani.

Where is this money going as students on attachment do not receive any lectures from NUST?

 

Why do students pay for things they will not benefit from?

What kind of institution is NUST that does not consider the hardships students face on attachment?

Is the extra fees and other levies that students on attachment are paying justified?

What is the SRC doing to address such issues?

 http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-39772.html
http://mulingomichelle.blogspot.com/2015/02/blog-post.html
http://mulingomichelle.blogspot.com/2015/02/students-representative-council-src.html 

Miss Nust Postponed

Miss NUST picture from facebook

The Miss NUST pageant has been postponed for three times in a space of a month which leaves most students questioning if the event will be held this year.

This has led to most students who wanted to model to join other pageants  like the Miss Professional since NUST has nothing better to offer its students who are into modelling.

This is seen by most students as an issue to do with mismanagement of funds by the administrators.  The students felt that the administrators are directing the funds meant for the pageant into their own use.

Bathabile Dlamini, a model from NUST said " at times you really ask yourself if they do these events just to please the students or its a mandate," " the tokens we got last year where so embarrassing to even tell people about and they were the same across all participants who won. It is quite disturbing that an institution as big as NUST would reward it's winners with such gifts".

During the Sports events, it is a norm that those who win are given prize money but this time it was a different story as no one got a cent and where even given half cooked food which made a lot of the students sick.

"I do not know what they had put in their food but I got sick after that we where never given our prize money after winning imagine how these guys are, apa I had no bus fare," said Sinqobile Tshandu.

The question then is "WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING". These events are included in the University budget prior to the commencement of the semester.

One student said it is not surprising that this event has been postponed and postponed, it shows how the administrators do not care about students social life and educational life as they are docile when it comes to issues to do with students well-being on campus.

What sort of Administration is there at NUST? Why is it that they turn a blind eye to student satisfaction, in terms of social, educational and Entertainment.

The unfinished buildings, crowding in classes,small library, slow or no Internet, No air conditioning, not enough accommodation, constant power cuts, this is the life of a student at NUST.

picture from facebook

http://www.wherevent.com/detail/Rotaract-Club-of-Miss-Professional-2015
https://www.facebook.com/events/1410709822565647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/785653298195141/