Stalwart of student politics finishing

Mark Baxter is putting his feet up after 26 years' involvement in student politics in Dunedin....
Mark Baxter is putting his feet up after 26 years' involvement in student politics in Dunedin. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Mark Baxter in action. Photos by ODT.
Mark Baxter in action. Photos by ODT.
Mark Baxter in action.
Mark Baxter in action.

After a quarter of a century involved in Dunedin student politics, Mark Baxter is about to move on to something new, Vaughan Elder reports.

The persistent face of Dunedin student politics is stepping into an uncertain future after being restructured out of his job.

Mark Baxter (45) has been involved in student politics for longer than most students have been alive.

When he started as a University of Otago student in 1988, David Lange was prime minister and there were just two TV channels.

He first became involved in student politics at Otago University Students' Association - including occupying the registry for a week in 1996 - before taking up a role at the Otago Polytechnic Students' Association (OPSA) in 2000.

He has been working for OPSA ever since, but restructuring at the student association means he will be out of a job at the end of the year.

He was not ready to say this would be the end of his involvement in student politics, but it ''might be''.

In the past 26 years he has seen a lot of change.

''The first year I studied everything was free. You paid your OUSA levy, that was it. Then it all changed.''

The exponential rise in fees in the 1990s prompted a massive backlash and resulted in marches on the registry - including an attempt to prevent university council members meeting in 1993, which was broken up by riot police, and a week-long occupation of the registry in 1996.

''It was probably a highlight for student politics in that it got a lot of people active.''

Back in 1993 Labour politician Grant Robertson was a student and president of OUSA.

Mr Baxter saw even then he had astute political skills.

''He passionately believed in student rights, yet he could convey that to people of a more conservative nature.''

Despite the protests, fees continued to rise and many students became accepting of regular increases.

He still has fond memories of being part of OUSA's education action group, which co-ordinated marches and protests back in the 1990s.

''Most of my good friends now would be friends from the education action group in the 1990s.''

The end of his time at OPSA came when student politics was at a crossroads, with the introduction of voluntary student membership in 2012 making student associations reliant on institutions, not students, for funding.

This affected how much autonomy student associations had. He felt restructuring at OPSA was likely as a result of the new model.

He could have applied for one of the new positions created, but felt a ''good employer'' would offer current employees a chance at the new jobs if they had any confidence in them.

He was unsure what he would do next year: ''There are many options but none that are lucrative.''

OPSA president Rebecca Swindells did not return calls seeking details about the restructuring.

vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz

 

 


The highs

 

• The introduction of interest-free student loans by the Labour government in 2006.

• The introduction of a 25% bus discount for Dunedin students this year.

• The strength of the student protest movement in the early to mid-1990s when faced with exponential fee increases.

 

The lows

• Despite protests, fees rose exponentially after being introduced in 1989.

• The introduction of voluntary student membership in 2012, which means student associations are no longer funded directly by students.



 

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