Peter has been nominated as a Court of Convocation candidate for the Victoria University Council. His official statement, accompanying the nomination, reads:

I taught at Victoria (first in the English Department and then for 24 years in the School of Music). I have been chairing the Tertiary Education Commission’s Creative and Performing Arts panel in the PBRF exercise since its inception, and was a member of the equivalent panel in the UK’s Research Assessment Exercise (2008). As Chief Executive of the NZSO for nearly a decade I worked productively with other arts organizations, with government and with the business community. A member of the NZ Institute of Directors, my governance experience includes the NZSO itself (Deputy Chair, 1996-2002) and the Health Sponsorship Council (2008-2012).

The University has a unique role in pursuing learning and research without regard to immediate employment outcomes or social applicability. I would defend this traditional role. I also want to encourage, where relevant, a strongly focused relationship between higher education and the professions. Victoria must continue to foster a research culture and produce graduates who are well-grounded in their chosen disciplines, with the mental flexibility that facilitates vocational choice. For this the University needs to preserve academic leadership.

Peter has strong ties with Victoria. He and his wife Kathryn were students there in the late 1960s. (Kathryn is now a Professor of English Literature at Victoria.) Both their daughters, Helen and Alison, are Victoria Graduates. Peter cares deeply about tertiary education in New Zealand and, in particular, the reputation and performance of his alma mater. He writes: “My student years at Victoria were transformative. My horizons were widened and I was given a thorough intellectual grounding that prepared me first for postgraduate study abroad and then for what has turned out to be a richly varied career. I would like to do all I can to ensure that students today gain similar stimulation and are given a substantial preparation for a future that will be personally rewarding and that will contribute to the welfare of New Zealand society.”

An election will be held on line or by postal ballot concluding at 5 pm on 25 October. All Victoria graduates are eligible to vote in the election. The VUW website describes the process as follows:

To be eligible to make nominations and vote in the election, you must be actively enrolled on the Court of Convocation Register. Graduates of Victoria are automatically enrolled, but if you have not voted since 2004 you must re-register [before 5 pm on 27 September] by calling Alumni Relations on (04) 463 9665 or by email alumni@vuw.ac.nz. Voting will be conducted primarily online. Please ensure you have provided us with a valid email address, or notify us if you prefer to receive voting material in the post.