UCSA History
They say that if we don't understand our past then, we will never progress in the future. Well, at least that is what high school history teachers say to justify their existence. Dave Holliday, a member of the student Exec has taken this lesson to heart and prepared a brief history of the UCSA for you, if you are interested (or procrastinating). Or both. His intention was to help UCSA members have a bit more understanding of where the organisation has come from, and highlight a few interesting things while he was at it.
A brief, incomplete history of the UCSA
In terms of the international community, student associations in higher education have been seen to challenge status quo and present a voice for socially progressive change. The UCSA has been the voice and support of students at Canterbury University for more than 100 years. We believe its rich history is relevant to the traditional and non-traditional student alike.
The UCSA currently aims to provide a wide range of activities and support in student life; this history hopefully reflects a testimony to its constant focus on how to best represent students, ensuring the enjoyment of our members and raising concerns in campus life. In the current age of information, apathy can be a significant problem for representation. This type of complacency does not help define the voice of a collective; therefore obtaining a decent understanding of the collective's history is important for this voice to make sense. So here are a few brief highlights of the UCSA and the students who have gone before us:
Timeline
1873
June 16: Canterbury College is established.
1876
The college acquired its first full time student (James Hay).
1881
The college awards Helen Connon to become the first female honours graduate in the British Empire.
1893
The college awards Apirana Ngata of Ngati Porou, becoming the first Maori graduate.
1894
Students' Union is formed, (established to provide a voice for a small group of people).
1917
Graduate Ernest Rutherford, discovers (and names the proton), leading him to be credited for "splitting the atom".
1929
Students' Union building opened. In modern times this building has housed the Dux de Lux.
1933
Canterbury College becomes Canterbury University College.
1953
The Drama Clubs "Little Theatre" was destroyed by fire, along with costumes built up over 25 years. In the same year a memorable inner city pub-crawl 'Haka Party' was carried out at £1 per head.
1957
Canterbury University College becomes the University of Canterbury. Students go crazy '50's style by removing and painting many street signs to map out their boat race. The City Council billed the association and the President was reprimanded.
1967
The Ilam campus Student Union building was opened, with architecture of modernist design. It was described at the time by University Professor Alan Danks as a "skeletal encrustation".
1968
The UCSA became one of the first institutions anywhere to carry out academic course evaluation surveys independent of the University.
1969
The UCSA President position becomes a full time, paid position.
1976
A radio broadcasting license was issued, launching the UCSA into the community as Radio U (now commonly known as RDU).
1981
Current Prime Minister John Key graduates from UC with a BCom.
+ Mass demonstrations occur throughout 1981 with large student involvement against the Springbok tour.
1986
Infamously, the 6 members of the Student Exec were called for to resign at a Special General meeting after they chose to institute a 50 cent cover charge on Happy Hour at The Foundry.
1988
Students rally and carry out a mock funeral for the death of free education (Black Wednesday).
1992
Association cat "Bentley" launched a bid for the 1993 Presidency of the organisation. Despite a well-run campaign, Bentley eventually came a close second. Despite the loss, Bentley continued his involvement with the UCSA, living in the building, having a bar named after him and writing a gossip column for Canta.
2001
UCSA joined forces with UC to temporarily close the University in protest of the Governments funding of the tertiary sector.
2001
The UCSA takes a tentative step into teaching its own classes in competition with the University, launching Wizardry 101: For beginners in the ancient magical art. The Wizard of Christchurch delivered the lectures.
2007
UC students, the UCSA and its affiliated society "ENSOC", gain national and international attention for student misbehavior in Dunedin, following the student car rally, the UNDY500.
2010/ 2011
Destructive Earthquakes occurred in the Canterbury region. The UCSA assists UC students to form a "Student Volunteer Army" to help clean up mess (gaining national and international attention).
Student Protests
Students have commanded an influential voice, since the first recorded UC student protest in 1878. These protests have often reached into matters concerning the public domain; such as the student lead speeches to a crowd of thousands in a post-war Procesh (academic parade/protest) in 1919. In the late 1800's the Women Suffrage movement was widely viewed as a progressive movement in Canterbury College; which respectively and promptly integrated the cultural shift.
Informed protests became to be significant achievements of many students in the late 1960's through to the early 1980's. Seen as a 'generation in dissent' local and abroad issues were tackled and protested against, involving issues like peace, race, environmental and imperialism prerogatives. From New Zealand entering the Vietnam War to South African apartheid to an unwanted development in the Mackenzie basin.
Challenging and resisting the government's plans for rearranging the higher education system have been demonstrated in a variety of ways. UCSA received New Zealand's attention in 1981 when it led students in storming the University's registry building, in protest to administrative decisions. It was carried out as a display of resistance to administrative decisions. This action was repeated in 1999, when the University tried to initiate a huge increase in student fees. In this case the students occupied the registry building for a number of days. Similar protests have been carried out as recently as 2006.
So... from the social beginnings of creating a student group attending the small College of Canterbury, the association has grown into a diversified business. Year to year freshly appointed student executives supply various takes and approaches on how to represent students. With a community as diverse as a University, there are always differing views and opinions, the UCSA every year aims to continue best representing it's student body.