Services and Facilities

OPSA operates a number of free or low-cost services and facilities for members:

OPSA STUDENT ID CARDS
Your key to all the services and benefits of an OPSA member. All Otago Polytechnic students are entitled to an ID-card. These are processed at the OPSA office. Bring your OP invoice and some photo-ID (eg driver's licence, passport, etc).
Use your ID-card to access UNIPOL, Clubs & Socs, Student Job Search, the Bill Robertson Library, to access OP computers, and to get student discounts.

OFFICE SERVICES & SHOP
OPSA offers a range of handy office and related services:- Cheap Phone-cards, Cheap DCC Rubbish Bags, Lamination, Binding, Fax, Colour printing and Photocopying, Cheap CDs & DVDs, Stamps & Mail-collection, Diaries, Wall-planners & pens, Secondhand-Books, Rideshare tokens, Budgeting & Tenancy advice, ISIC travel cards, Free Pool, OP exam compliant Calculators, and more...

The OPSA Office is a good place to find out about advocacy, mediation, and other help. The OPSA Office can be found upstairs in the Student Centre on Harbour Tce.

• Mondays to Thursdays: 9am - 5pm
• Fridays: 9am - 3pm

• Contact Us & Map

• Price List of cheap stuff for students at OPSA

OPSA also provides free student telephones, microwaves and water-filters on OP's various campuses.

UNIPOL Sports & Recreation Centre
OPSA owns 20% of the UNIPOL sports centre on Anzac Avenue, and OPSA members can use the centre for FREE. At UNIPOL you'll find social and competitive sport, a gym with cardio and weight training areas, aerobics classes, volleyball and basketball courts, sporting equipment, and pool, snooker and table tennis tables, and low-cost equipment hire. Over 10,000 students use UNIPOL each week.

• Mondays to Friday: 6am - 11pm
• Saturdays: 8am - 9pm
• Sundays: 9am - 11pm

Phone Unipol on 479-5888 or email UNIPOL to make enquiries or bookings.

CLUBS & SOCIETIES
The Clubs & Socs building is at 84 Albany St. It's a facility where student groups can meet, and students can take a sauna, play snooker, make music or study. They also run a large number of low-cost courses, ranging from dancing to stonecarving to kickboxing.
The facility is owned by the Otago University Students' Association, and OPSA members are allowed to use it. Students can use rooms in the building at no cost.

• More information


STUDENT JOB SEARCH
SJS is a nationwide service run and funded by students, with a contribution from the government. It aims to place students in work while they study or during the holidays, and has a high success rate. The three students' associations in Dunedin combine to run SJS here.
SJS can be found at 640 Cumberland St (opposite the Otago Museum).
Phone Student Job Search on (03) 477-9509.

SOCIAL EVENTS
OPSA runs various social events through the year. Check your free polytech e-mail account, or keep an eye out in Gyro or the Social Event Diary on this web site.

• Happy Thursdays – cheap jugs, smoke-free, occasional entertainment, free pool…POSTPONED until further notice
• Bands, performers, etc at lunchtimes
• Orientation
• Quizzes & BBQs
• Playstation/Xbox on the BigScreen
• Polytechnic Graduation Parade & Ball
• Competitions…

If you have any ideas or suggestions, or want to help organise events e-mail the Association Services Officer – he’s always looking for keen helpers…

LOST PROPERTY
OPSA deals with lost property at OP. If you've lost or found something let us know: OPSA office (upstairs, Student Centre), 477-6974, or e-mail the Association Services Officer.

• Mondays to Thursdays: 9am - 5pm
• Fridays: 9am - 3pm

STUDENT DISCOUNTS
OPSA organsies student discounts in the Otago area. Most require you to show your OPSA ID-card. Check out the list of discounters here.

SPORTING "BLUES" AWARDS
OPSA recognises those individuals who have achieved sporting excellence at local, national and often international levels.
In addition to being outstanding performers, recipients must have also displayed a high standard of sporting behaviour and have contributed to their club or sport (i.e. coaching, administration, leadership etc).

GRADUATION AWARDS
Every year OPSA gives awards for students who have given excellent service to fellow students in their school or class, by helping with course related work, attending departmental meetings on behalf, or has been an inspiration to study with etc. Contact me for a nomination form.

FREE CAMPUS PHONES
OPSA provides many free phones for students on campus. There phones at: Art School (Ceramics, Leith Block, Albany Block), Tennyson St, L Block, Bill Robertson Library, Botanic Gardens campus, andCromwell campus. There are taxi phones in the Student Centre.

SECOND-HAND TEXT BOOK SHOP
OPSA sells students' second-hand text books on their behalf. Students put prices on their books, and OPSA forwards the money to students when the books are sold. Come up and look for a bargain! Click here for a current list of books for sale.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE
This is made up of members of the OPSA Executive Committee and other interested students. The social committee plans and organises campus social events. If you're interested or have ideas for the Social Committee contact OPSA's Association Services Officer.
• See what events are currently planned - OPSA Events Diary

Gyro :: FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE
Gyro comes out about every four weeks, and focuses on issues which are important to students. You can pick up your free copy from the Student Centre, or from one of the holders around campus. All students are welcome to contribute articles or reviews etc to Gyro, or send in letters.
• Contact one of the editors
• Read Gyro online

REPRESENTATION
All students are represented by OPSA at various levels. OPSA has representatives on the Otago Polytechnic Council, Academic Board, Faculty Boards and more. The association also represents students' views to the local community and nationally.

UNIQ
For all your all your questions, concerns and suggestions with regard to 'queer' issues on campus.
• Check out the latest UniQ newsletter

ADVOCACY & COMPLAINTS
Students who are experiencing personal or course related problems are welcome to approach the OPSA President, Association Manager, or Association Services Officer who can offer confidential advice and support, or act on behalf of students. They can be found at the OPSA office (upstairs in the Student Centre on Harbour Tce), tel (03) 477-6974.
Complaints can be to do with problems with your course, your landlord, your finances - whatever is bugging you, let us know and if we can't help we can link you up with someone who can.

HARASSMENT
Harassment of any sort is not tolerated at Otago Polytechnic. You have the right to enjoy your time at OP without being made uncomfortable about your age, gender, race, religion, or sexuality.
OPSA is often the first port of call for students experiencing harassment problems. The Polytechnic has a procedure for handling complaints, and OPSA is here to support students through that procedure. If you think you are experiencing harassment from another student or a staff member, contact Lesley Scoullar or Mark Baxter, ring them on 477-6974.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
OPSA gives information on finding assistance to students experiencing hardship. OPSA and Otago Polytechnic administer the student hardship fund through a committee. This committee meets weekly, and is able to offer grants, interest-free loans and advice to students in hardship. To apply for assistance, fill out a form at OPSA.
OPSA also has information on scholarships and award schemes available to students.

DEPARTMENTAL GRANTS
Each class is entitled to a small grant from OPSA to help with social events, exhibitions, study and conference grants. To apply, fill in a request form at OPSA or download one from here.