Q&A with 2024 Otago students’ association President Keegan Wells

Keegan Wells talks about some of the highlights and challenges of her time on the Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) executive, serving as President in 2024, and Postgraduate Representative in 2023, along with favourite memories and lessons learned.

Q&A with Keegan

What are you proud of in your term at OUSA? 

I could not be more proud of the executive. It really is the team that makes or breaks it, and the 2024 executive are some of the most dedicated, kind, and supportive people. I seriously cannot wait to see them flourish in the years to come.

What did you learn from OUSA and use in your career and life ?

One of the most important life lessons I’ve learned has to be that communication is always the right solution. Sitting down with someone and talking to them will give you a better understanding of where they are coming from and why they feel the way they do. There usually is more common ground than expected.

Funny or affectionate memory? 

It was one of the first stories that I wrote for Critic Te Ārohi – we had got an invite to attend the Meatloaf Party, formal wear required. The then editor, culture editor, and I all got dressed to the nines and headed up to Queen Street. The house was one of those old ones with a long, winding dark stairway. The editor stopped half way up, when we still couldn’t hear noise to ask in a grave tone “Oh my god – are WE the meatloaf?” While we were not, there ended up being eight different meatloaves and a hard judging of the event. It was such a funny and quintessentially Dunedin event.

Any regrets or things you wished your team achieved? 

I would say the largest regret would be not getting involved in OUSA earlier. I only started writing for Critic Te Ārohi in my fourth year of undergrad and joined the executive my second/final year of postgrad. There is just never enough time in these roles.

What do you see the focus of OUSA as in the next 5 – 10 years? 

I see the focus of OUSA surrounding the ever-changing environment that we live in. Everything is changing quicker than ever before. Technology, student demands, student expectations, all of it. I believe OUSA, through all of it’s avenues, will be focused on predicting and continuously meeting these demands.

Highlights so far? 

All the mahi done on lecture recording policy from our academic, international, and welfare and equity representatives has just been out the gate incredible. I am super proud of the free speech policy, which I was lucky to be on the working group for. While there is not a single tangible result I am hugely stoked with the mahi we’ve done around engagement this year.

Challenges? 

One of the hardest challenges I’ve encountered has to be around representing all students. As in all 20,000 of them. I’ve constantly internally, and sometimes externally, grappled with the idea of speaking and representing all student voices. There is a tension between ensuring the best outcomes for all students and doing right by those who need it most.