University of Newcastle Students' Association
| University of Newcastle Students' Association | |
|---|---|
_logo_2020.png){kind=logo} | |
| Abbreviation | UNSA |
| Established | 28 April 1954 as Newcastle University College Students' Association |
| Registered as company | 27 May 2020 as University of Newcastle Students' Association Ltd. |
| Address | UNSA Building, University Drive, Callaghan 2308 |
| Governing body | Board of Directors |
| Previous names | Newcastle University College Students' Association (NUCSA) (1954-1964) Newcastle University Students' Association (NUSA) (1965-2020) |
| Membership | Students of the University of Newcastle |
| Website | www |
The University of Newcastle Students' Association (UNSA) is the student organisation at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia (UON). The organisation provides a range of student services and supports campus life activities and events. UNSA facilitates the UON's elected Student Representative Council (SRC) which is the peak representative body for all students at the University.
Structure and Governance
UNSA is a not-for-profit Australian Public Company Limited by Guarantee with a governing board consisting of nine directors. The board's composition includes six elected students and three appointed directors.
Services
UNSA enhances the lives of students at the University of Newcastle by providing[1]:
- Student representation and advocacy
- Welfare and support services
- Campus activities and events
- Clubs and societies
- Student media, including Opus magazine
- Equipment hire
- Subsidized and free food on campus
- Discounted training courses
- Sporting and gym facilities
Student Representative Council (SRC)
UNSA's representative structure facilitates the Student Representative Council (SRC) as the peak representative body for students at the University of Newcastle. Prior to the reforms to student representation commencing from 2016-2020 and the transition to UNSA Ltd, the NUSA Council had a duel role of both the governing body of the organisation and the principle SRC for UON. [2] Representatives on the SRC are elected by the student body in annual elections in Semester 2 each year. [3]
Representative structure
The SRC's structure incorporates several representative committees and bodies, each chaired by an office holder elected to the SRC. These include portfolio committees for Education, Wellbeing & Welfare, Engagement & Experience; a Postgraduate Student Senate; an International Student Senate; Campus Committees; and Collectives for Disability, Indigenous, Queer and Women's representative groups.[4]
Elected positions on the SRC include:
- President (Chair);
- Vice-President Education;
- Vice-President Engagement & Experience;
- Vice-President Welfare & Wellbeing;
- International Students’ Senate Convenor;
- Postgraduate Students’ Senate Convenor;
- Disability Collective Convenor;
- Indigenous Students’ Collective Convenor;
- Queer Collective Convenor;
- Women’s Collective Convenor;
- Newcastle Campuses Committee Convenor;
- Central Coast Campuses Committee Convenor;
- Cloud Campus Committee Convenor;
- Sydney Campus Committee Convenor; and
- Port Macquarie Campus Committee Convenor.
That are also several positions that are elected externally to the SRC and hold ex-officio membership on the Council:
- Student Member on University Council;
- Student Representative of Academic Senate; and
- Student Accommodation Representative.
The SRC Executive consists of the President, the three Vice Presidents and the two Senate Convenors. [5]
Student politics at UON
Consistent with the historical dominance of Labor Left in the greater Newcastle area, a majority on the SRC or senior positions in the student body have historically been held by students with a background from left factions of the National Union of Students of Australia usually by either the National Labor Students (NLS) or left-wing independent groups or more often by the two, cooperatively.[6] Predecessors of these groups include the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) and National Broad Left (NBL) which dissolved in the period of late 2005 and early 2006.
Past Presidents
| Presidents by Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSA Presidents | |||
| Name | Year | SRC | Political association/grouping |
| Luka Harrison | 2020 | 68th | National Labor Students (NLS) |
| NUSA Presidents | |||
| Name | Year | SRC | Political association/grouping |
| Kearnie Kelly | 2020 | 68th | Grassroots Independents |
| Kearnie Kelly | 2019 | 67th | Grassroots Independents |
| Christy Mullen | 2018 | 66th | Grassroots Independents |
| Michael Labone | 2017 | 65th | National Labor Students (NLS)/ Independent |
| Phill Johnson | 2016 | 64th | National Labor Students (NLS) |
| Clare Swan/Phill Johnson | 2015 | 63rd | National Labor Students (NLS) |
| Thomas Seilding/Clare Swan | 2014 | 62nd | - |
| Rosemary Gosper | 2013 | 61st | National Independents |
| Heather Richards | 2012 | 60th | - |
| Heather Richards | 2011 | 59th | - |
| Matilda Hunt | 2010 | 58th | - |
| Talia Barrett | 2009 | 57th | - |
| Beth Maloney | 2008 | 56th | Grassroots Left |
| Megan Clement | 2007 | 55th | Grassroots Left |
| Jack Thieme | 2006 | 54th | |
| Carl Harris | 2005 | 53rd | |
| Michael Whitbread | 2004 | 52nd | Grassroots Left |
| Vanessa Bowden | 2003 | 51st | |
| Kylie Rooke | 2002 | 50th | National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) |
| Matthew Thompson | 2001 | 49th | |
| Amie Grierson | 2000 | 48th | |
| Michael Kachel | 1999 | 47th | |
| Matthew Paul | 1998 | 46th | |
| Lisa Ronneberg/Nicole Pietsch | 1997 | 45th | |
| Gennice Davies | 1996 | 44th | |
| Lincon Saunders | 1995 | 43rd | |
| Tina Bubutievski | 1994 | 42nd | |
| Tina Bubutievski | 1993 | 41st | |
| Matthew Cantrill | 1992 | 40th | |
| Christopher Toll | 1991 | 39th | |
| Martin Davies | 1990 | 38th | |
| Alison Kinder | 1989 | 37th | |
| Glenn Beatty | 1988 | 36th | |
| Chris Craig | 1987 | 35th | |
| Chris Craig | 1986 | 34th | |
| Matthew Yates | 1985 | 33rd | |
| Michael Harkin | 1984 | 32nd | |
| Terry Slevin | 1983 | 31st | |
| Margaret Kavanagh | 1982 | 30th | |
| Margaret Kavanagh | 1981 | 29th | |
| Greg Holding | 1980 | 28th | |
| Max Spaanenburg | 1979 | 27th | |
| Mick Barr | 1978 | 26th | |
| Leo Walsh | 1977 | 25th | |
| Paul Drinkwater | 1976 | 24th | |
| Adrian Woo | 1975 | 23rd | |
| Dave Wallace | 1974 | 22nd | |
| Greg Giles | 1973 | 21st | |
| Ann Duke | 1972 | 20th | |
| Aldis Svirskis | 1971 | 19th | |
| Russell Schulz | 1970 | 18th | |
| Brailey Sims/Giles Martin | 1969 | 17th | |
| Giles Martin | 1968 | 16th | |
| John Sara | 1967 | 15th | |
| Michael Nelson | 1966 | 14th | |
| Kent Wilson/Tony Cootes | 1965 | 13th | |
| NUCSA Presidents | |||
| Name | Year | SRC | Political association/grouping |
| Tony Cootes /Kent Wilson | 1964 | 12th | |
| Tony Cootes | 1963 | 11th | |
| Paul Walmsley | 1962 | 10th | |
| John Cornelius/Paul Walmsley | 1961 | 9th | |
| Adrian Nelmes/John Cornelius | 1960 | 8th | |
| Christopher Cornelius | 1959 | 7th | |
| Joan Sawyers | 1958 | 6th | |
| Peter Allen | 1957 | 5th | |
| George Kirkby | 1956 | 4th | |
| Robert Hitchcock | 1955 | 3rd | |
| Jim Dowrie | 1954 | 2nd | |
Campaigns
The SRC and its collectives are involved in a number of campaigns at any one time. The body maintains a strong relationship with the other unions on campus such as the CPSU, NTEU and United Voice by joining with them in many campaigns.[7]
Construction of Warabrook railway station
Amid growing transportation concerns from students as the Callaghan campus expanded, the SRC initiated a protracted student-led campaign during the late 1970s for a new railway station to be constructed on the Great Northern Railway line to service the campus. The organisation held several extended public campaigns and lobbied state and federal members of parliament for support. The SRC was ultimately successful in this campaign by the early 1990s and on 23 October 1995, the Warabrook (University) railway station was opened.[8]
Preventing the closure of the Huxley Library
In the late 1990s and early 2000s the Vice-Chancellor announced several plans to close the Huxley Library.[9] The SRC lead strong campaigns against this, in one instance organizing and holding three successive rallies of several hundred students each in the same week. The large scale student protests organised by the SRC caused the University to abandon plans to close the Library. [10]
Night-time safety on campus
Night-time safety at the Callaghan campus was an issue that rose prominence from the early 2010s, following reports of attacks on students.[11][12][13][14] Campaigns run by the SRC to draw attention to this issue have lead to improvements to campus lighting and security services. [15]
Outsourcing of UON facilities maintenance services
Between 2015 and 2017, the SRC mounted a sustained campaign[16] in opposition to University's decision to outsource of facilities maintenance services to Broadspectrum (previously known as Transfield Services), a company that was controversially responsible for running Australia's immigration detention centers in Nauru and Manus Island [17]. In May 2017, the University announced that it was cutting ties with the company.[18]
Compulsory class attendance
From Semester 1 2020, the University's Vice-Chancellor introduced a compulsory 80% attendance requirement at small group tutorials, laboratory sessions and seminars for all first year students. The consequence of failing to meet the 80% attendance requirements for a course was Component Fail grade. In order to prove their attendance in classes students were required to use an app with geotracking software. [19] The SRC's Education Collective initiated a campaign against the mandatory attendance policy and raised concerns over the geotracking software used to monitor students.[20] In March 2020, during growing concerns of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the University announced the suspension of the mandatory attendance policy.
Other campaigns
Other notable campaigns by the SRC include:
- Being one of the leading groups in the campaign for the autonomy and formal establishment of the University of Newcastle in the early 1950s.
- Campaigning in opposition to attempts by NSW Liberal Governments to close the Newcastle railway line and the City's CBD train stations both in the early 1990s and mid 2010s.[21]
- Campaigning against the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Governments' plans to deregulate university[22] and reduce the HECS repayment threshold. [23]
- The introduction of a cap of 50% course weighting for all exams and the move to a restricted open-book format as the default option for final exams from 2016
- Lobbying the University to purchase up to 25% green power in the early 2000s as well as moving to become the first university in Australia to be powered by 100% renewable energy, and achieve carbon neutrality in the late 2010s. [24]
History
Establishment
The origins of UNSA began at Newcastle University College (NUC, established 1951). NUC was created as an offshoot of the New South Wales University of Technology (now known as the University of New South Wales) and was co-located with the Newcastle Technical College at Tighes Hill.[25] As NUC began to expand its enrollment in 1952 and 1953, views among the student body continued to grow that the University's student union, based in Sydney, unable to adequately represent students in Newcastle. This push by NUC students for a local student union resulted in the creation of Newcastle University College Students' Association (NUCSA). The inaugural governing Council of NUCSA held their first meeting on 29 April 1953[26] and the organisation became incorporated as a fully constituted body on 28 April 1954 with the adoption of its constitution. From then it was eligible to receive compulsory student union fees collected from all students at NUC.[27]
The first SRC of the University refers to the Council of NUCSA commencing in the year of 1953 with subsequent Councils named in numerical succession each year from this, the 2nd SRC of UON being in the year of 1954 and 3rd SRC for 1955 and so on.
Newcastle University Students' Association (NUSA)
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Newcastle residents and NUCSA campaigned for NUC to be re-constituted as a university in its own right. The campaign was ultimately successful, with the University of Newcastle being established as an autonomous institution on 1 January 1965 by gubernatorial proclamation under the University of Newcastle Act 1964 (NSW). Following the autonomy of UON, NUCSA was renamed as Newcastle University Students' Association (NUSA).
In 1966, the University and NUSA relocated from Tighes Hill to a largely undeveloped bushland site in Shortland which underwent major development as enrollment grew in subsequent years.
NUSA Structure and Governance
NUSA was an incorporated association with a governing body consisting of annually elected student representatives and a small number of non-voting ex-officio members.
NUSA was directed by the NUSA Council (NUSAC) which was made up of the NUSA executive, collective convenors, faculty representatives, first-year representatives and a representative from the colleges. As the governing body, the NUSA Council drove the direction of NUSA as an organisation and oversaw the executive and management staff in delivering the strategic direction. Additionally, as the peak representative body for students at UON, the NUSA Council also served as a forum for debate and policy discussion on student issues. The NUSA Council developed policy platforms in conjunction with its collectives on key issues to advocate on behalf of students at UON.[28] The Council was periodically referred to as the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University.[2]
The organisation's representative structure operated on the basis of student collectives which are convened by office bearers to direct and undertake political campaigns. NUSA was affiliated to the National Union of Students of Australia.
Voluntary Student Unionism
Despite the Howard Government's Voluntary Student Unionism legislation, which was in place from 2006 to 2011 and prohibited the charging of student union fees, causing massive cuts to both staffing and service levels at student associations,[29][30] the organisation continued to provide independent representation through its own sources of income and university funding. NUSA's partner student organisation at UON responsible for commercial services and entertainment events, the University of Newcastle Union Ltd, was wound up following a loss of revenue. This resulted in the university taking responsibility for most commercial leases and a range of campus life activities on the Newcastle campuses in the late 2000s and early 2010s. [31]
Independence of NUPSA
Newcastle University Postgraduate Students' Association (NUPSA) was a name given to the Postgraduate Students Collective of the NUSA Council in the early 1990s. The elected Postgraduate Students Convenor on the NUSA Council was referred to as the president of the postgraduate students' association. During a time of a growing postgraduate student population at the University, from 1995 moves were initiated by the university to split NUPSA from NUSA as an independent organisation, citing the increasing diversity of postgraduate students' needs.[32]
A motion at a Special General Meeting on 29 May 1997 for constitutional changes to establish NUPSA as an independent entity, despite receiving some significant support, was ultimately defeated resulting in the Postgraduate Students Collective remaining part of NUSA's structure. However, at a meeting of the University Council on 27 June 1997, the University resolved to override the decision and establish NUPSA as a separate entity from NUSA, effective from 1 July 1997. At the time, the move by the University was met with mixed views (both favorable and unfavorable) among the student body and concern from NUSA. [33] While NUPSA began the process of operating separately to NUSA from the late 1990s to provide independent representation and support services for postgraduate students, the two bodies maintained a close collaborative relationship. NUPSA was registered as an incorporated association in NSW on 3 February 2014. [34]
Founding of Central Coast Campus Union Ltd. (Yourimbah)
Interest in forming a local student union for the Central Coast began from 1989 at the time the University's Ourimbah Campus was beginning to develop and expand. A local Central Coast student body was soon formed and their aim was to become a financially independent recognised student body by the University. Following lobbying by the group, by 1993 the University Council voted to recognise the student body and provide funding from the General Service Fees of Central Coast students. From this, the Central Coast Campus Union (CCCU) was to be based on a guild structure providing both student representation and operating commercial services in contrast the split structure of multiple student organisations on the Newcastle campus.
In 2002, the organisation was registered as an Australian Company Limited by Guarantee under the name Central Coast Campus Union Ltd. (CCCUL). [35] By the end of 2003, its Board had voted to change the trading name to Campus Central - Ourimbah.
Campus Central - Ourimbah did not receive any funding from the University in 2013 during a brief dispute with the company over the ownership and delivery of commercial services on the campus, but the relationship improved in following years. [36] In early 2015, the company again re-branded itself under the name Yourimbah. The company maintained a strong relationship with NUSA and NUPSA to support university-wide student representation and the delivery activities and events.[37]
Merger
In 2016 the NUSA Council adopted a four year strategic plan to expand services and reform its governance and representative structure. As part of this, NUSA initiated discussions with NUPSA and Yourimbah on combining the three existing student organisations into a single, whole of institution student union for UON. These discussions culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2019 between NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah for the merger of the three separate organisations to form the University of Newcastle Students' Association (UNSA).[38]
University of Newcastle Students' Association Ltd. was registered as an Australian Public Company, Limited By Guarantee on 27 May 2020.[39] From 30 June 2020, NUSA ceased most operations as an incorporated association alongside NUPSA and Yourimbah pending wind up and deregistration as individual legal entities. On 1 July 2020, UNSA commenced operating in place of the three separate student associations and began providing the services previously delivered by NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah.[40]
References
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- ^ "Student associations". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ SAC Elections Guide 2020. University of Newcastle. 2020.
- ^ "SAC and new Association SRC Election FAQs" (PDF). 20 June 2020.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ [1] Archived October 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Rail fight heats up in the Hunter". Railpage. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Anger at plans to close uni library". Green Left. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Library campaign: three rallies and a partial victory". Green Left. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ Branley, Alison (2009-09-15). "Newcastle international students discuss violence - Local News - News - General - Newcastle Herald". Theherald.com.au. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ "Boys charged over attacks on students". Brisbanetimes.com.au. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ Jerga, Josh (2009-05-21). "Youths attacked foreign students in Newcastle - police | Courier Mail". News.com.au. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ "Newcastle uni students vulnerable - Local News - News - General - Newcastle Herald". Theherald.com.au. 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ "Getting around campus at night". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Broadspectrum protest disrupts UoN Open Day | OPUS MAGAZINE". web.archive.org. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Protest against Broadspectrum held as Nauru Files leaked | OPUS MAGAZINE". web.archive.org. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ McGOWAN, MICHAEL (2017-05-16). "University of Newcastle cuts ties with Broadspectrum". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Compulsory attendance". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "University rejects outrage over mobile phone tracking". www.abc.net.au. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ CARR, LILY RAY and MATT (2014-12-14). "Thousands Rally for the Rail in Newcastle". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ KELLY, MATTHEW (2015-03-25). "Students rally against uni fee deregulation". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ Cottrill, Tyson (2016-03-30). "CONCERN OVER PROPOSED CHANGES TO HECS DEBT REPAYMENT LEVEL | NBN News". www.nbnnews.com.au. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ Kelly, Matthew (2018-12-15). "Newcastle uni flicks the switch to 100% renewable energy". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Archives Outside » Grant of Arms – The University of Newcastle's Declaration of Independence". web.archive.org. 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
- ^ "Vale Edward (Ted) Brennan 1935-2014". Cultural Collections, UON Library. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Opus - Issue 1 - 1954". Living Histories. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
- ^ "NUSA Council Elections FAQs". Newcastle University Students' Association. 1 September 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Student unions on brink of extinction - National". smh.com.au. 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ "Campus tension: uni services are facing the axe - National". smh.com.au. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ STRACHAN, JULIEANNE (2008-12-18). "Last drinks for University of Newcastle Union". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- ^ NUSA Council Meeting Minutes 23 August 1995. Newcastle University Students' Association. 1995.
- ^ Opus, July 1997 edition. Opus magazine. 1997. pp. 6–7, 12–13.
- ^ "Associations Search". associationspr.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
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- ^ "Newcastle Uni Ourimbah students accuse management of administrative breach". www.abc.net.au. 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ "History - Yourimbah". www.yourimbah.com.au. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ "NUSA, NUPSA & Yourimbah to be potentially overhauled as one united student association". UON Navigator. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Australian Securities and Investments Commission - UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION LTD. ACN 641 135 195".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Student associations". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2020-06-11.