We've been around for over 125 years, providing students with the ultimate experience while studying! OUSA membership is free to University of Otago students. However, if you do not wish to be part of the Association simply email us with your name and student ID number to let us know you'd like to opt-out.

OUSA Assets

OUSA owns, on behalf of our members:

• The University Bookshop – a consistent finalist in booksellers’ awards
• Magazine (Critic) free on campus, every Monday
• Media advertising arm (Planet Media) dealing with all our print, website, radio and event advertising and sponsorship
• A radio station (Radio One) – live streaming lets you listen wherever you are
• Recreation Buildings – the Clubs and Societies Centre and the Aquatic Centre

OUSA Partners

Student Job Search

Since the millennium, SJS has matched students with over 400,000 jobs.

Student Job Search (SJS) is a registered not for profit charity and 100% student owned by Students’ Associations across the country including OUSA. Established in 1982 by the (now) Ministry of Social Development, SJS’s main purpose was to alleviate student poverty. Today, SJS’s core service has grown to include aligning the needs of employers looking for their ideal employees with the needs of all tertiary students looking for work.

SJS provides a free service to employers and tertiary students of member institutions and is New Zealand’s leading employment service connecting tertiary students seeking one off, casual and part time work. Other services are also offered (albeit on a smaller scale) including permanent job recruitment.

Our website hosts over 3,000 jobs at any given time with a wide variety of jobs suitable for students from both private household and business employers. Jobs can range in nature from low skilled manual labour to highly skilled technical roles. SJS is unique to New Zealand and represents the country’s largest pool of emerging talent. Between July 2016 and June 2017, SJS filled over 27,000 jobs with students who collectively earned $83 million as a direct result.

To find out more, follow the link to the SJS website: https://www.sjs.co.nz/

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA)

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has a long and proud whakapapa (genealogy) of supporting students. Founded in 1929 it has tirelessly advocated and represented students for over eighty years.

NZUSA has a leadership role in facilitating pro-student campaigns, undertaking research about the impact of tertiary education policy, monitoring the quality of education throughout NZ, and coordinating and supporting Student Job Search (SJS) to act with one unified student voice.

NZUSA has a close treaty partnership with Te Mana Akonga (TMA), the National Māori Student Body. NZUSA makes an annual koha to TMA and dedicates the resources of the office towards the TMA Tumuaki (President)

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) advocates for the common and collective concerns of students.

NZUSA believes that tertiary education should be a right and not a privilege, and therefore, advocates for equal access and opportunity for all.

NZUSA lobbies the Government, provides information to the general public and liaises with the media on student issues.

Physically NZUSA is situated in Wellington. But NZUSA is made up of a network of student associations all around New Zealand including OUSA

To find out more, follow the link to the website: http://www.students.org.nz/