Uncomfortable questions
Sonoda Village, where Pendrous died, had 54 students per RA. That appears to be the highest of any first-year hall in the country.
Three other Clv-run Canterbury halls also had extremely high ratios, ranging from 42:1 to 53:1. Other universities around the country average about 30:1.
It’s not the first time privately run halls have come under fire for sub-par services.
In 2006, Australian-listed Ingenia Communities Group bought two Victoria University halls, Cumberland House and Mckenzie Apartments, and contracted CLV to run them under the name Unicomm.
Within two years, students were upset with the conditions of the halls, which included asbestos, extensive flooding, and burst sewage pipes, with no rent reduction to compensate.
Residents launched a protest during the university’s open day in 2008 and more than 400 signed a petition, which the students’ association took to the university council.
In 2014, the company listed the two halls, plus Weltec’s Education House, for sale at a suggested value of $55m. Both halls are now fully operated by the university itself.
CLV is now contracted to operate just two Victoria halls, Te Puni Village and Everton Hall, which caters to older students. It also manages the newly opened Otago Polytechnic hall, two halls at AUT, and halls at all three Massey University campuses.
The only other major player invested in privately run university halls is Unilodge, which operates Stafford House at Victoria and three locations affiliated to the University of Auckland.
Marketing material sent to prospective students does not specify a difference between Unilodge and university halls, and only university logos appear on information sheets.
There are no regulations governing how university halls must operate. Each institution runs them as it sees fit, which can lead to huge variations in processes around the country.
In the aftermath of Pendrous’ death, the University of Canterbury promised an independent investigation, and CLV said it would look into its own practices.
Around the country similar conversations are taking place. Education Minister Chris Hipkins instructed all universities to report back to him on their current pastoral care standards.
Massey’s accommodation team held an urgent meeting of staff from its three campuses yesterday.
Stuff understands that staff raised concerns about the quality of RA training and support, and the number of students in the care of each RA. Massey halls have about 30 students per RA, in line with the national average.
In an email circulated to staff, vice-chancellor Jan Thomas promised Massey would look into new tools that would help RAS be more systematic in their interactions with residents, and some method of reporting when a student repeatedly misses meals in catered accommodation.
Reviews are under way at Waikato and Victoria as well, though they have not specified what the focus of those reviews will be.
When asked, Otago and Auckland both said they were currently satisfied with their quality of care and didn’t feel a review was necessary.
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations president Caitlin Barlow-groome called for national standards to be put in place across all universities, and Hipkins has signalled that is likely to happen.
‘‘It’s clear there is a regulatory gap and it is something we’re looking at as a matter of urgency,’’ Hipkins said.
He declined to be interviewed or to provide any further information about what those regulations might look like, as advice was still being sought.