October
Dear Friends
Good News from AIS St Helens
The New Zealand Minister of Immigration has just announced that every international student who graduates with a one or two year diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification in New Zealand will automatically receive a one year Graduate Job Search Permit. Previously this permit was for 6 months. AIS St Helens, in partnership with Immigration New Zealand, issues these permits on campus to all its graduates. The extension of the Graduate Job Search Permit will most certainly improve the attractiveness of New Zealand as a destination for international students.
Also, any English language student who receives IELTS 5.0 AFTER studying in New Zealand, will now be able to apply for a Variation of Conditions to receive the 20 hours/week part time work permit while they are continuing to study English at AIS St Helens.
Please let me know any questions you might have.
Best wishes
Anatole
_____________________
Dr Anatole Bogatski
Director Student Services
and Market Development
Academic Scholarships for Semester 3
The top scholars in Bachelor degree programmes were recognised on 12 October at a ceremony for the award of scholarships for further studies in Semester 3 2007. 12 students received grants of up to $1,100 towards their tuition fees. There were 6 scholarship winners in the Bachelor of International Business and 6 in the Bachelor of Tourism Management, representing the top 5% of Bachelor degree students. Recipients came from China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Tonga and New Zealand.
Scholarships are awarded by AIS St Helens each semester to recognise consistent high achievement in undergraduate degree-level studies. They are based on the GPA (Grade Point Average) of all results over the previous two semesters of the degree, over a minimum load of five courses.
The scholarship winners were:
Academic Excellence Scholarships (GPA of 6.5 and above)
Lisa ~
Dong Liang He
Zhao Li
Dusit Sukhumvithaya
Thi Bich Hanh Tran
Miao Wang
Huai Jia Xie
Academic Merit Scholarships (GPA of between 5.5 and 6.5)
Joel Robert Bell
Alicia Kartika
Sebastianus Radtiya Narenda
Lin Jie Peng
Alisi Akosita Lolohea Tuihalamaka
Pasifika Trade Show (Sione’s Tonga Trip)
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Our Pasifika Marketing Executive Sione Kanongata’a spent the first half of his trip visiting high schools and colleges and talking to directors and principals about our vision to be recognised as a pre-eminent university college with internationally focused programmes. He explained how we strive to demonstrate excellence in the business of developing individuals and giving students quality education. The second half of his trip was spent talking to parents and students at the Pasifika Trade Fair and making presentations on Tonga TV and radio. Sione made a great impact in Tonga and many people received his messages about AIS St Helens.
Marketing Trip to Korea
English Language Centre Head Terry Leotta recently attended an agent workshop in Seoul. The event, organised by English New Zealand, gave language schools the opportunity to meet agents face to face and was very well attended with 68 representatives from 45 Korean education agencies. Terry says it was great being able to talk with agents. “Their feedback is always valuable and it was a good opportunity to talk about students’ needs and how we can best meet those needs.” He notes that agents were interested to hear about the dormitory and the wide range of campus facilities AIS St Helens offers. There were many requests for brochures, flyers and posters, especially for new programmes such as Foundation TESOL. It was Terry’s first trip to South Korea. “Seoul is a great city with lots of friendly people. I enjoyed walking along the river in the evenings and the great variety of delicious spicy food,” he says.
ELC Activities
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ELC students are enjoying the variety of activities on offer at AIS St Helens. Popular recent activites include a trip up Auckland's Sky Tower to enjoy views of the city and professional golf coaching at Chamberlain Park Golf Course next to the campus. Our keen golfers are continuing to learn the secrets of great golf, which is perfect as summer begins and the golf course so close to AIS St Helens. More activities are planned for November, such as Test of English Proficiency (TEP) preparation classes and summer beach outings. An International Festival Day will also take place in November, with music and food to celebrate all the different cultures represented in the English Language Centre at AIS St Helens. Local agents are most welcome to join us on this day - further details of this event will be issued soon.
MBA BBQ for Current Students and Alumni
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AIS St Helens regularly hosts our current students and alumni to campus BBQs. Last week under a beautiful blue sky on the MBA Village Green about 70 MBA alumni and current students along with staff gathered for this traditional Kiwi BBQ. The evening was very relaxed which gave an opportunity for current students and alumni to mix and mingle and talk about how they have progressed through their business careers after graduating with an AIS St Helens MBA. The food, wine and company were excellent. The only dampener was an ominous black Spring cloud that came near the end and soaked us all. In Maori tradition that is considered a blessing.
NZQA Audit
AIS St Helens has just completed its 3 day NZQA audit with a 100% clean report. The auditors, who included a New Zealand Polytechnic representative, said that the students at AIS St Helens were great supporters of the institution and very happy with their teachers and the campus facilities, They complemented us on our enthusiastic, motivated and knowledgeable staff and said that we should be proud of the institutional reputation and culture that is being built at AIS St Helens. The formal Audit Report will be posted on the NZQA website in the next few months.
September
Dear Friends
Our September enrolment has been very positive thanks to all of your strong support. AIS St Helens is committed to ensuring the academic, immigration and career success of the students that you have sent to us. Please let us know if there are any issues or areas where we can help your students achieve their ambitions. This is an area that we take very seriously and are committed to achieving. Their success is our and your success.
Dormitory
Our dormitory and campus houses are currently full. We are extending our student accommodation facilities by converting two buildings to provide a further 16 beds. But these will also fill quickly. If your student has not sent us an accommodation booking form (see attached), then they do not have any guaranteed accommodation on campus. At this time, if your students are enrolled for January 2008 and have sent us an accommodation booking form, they will be included on a wait list. All students arriving late for January 2008 semester will have homestay, backpacker and off-campus dormitory accommodation recommended to them. If they wish to take up these options, we will assist with the bookings after they have arrived.
January 2008 semester
Our January 2008 semester commences on 29 January 2008 for undergraduates and 9 February 2008 for postgraduates.
Please note that any tuition fee payments received for January 2008 semester from 29 January 2008 do not qualify for the 5% discount on full year prepaid tuition fees.
It is in all our interests that you begin the payment and application process for January 2008 semester in good time. The problems with visa issuing is often less with the INZ officers, than with the lateness of the student decision and commencement of bank loan process, tuition payment and visa application process. Please note that any students arriving late on campus will be unable to withdraw from their initial programme of study.
2008 Fees Schedule
Please click on http://www.ais.ac.nz/pages/226/apply.htm for the 2008 Fees Schedule, 2008 MBA Fee Instalment, 2008 Accommodation Booking Form. We have maintained our tuition fees at the same level as 2007 except for a small change to bring the MBA programme majors into a single fee. The 2008 MBA Fee Instalment form includes the single fee level for all MBA majors and reflects the INZ requirement for a full year prepayment. All MBA students using this Fee Instalment form will now find the visa process simplified.
Please note that the dormitory and homestay fees have been slightly adjusted on both the 2008 Fees Schedule and on the 2008 Accommodation Booking Form.
2008 MBA Still 18 Months
We are happy to announce that NZQA has confirmed that our 2008 MBA programme is able to stay at the 1.5 EFTS weighting and the 18 month timeframe. Our 2008 Gold Prospectus records a previous NZQA requirement for all New Zealand MBA programmes to expand to a full 24 month period. So far this is the only variation to the 2008 Gold Prospectus. In 2008 MBA students will be required to complete 20 taught modules over a 12 month period and then submit for defence a Dissertation researched and written over the remaining 6 months – for a total period of 18 months. Please contact us if you have any questions on the MBA requirements for 2008.
Best wishes
Dr Anatole Bogatski
Director Student Services
and Market Development
AIS St Helens
Auckland New Zealand
www.ais.ac.nz
anatoleb@ais.ac.nz
New Activities Programme for ELC Students
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From golf and yoga to basic floristry skills, the new ELC Activities Programme has something for every student. The programme, which provides an activity or outing for each day of the week, is being launched from October 1st. It aims to make fun activities available to students, while teaching them a new skill and promoting the use of English. Traditional Maori flax weaving and games, along with iceskating, tennis, golf and dancing, will all be part of the new programme.
ELC Head of Programme Terry Leotta says AIS St Helens is the perfect venue for many of the outdoor activities. “We have a beautiful natural environment which is very suitable for many activities and sports, such as the golf course just next door, as well as our own tennis courts and gym facilities.”
2007 Graduation
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July
Dear Friends
I have recently been twice to the India market where I visited many friends and have seen the fast development of this market. AIS St Helens is working hard to be a leader in the India market with innovative commission packages and programmes that are market led. We are planning to introduce one year immigration friendly graduate diploma and postgraduate diploma programmes next year that will be perfect for bachelor graduates, with or without work experience. These higher level programmes will complement our three one year Level 5 diplomas in International Business, Tourism Management and Computing and Information Technology.
Please contact me on anatoleb@ais.ac.nz for any comments.
With warm wishes
Dr Anatole Bogatski
Director Student Services
and Market Development
English Language Centre News
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English language students have been tumbling and twirling their way through the latest addition to the activities programme: iceskating. Lack of experience has not put any students off, with many students stepping onto the ice for the first time in their lives – and loving it. Iceskating is part of the English Language Centre’s activities programme. More activities are scheduled for July and August, including a visit to Auckland’s Sky Tower and an afternoon of ten pin bowling.
Scholarships Awarded
The top scholars in bachelor degree programmes were rewarded on 25 June at the ceremony for scholarships for further studies in Semester 2 2007.
14 students received grants of up to $1,000 towards their tuition fees. There were 7 scholarship winners in the Bachelor of International Business programme and 7 in the Bachelor of Tourism Management programme, representing the top 5% of bachelor degree students. Recipients came from China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Britain, Tonga and New Zealand representing the international cross-cultural face of the Institute.
Scholarships are awarded each semester to recognise consistent high achievement in degree-level studies. They are based on the GPA (Grade Point Average) of all results over the previous two semesters of the degree, over a minimum load of five courses.
Academic Director Dr Mike Roberts congratulated all students for their achievement, and noted that some of the students were receiving their second or third scholarship award. He praised the dedication shown by the recipients, and encouraged all students to strive for higher results overall.
The ceremony was followed by a luncheon superbly catered by students from the Hospitality Certificate programmes.
2008 Prospectus
The 2008 AIS St Helens Prospectus will be available and mailed to you all in early August 2007. Please contact us by the middle of August if you have still not received your package with this material by then. Our production team at AIS St Helens has worked hard to finalise the 2008 Prospectus and we would welcome your comments when you have received and read the document.
Three Semesters
Many consultants ask us if we have a September semester. Yes, we do. AIS St Helens is unique in this regard and possibly for that reason September is our largest intake. If we do have student Offers of Place with you for the September semester, remember that you need to begin the NZ student visa application process NOW in order to ensure that the student is with us at semester Orientation Day on 7 September 2007.
Kyoai Gakuen High School
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Learning the world famous haka, traditional Maori weaving and studying real Kiwi English were just some of the highlights of Kyoai Gakuen High School's recent trip to New Zealand. The 73 Japanese students were only here for a week starting from May 22, but managed to fit in all sorts of activities, including a visit to Auckland Museum and shopping at Victoria Park Market. Japanese student services officer Haruyo Kobayashi says the group had a wonderful experience and did not want to leave so soon.
Facilities
AIS St Helens is one of the oldest and largest private degree granting institutions in New Zealand. It is the only private business school in New Zealand offering diploma, graduate diploma, bachelor and MBA programmes, and now has New Zealand's largest MBA programme. We have three semesters in one year – January/February, May, September. Our student Hall of Residence is very popular with over 90 students currently resident. The Hall of Residence has a kitchen and dining area, as well as access to our cafeterias on campus and satellite TV. We are very lucky to have a large green campus that borders on a public golf course (Chamberlain Public Golf Course) allowing all students to practice their golfing skills when not in class or doing self-study. Our indoor basketball gymnasium and other sports facilities, and our fitness centre are very popular at present in the New Zealand winter, with the tennis courts more popular in the summer months. We are also lucky to be close to public swimming pools. All in all, our students benefit greatly from having ready access to the famous New Zealand lifestyle.
Jin Wen University
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47 BTM students and 2 teachers from Jinwen University Taiwan have been with us for one week from 24 to 29 June 2007. Students were studying General English in the English Language Center. Students were very happy with our English teachers and staff. After school, they visited Western Springs and St Lukes Shopping Centre. They also had a very good time with the local Kiwi families. The students gave interesting presentations at their graduation ceremony. One of them has confirmed that he will come back to finish his degree at AIS St Helens.
Student For A Day
Are your students thinking about study but not sure what programme to do? Then perhaps being a student for a day might help them decide on the right programme. Student for a Day is being offered to prospective students who are interested in hospitality, information technology, tourism and business. The student would spend the day at AIS St Helens and participate in the programme of their choice. Each programme organises the day differently but teaching staff will be available to talk with them. Students will need to complete a booking form. We look forward to welcoming your students.
April
Dear Friends
You will have noticed our communication with you has increased in preparation for our May semester starting 21 May 2007. Please ensure that all students that have received offers for the May 2007 semester are well placed to receive their International Student Visa and all other documentation is in place. If there are any difficulties with this process, please contact your Marketing Executive listed below.
PROPOSED FOUR SEMESTER ACADEMIC TIMETABLE FOR 2008
The academic team at AIS St Helens has proposed a new variation on our current trimester system. The new proposal is to offer two normal 14 week semesters – (Autumn Semester) beginning on 17 March 2008 and ending 20 June 2008, and (Winter Semester) beginning 7 July 2008 and ending 10 October 2008, with two shorter 8 week semesters, one at the beginning of the year (Summer Semester) beginning 7 January 2008 and ending 28 February, and one at the end of the year (Spring Semester) beginning 28 October 2008 and ending 19 December 2008. Student holidays will take place between these semester dates.
We are currently discussing this proposal with staff and students at AIS St Helens. We ALSO NEED YOUR FEEDBACK.
This will effectively mean that AIS St Helens will offer four semesters, and four opportunities for your students to begin with us. All four semesters will have equal standing academically in terms of course content. Of course the shorter semesters will require greater intensity from students in order to manage their coursework load. In terms of your cashflow, this will mean four financial periods for you during the year instead of the current three (or two as at public universities).
There are a large number of arguments for and against this proposal. We would like your opinion in terms of your own market dynamics. We are thinking of making this change to create greater flexibility at the entry point for students and greater flexibility for students during the year. With four semesters available, students can choose to do a three semester academic year and use one of the Spring/Summer semesters to work fulltime under the terms of their student visa, to defray their tuition and living expenses. They can also use it as a holiday to enjoy lunar New Year with their family at home.
Please give me your comments. This is essential feedback in our decision making process.
Best wishes
Dr Anatole Bogatski
Director Student Services
and Market Development
AIS St Helens
Auckland New Zealand
www.ais.ac.nz
anatoleb@ais.ac.nz
NZ Business and Creative Design Group
The creation of the NZ Business and Creative Design Group brings together four excellent private education providers offering a diverse range of courses where students can move from one institution to another in a seamless transition. In 2006 AIS St Helens, along with Natcoll Design and Technology, Martin Hautus The Pacific Peoples Learning Institute, and Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design developed an exciting innovative strategy that allows students to complete a foundation course or qualification in one institution and move on to a higher qualification offered in another. Currently AIS St Helens has students studying the Bachelor of Tourism Management programme who completed the Travel programme offered at Martin Hautus. All our friends and agents are encouraged to use these pathways for their students.
English Language Centre (ELC) News
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ELC students and tutors recently soaked up the atmosphere of a live rugby game at Eden Park, watching the home team Auckland take on Sydney.
Not only did students and tutors enjoy the game, but cheerleaders, Mexican waves, dressed up spectators and impromptu performances added to the atmosphere on the night. Students watched the Auckland Blues thrash the Sydney Waratahs 34 points to 6.
ELC Head of Programme Terry Leotta says the event was a huge success. “It was great to be able to introduce our students to an aspect of New Zealand sports culture that they might not otherwise experience. We are planning further social activities for the future to make ELC students’ time in New Zealand fun and enjoyable.”
Business English
A new business English course is being launched in the ELC from May 8th. The course will equip students with the vocabulary and skills to succeed in a cross cultural business setting. ELC Tutor Sarah Balfour says the course is an exciting new programme which motivated students will enjoy. "This course is for students who aim to use English at work and will help give them an advantage with potential employers. It also provides a challenge and something different for high level students."
The full time Business English course runs for 12 weeks from May 8th. The topics covered on the course include business communication, marketing, culture and business and workplace issues. For further details, contact Student Service Marketing.
IELTS Success for AIS Student
Great friends, wonderful teachers and an IELTS score of 7.0 mean Korean student Kim Min-Jung (Hannah) will have lifelong memories of New Zealand and excellent English skills for the future.
Hannah studied in the ELC for 10 weeks and enjoyed all aspects of her experience in New Zealand. “I love NZ and AIS. The most impressive thing is unspoilt nature. Also, I will remember people whom I've met here - they are all kind to me and we shared unforgettable memories,” says Hannah.
Hannah believes the high calibre of teaching at AIS St Helens helped her to achieve her goals. “For me, AIS is the best choice. Thanks to the wonderful teachers, I've learned lots of things, so I could get a good score and my English has improved,” she says.
Her studies were invaluable in preparing Hannah for the IELTS test. “I think the IELTS class is very well-organised according to useful topics. When I sat the exam, I met familiar topics in the writing and speaking test. It was very helpful,” she says. Hannah says she also learned useful time management and exam technique skills.
Hannah finished her studies recently and heads back to Korea, where she hopes to find a job in a multinational company and use her English skills to succeed in the future.
Her advice to students studying IELTS is simple – listen to your teacher. “I don't know if I can give advice to students, but I can say just believe our teachers and follow their teaching methods. The real exam is not so different from our class.”
Volleyball Competition
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A volleyball tournament was held at Asquith Campus on the afternoon of 5th April 2007. This event was started by the IT Programmes and Bachelor of Tourism Management (BTM) staff and will be held each semester, competing for the Asquith Cup. The teams were made up of students from the IT, BTM, Hospitality and Foundation programmes plus a staff team comprising Anupama Naidu, Naweed Qadir, Viane Amato-Ali, Junior Samuela, Sid Sirisukha and Altaf Shaikh. The “Coconut Team” – students from the IT/BTM Programmes – won the Asquith Cup for this semester. The competition was followed by a BBQ.
South East Asia Student Party
A student party for students from South East Asia was held on 5 April from 4 pm till late at the Main Campus cafeteria. The purpose was to celebrate “Songkran Day” which is New Year in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Students enjoyed plenty of South East Asian food and some movies for entertainment.
Chinese Students Association
At a recent meeting, student discussed the structure of the CSA, and the events schedule for the up-coming course break.
Students decided that the CSA will focus on four areas:
· The Literature and Sports Branch, organising activities like BBQ parties, karaoke, indoor soccer and basketball competitions between AIS students in different majors, card and chess games, and other clubs.
· The Learning and Studying Branch which, with support from the Student Services Dept, will organise after class tutorials to help diploma or degree students in preparing assignments, performing well in exams, and will help our English students to improve their English language. Cross-cutural inter-communication channels between the students from different nations may also be developed.
· The Outdoor Entertainment Branch which provides a wide range of outdoor activities. Rather than going outside Auckland, frequent short-distance adventures are preferred. Activities may include hiking, beach volleyball, pinball games, go karting and swimming.
Another branch is being considered to work with other student groups on campus, enabling us to provide more services to AIS students eg. casual job opportunities, sponsorship from businesses and work experience.
March
MBA Update
Students in the 2006 September intake for our Master of Business Administration programme were the first to be able to select a specialisation within their programme of studies. We are busy setting up new classes and attracting high calibre staff to deliver specialist studies in the fields of Finance and Operations and Logistics to accommodate the strong demand from students. The ability to focus on a particular industry within an internationally focussed MBA will make these graduates particularly attractive to organisations that operate in these fields.
While the new specialisations are aimed at new students, there has been an unexpectedly high level of interest expressed by students who have already started their MBA programmes with us, as well as students at other institutions and, surprisingly, from our own MBA graduates. Many of them have said “I wish these options were available when I did my MBA.” We do allow these students to return and gain a double specialisation: (International Business and Finance) or (International Business and Operations and Logistics) or to return and take new specialist modules at the special “alumni rate”. The MBA (Marketing) specialisation will be launched later this year and there are plans to offer other new specialisations such as Human Resources and Tourism Management in the future.
As well as a broad base of business skills, and now specialist knowledge, AIS St Helens MBA graduates have demonstrated that they can undertake detailed research on a practical business issue, prepare a report embodying their research findings, present those findings to senior academics and business practitioners and defend their conclusions. The research component of our MBA equips students with additional skills that cannot be gained from traditional classes and these additional skills are sought by astute employers who need people to help them grow their businesses.
Academic Scholarships Awarded
The top scholars in Bachelor degree programmes were rewarded on 14 March at the ceremony for scholarships for further studies in Semester 1 2007. 14 students received grants of up to $1,000 towards their tuition fees. There were 11 scholarship winners in the Bachelor of International Business and 3 in the Bachelor of Tourism Management, representing the top 5% of bachelor degree students. Recipients came from China, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Tonga and New Zealand, representing the international cross-cultural face of the Institute.
Scholarships are awarded each semester to recognise consistent high achievement in degree-level studies. They are based on the GPA (Grade Point Average) of all results over the previous two semesters of the degree, over a minimum load of five courses.
President Dr Richard Goodall congratulated all students for their achievement, and noted that some of the students were receiving their second or third scholarship award. Academic Director Dr Mike Roberts praised the dedication shown by the recipients, and encouraged all students to strive for higher results overall. The ceremony was followed by a luncheon superbly catered by students from the new Hospitality certificate programmes.
Certificate in Hospitality
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| Bill takes the Chairman’s lunch order | Annie serves Semisi Taumoepeau, the Head of Programme |
The first intake of students for this new programme is now half-way through their studies. Recently one group produced and served lunch to four members of the Directors Team of AIS St Helens and two other staff members as part of their assessment.
The Cookery Tutor, Ros Kelly, reports that the students have completed the cookery component very successfully. They worked hard to produce good quality food and presented it to a very high standard. The students were a little nervous about serving the Directors but managed well.
Elizabeth Warner, Manager of Careers and Alumni for AIS St Helens was one of the guests. She said the students were well presented, caring and attentive to their customers, and produced a very enjoyable meal. Elizabeth was very impressed particularly as six weeks ago these students had no previous experience in the hospitality industry.
Pasifika 2007
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AIS St Helens had a site at the annual Pasifika Festival in March. This year the Institute shared facilities and resources with Martin Hautus with whom AIS St Helens has a cluster relationship. This proved a very worthwhile innovation as courses offered by both schools complemented each other. Career Services shared the AIS St Helens tent and were able to give on the spot advice to students which we were able to supplement with our programme information.
The AIS St Helens tent was staffed by members of the Student Services team – special thanks to Junior Samuela, Djaja Kusno and Catherine Chi who were there for the whole day – and assisted by students from the Bachelor of Tourism Management and Hospitality programmes. Staff members who visited on the day included Dr Richard Goodall and Richard Smith from the Directors Team as well as Semisi Taumoepeau (Head of Arts, Travel and Hospitality) and Viane Amato-Ali who teaches in the Bachelor of Tourism Management programme.
Junior reported that it was a very hot and busy day but also great fun. Staff are now following up on expressions of interest in our programmes from contacts made on the day.
Horikawa High School
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53 teenagers from Horikawa High School in Japan studied in the English Language Centre for a week in March. They enjoyed optional activities every afternoon, including sailing, visiting a sheep farm, walking on famous Auckland beaches, going to Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World and visiting a local high school. The students enjoyed their taste of New Zealand and had a wonderful Kiwi experience. Japanese Student Services Officer Haruyo Kobayashi says they had a fantastic time – and were very sad to leave. ELC tutors report that the students had a very good level of English and were ‘dream students’ to teach. The students performed an emotional farewell concert for their homestay families, including more than a few tears, and enjoyed a small party on their final day. We hope to see Horikawa back at AIS St Helens next year.
ELC Events
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The English Language Centre took advantage of Auckland’s late summer with a classic Kiwi sausage sizzle for students recently. The event was a chance for tutors and students to catch up outside of the classroom and was popular with all.
“It was lovely to talk to students and get to know them better,” says ELC tutor Jackie Chambers.
Six months Open Work Permit
Students can now apply for their visa and permit on campus. This makes it easier for the student as there is no longer a need to supply several documents with the application. Students will only need to complete the application, supply a bank statement, and proof of address.
After graduating students can also apply, on campus, for a six month open work permit and visa. This allows students 6 months to search for work. They do not have to have a job offer to receive this permit.
February
Dear Friends
Happy Lunar New Year to all our friends in Asia.
All of us here at AIS St Helens wish you a very prosperous, healthy and happy year in 2007. In Asia it is the lunar Year of the Pig and also lunar Golden Year. The Golden Pig year will be a very good year for all of us.
AIS St Helens reputation is growing very quickly. In December 2006 we were recognised by the China Ministry of Education as one of the recommended degree granting institutions in New Zealand, listed together with all universities and polytechnics in New Zealand on the “China List for New Zealand Education”. This contrasts with Canada and Australia where there are problems with private institutions and the China Ministry of Education is issuing warnings to their students about studying there.
Last year the New Zealand government recognised our strength and approved our new MBA specialisations in Finance, Marketing, and Operations and Logistics. They also approved five majors in our BIB in Accounting, E-business, International Trade, Management and Marketing, and two certificates in Hospitality. This year in 2007 we have more new programmes ready to be presented to NZQA for approval – the Bachelor of Information Technology with five majors all on the Immigration Skills Shortage List, and one year Graduate Diplomas in business and tourism management.
We will be very grateful if you could check your representation contracts with AIS St Helens and ensure that they are up to date. Contact your AIS St Helens Marketing Executive to update the contract if this is necessary.
Please also check to see if you have received our 2007 Prospectus, 2007 Pathway Brochure, and 2007 Poster. If any of these items is missing then you should also advise us.
Our website is up to date and includes a large number of photo presentations for you to show students when advising them of our programmes. Let us know if there is anything on the website that needs to be edited.
I visited agents in China in January 2007 and was advised by the China Ministry of Education that the Golden Pig Year will be a record year for Chinese students to go abroad for further education. Our wish to you for this special year is that we will be strong partners and that together we will prosper.
Best wishes again from all of us here at AIS St Helens!
Dr Anatole Bogatski
Hospitality
AIS St Helens is now proud to be offering the 14 week Certificate in Hospitality Level 3 (General Skills) programme.
Both tutors, Roz Kelly and Betty Masterson, are really enjoying the new class and getting to know each student individually, a real benefit with a small class (maximum of 18 students). The students have a smile on their faces already when they leave for the day.
The students are given a special uniform, which makes them stand out from the other students, and they will wear it during the practical components of the programme in the Asquith Cafeteria kitchen and also at the Quality Inn West End Hotel. They will also be given a special Chef’s knife set to use during the course and also to keep. These items are included in the students’ fees.
So many “World Events” are taking place in Australasia over the next few years and our students can be part of them. The course is expected to “take off” as the demand for workers in the hospitality industry is increasing daily.
MBA Updates
Currently students in the September ‘06 intake of our new specialised MBA are making their choices between: International Business, Marketing, Finance and Operations and Logistics. Offering specialised programmes of studies within the broad framework of a Master of Business Administration programme was another first in New Zealand for AIS St Helens. Operations and Logistics is a booming field and has attracted considerable attention as work-ready graduates are in strong demand both here and abroad. Finance is increasingly international and again specialists are able to secure well-paid positions in a diverse range of financial institutions.
Attracting highly skilled professionals to deliver these new courses has been a challenge and the fees for these specialisations carry a premium to ensure we can obtain the services of the best instructors in their specialised fields.
A few students from earlier intakes have also recognised the benefits that the new specialised MBAs offer them in progressing in their future careers and have opted to transfer, even though completion of their studies will be delayed by some months.
We consider that the innovative developments we have made to our MBA programme will give us, and our graduates, the competitive edge in the tough international business environment
Careers and Alumni Office
The office this year is organising workshops and seminars to help students while they are studying here at AIS St Helens. Dates have been set for the pre-employment workshops which help students find part time employment while they are studying or fulltime employment once they graduate. Please encourage your students to use these free workshops. Free employment seminars are also being planned for this semester and the first is scheduled for 13 March.
Have any of your student clients recently graduated? If you are aware of where they have found employment or gone on for further study we would love to know. Yearly a report goes to the directors with this vital information. The directors can see the diversity of positions and industries graduates chose and it assists AIS St Helens to keep our programmes relevant and ahead of our industry peers.
Vocabulary Workbooks
AIS St Helens has links with several overseas institutions whose students come to us to finish their degree courses. Each time our staff went to teach these students and prepare them to come and finish their degree courses in New Zealand, our teachers identified students’ lack of vocabulary as an important cause of difficulty. Having a large English vocabulary is a key to successful study in an English-speaking country, especially for tertiary students, and not knowing vocabulary slows students down and eventually costs them more money.
To address this problem and as part of our commitment to helping our students achieve success, we wrote our own series of vocabulary workbooks to help them master the basics of vocabulary before they undertake their studies with us and expand their vocabulary while in AIS St Helens. This has been a two-year project, and we now have a range of workbooks dealing with vocabulary that ALL students MUST know.
The workbooks start from the basic 1st 1,000 common English words, and for this material we have developed a shorter, simplified picture version for beginning students. This material is then expanded in the standard workbook. When students have mastered this material, they can study the pronunciation workbook which covers all but one of the 44 English-language phonemes or sounds.
After this, there are workbooks for the 2nd 1,000 common English words and also the 3rd 1,000 common words, and for those students interested in taking exams or doing degree courses, we have developed workbooks on the Academic Wordlist, words that are essential for tertiary students.
Revision is an important part of all the workbooks, and students should find their vocabulary improving at speed by completing this material. All AIS St Helens students cover this material as part of their general or academic courses during their stay with us, and both teachers and students agree that it is very helpful and well worth the effort.
English Language Center activities
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The introduction of free weekly outings for ELC students has proved very popular. Recent outings to St Heliers, Mission Bay and Mt Hobson have created lots of great photo opportunities and summer fun.
ELC students Takanori Tomaru and Naoko Kaneya left AIS St Helens on a high note last week, determined to return to NZ in the future. Both students said they had a fantastic time while studying English and will miss New Zealand hugely. Classmates and teachers signed a New Zealand flag with personal messages for them to take back to Japan.