The ramifications of voluntary student membership have been vast. That much politicians, academics and past and present Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) executive members agree on.
However, opinion about whether the legislation, which was the Bill of former Act New Zealand MP Heather Roy, has compromised the independence of the association, or strengthened the student voice in university decisions, remains as divided as support for the Bill was.
OUSA vice-president Jarred Griffiths is at the end of what he says has, at times, been a ``frustrating'' year on the student executive.
He says he has come to realise the role of the OUSA has changed from a body for student advocacy to an association very closely linked with the university.
VSM has meant student associations have become ``increasingly reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them'', he says.
This reluctance to speak out is the consequence of the transfer of funding of the associations' services from students to institutions.
However, institutional funding of student associations is the lesser of two evils, he says.
``Fortunately, OUSA and the university have a strong relationship and probably some better terms than others around the country.
``Certainly, some associations faced substantial and savage cuts after VSM.''
The signing of a service level funding agreement between the university and the OUSA in 2012 served to fill the gap made by the loss of mandatory student association membership, preventing significant changes to student services.
But such financial reliance on funding from the university administration, rather than students, comes at a cost, Mr Griffiths argues.
``Certainly, when a controversial issue comes up, whether it be the cuts to the humanities departments, divesting from fossil fuels, or any of those types of issues, it is on the fronts of peoples' minds as to what the effect on the relationship of the association and the university will be.''
University of Otago vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne says both the university and the OUSA have worked hard to make VSM work.
Rather than diminishing the student voice, VSM has helped make it louder, Prof Hayne says.
``Before I became the vice-chancellor, I always found it odd that people talked about the university and the OUSA as if they were two unrelated groups ...
``I also find it odd when people claim that OUSA has somehow lost their voice under VSM.
``Nothing could be further from the truth.
``Student representation is firmly embedded in all of our processes. Rather than yelling from the sidelines, students now have a seat at the table.''
But a seat at the table does not mean the OUSA has not changed ``radically and unhelpfully'' as a result of its response to VSM, former the OUSA student executive member and Act party MP Hilary Calvert says.
Ms Calvert, who supported the Bill in 2011, and still supports it, describes the decision by the OUSA to sign the service level funding agreement as ``panicked''.
``A union doesn't go into partnership with its workplace.''
Before VSM, the OUSA was ``essentially a compulsory union'', she says.
``The idea of union is to be the best union you can be.
``I believe that you need to not coerce people into joining. I think everyone can choose to be a member of a union in general.''
Under VSM, University of Otago students are automatically made members of the OUSA free, and can choose to ``opt out'' of student membership by emailing the association.
Ms Calvert argues such a system benefits the university more than students.
``I think the university needs the OUSA because then they can say we have consulted with somebody to put a tick in a box.
`They can say that `we are all on the same page'.''
The OUSA could have developed a truly independent student voice under VSM, if it had become voluntarily funded by students, she argues.
Labour Finance spokesman and former OUSA and New Zealand University Students' Association president Grant Robertson says under VSM student associations had to become reliant on institutions in order to survive.
Consequently, student voices have been stifled.
``The Government was in a period of time where it wanted to silence its critics, and that's what it did.
``Student associations have had a long record of standing up to the Government.
``Whichever party it is, I might add, Labour governments as well as National governments, because they are there to advocate on behalf of students.
``Their ability to do that has seriously diminished.''
VSM has also put serious strain on services for students, something Mr Robertson thinks the University of Otago has responded to well.
``I think what you have got now is the provision of services ranging all around the country from some associations providing clubs to meet, to the educational support type services.
``So the role of associations now varies hugely. It all depends on how much money people have got.
``The agreement that was struck between OUSA and the university was a very good one because it certainly enabled them to continue doing a large amount of the services they have traditionally done.''
UNIVERSITY of Otago dean of the Faculty of Law and OUSA life member Prof Mark Henaghan has similar praise for the decision by the university to fund the OUSA, but says it does change the power balance.
``I think OUSA do a really good job, but I think it makes it that little bit harder for them to do that.
``It has shifted the balance a little bit. It is hard on one hand when I think the university does a very good job supporting student events, but it is more difficult to question things when you are questioning the people that are financially supporting you.''
An active student voice and ability to challenge institutional dominance is crucial for a robust civic society, Prof Henaghan says.
But the OUSA is not the breeding ground of civic education that it once was, Ms Calvert says.
``It [being on the OUSA executive] is an ability for people to have a play at politics, although I would hate to think that they thought that was proper politics.
``One of the down sides is, it is one of the first times people learn about politics and whether they can make a difference, and so you take that away from the university, so you can't really make a difference as a student, then you are taking away the place where people learn they can.
``We have taken away a crucial place to learn how a proper democracy works. It is not a proper democracy, what is going on down there.''
Prof Hayne points out that there are many platforms which ensure the student voice is preserved.
The University Council, student media (Critic magazine and Radio One) as well as student representatives on committees and advisory groups, are all examples of the healthy student voice, she says.
Prof Henaghan fears there is a demise in the responsibility felt by students to be politically engaged.
He does not believe students are totally apathetic, though.
``Ideally, we would go back to compulsory membership, but I think if we don't, then students have to think for themselves, which is part of being a university student.
``Do we want to be an independent voice of the university or go along with whatever happens, just go along with it?
``I would have thought as a student that's the most important thing. It is always important in any society to question things. That's part of living in a democracy.''
Mr Griffiths says there is no doubt the OUSA still advocates for the interests of students.
Five years on from VSM, the student voice is a changed one.
But with 4600 students, out of the institution's 18,421 full time students, turning out to vote last month for the 2017 OUSA executive, it is a voice that is still holding on.
