About Us
The Aotearoa Tertiary Students’ Associations (ATSA) is the national student body in Aotearoa. We advocate and represent students in tertiary education across Aotearoa New Zealand.
ATSA’s work is guided and governed by our membership, composed of member student associations across Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to empowering students’ associations to be the best they can at a local level, and to advocate for students at a national level.
Our vision is for an accessible and barrier free tertiary education. We believe that every New Zealander should have the opportunity to be whatever they want to be. This means building a universal, accessible tertiary education system ready to support their dreams whether they choose university, polytechnic or trades training.
Education is inherently good for New Zealand and crucial to the strength, cohesion and advancement of our communities and democracy.
Our Priorities
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We undertake and facilitate campaigns on a wide range of issues that consistently receive national attention and successes. Our campaigns are a mix of longstanding campaigns and targeted campaigns.
We lobby elected representatives in local and central government to influence policy change for students. We regularly meet with the Tertiary Education and Education Spokespeople from major political parties.
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We strengthen and form relationships with allied groups to enhance our goals. We engage regularly with the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Universities New Zealand and Studylink.
We conduct and promote high quality research about tertiary students. Our research addresses a range of issues that impact students from the cost of education, housing, sexual violence and the impact of Covid-19.
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We support local member associations to be strong, independent, resourced representatives. We host annual conferences for member Presidents to meet and connect.
Campaign
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Campaign | Represent | Support |
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Campaigns
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Represent
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Support
NZUSA History
ATSA formed from inspiration from NZUSA - no national assoication anymore
NZUSA was formed in 1929. Its initial members were Auckland, Victoria, Canterbury and Otago, and to begin with it was known as the New Zealand National Union of Students (NZNUS). In 1935, the name was changed to NZUSA.
NZNUS’s initial concerns were debating, sport, internal affairs, travel and foreign affairs. Running competitions such as the Joynt Scroll (debating) and the Bledisloe Medal (oratory) consumed a significant amount of time. At that stage there was no national office, and the members of the NZNUS executive were dispersed around New Zealand on their respective campuses.
As time went on the organisation began to grow in size. Accordingly NZUSA established a national office in Wellington and expanded its activities. For example in the 1950s student health services at universities, which many students today take for granted, were poorly developed and a matter of concern for students. NZUSA was instrumental in ensuring students received better health care while studying.
In the 1960′s NZUSA became more active in wider social issues. During this period NZUSA delegates opposed the war in Vietnam and the operations of New Zealand’s homegrown espionage organisation, the Security Service. NZUSA also advocated for homosexual law reform and fought against racism in immigration policy.
NZUSA also became heavily involved in international affairs. There had already been a South African Scholarship and NZUSA added a South East Asian Scholarship Fund.
This was used to make donations to Indian and South African students. The apartheid system in South Africa was of particular concern, and much of NZUSA’s international efforts were aimed at helping those suffering its effects. NZUSA also became a member of international groups such as the International Student Conference.
Education had always been the primary concern of NZUSA. In the first fifty years it had been active and influential in student bursaries, quality of teaching, entrance standards, university funding and student support policies. However with the introduction of user pays education in the late 80s and early 90s NZUSA became focused on fees, loans and allowances.
The last two decades have seen an upheaval in the tertiary sector. Government funding has declined dramatically and students have, as a result, acquired huge amounts of debt through the Student Loan Scheme.
NZUSA continues to represent and advocate for all past and present tertiary students, fighting for a fairer and more equitable high quality tertiary education system.
In 2006, NZUSA changed its’ name from the New Zealand University Students’ Association to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations to better reflect its membership and desire to be a national voice for all tertiary students in New Zealand.
