INSULA #7

INSULA.

Insula is a new state-wide publication of the Tasmania University Union (TUU), produced by the Student Representative Council. The opinions within are not necessarily those of Insula or the publisher. The copyright in this magazine remains with the publishers.

www.facebook.com/insulatuuInsula is printed by UniPrint and is released fortnightly.

Insula welcomes contributions from across the university. Please email your work or ideas to [email protected] deadline for the e edition is Tuesday August 19th

Sub-editorsBrendan ChurchillGeorgia Allen

Design Jess Curtis

ContributorsAlex West, Vino Rajandran, Gene Stewart-Murry, Madeleine Charles, Laura Wilkinson, Savina Lim.

Editor Liam Carswell [email protected]

INSULA.Issue Seven

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FROM THE EDITORLiam Carswell

Welcome to the seventh edition of INSULA. The first edition of this semester is devoted entirely to yourstudent union. With student elections coming up, it is an important time to reflect on the work of the Union and their place in your uni life.

The TUU theoretically represents more than 30,000 UTAS students. Whilst the Union might not always be successful in representing every single one of these students there is no denying that the Union has considerable reach.

Hopefully within the pages of this INSULA you will be able to grasp the scope of this reach.

Photography by: Savina Lim

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The TUU entered into negotiations around SSAF (Students Services and Amenities Fees) with UTAS late last year. This year we saw $1,415,900 fall to the union - a substantial increase from last year’s SSAF distribution. In addition the TUU has allocated $200,000 to the joint project of the Safety Net Grant Scheme that gives out grants to struggling students. The TUU is still in negotiations withthe university relating to student representation funding as well as a more sustainable model of funding for the union which may include multiyear agreements, seen at many other students unions around the country, and an understanding as to funding if the SSAF is repealed by an LNP government.

Funding

Student Experience PlanLast Semester the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Students andEducation developed a Student Experience Plan in conjunction with the TUU. This plan, although with a very red tape name, sets guidelines and goals for the university in terms of real outcomes and measures to improve and safeguard the students experience at UTAS. It includes the introduction of a yearly student’s conference, student change agent program, development of UTAS events calendar, education forums, safeguards for education outcomes for all UTAS students, focus on students from the (dis)abilities, ethno-cultural, women’s, queer and international communities, more student spaces and better wifi access to name a few.

TUUState President

Alex West

As always please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or issues.

[email protected].

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The Student Experience Plan 2013-2015 has five (very) broad goals: 1. Provide students with opportunities to have a strong voice through representa-tion and active engagement in university life. 2. Provide an inclusive and welcoming experience for all students in their transition into, through and out of university. 3. Provide timely administrative, academic, cultural and learning support for cur-rent and prospective students. 4. Respond to student and stakeholder feedback to improve the overall quality of the student experience. 5. Facilitate inclusive and accessible learning in a community environment (social, physical and online). All of which have practical goals and outcomes. If you want to learn more about the plan – jump on to the website. It is the first of its kind in the country.

Fund Our FutureOn Saturday 13 April 2013, the newly appointed Minister for Tertiary Education, Dr Craig Emerson, anounced $2.8 billion in budget savings from the higher education sector to helpfund the implementation of the Government’s reforms to school education. The cuts covering the period 2013-14 to 2016-17 are comprised of:

1. $900m in efficiency dividends of 2% in 2014 and 1.25% in 2015 which apply to all grants under the Higher Education Support Act 2003, excluding Australian Postgraduate Awards.

2. $1.2b savings from converting Student Start-up Scholarship (SSS) to HECS type loans, and

3. $229m by removing the 10 per cent discount for up-front HECS payments.

These announced cuts to the sector represent an unwelcome and shocking backward-step in education reform. Imposing a 2-year efficiency dividend, worth $900 million, places unwelcome strain on Universities at a time ofsignificant growth in student numbers and poses a particular threat to important low-enrolment courses and regional campuses.

A further $1.2 billion in savings found by converting scholarships to student loans will see student debt climb by between 21 and 37 per cent for those affected, leaving them with more than

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The TUU are taking these cuts very seriously and have partnered with the NTEU to launch a Tassie specific campaign. We would like to thanks those 800+ students who have signed postcards. This campaign is not over and we will be continuing this semester leading up to another National Day of Action and on to the Federal Election.

Tasmania deserves qualityeducation at all levels.

a decade of debt following graduation. The transfer of scholarships to loans will affect future low SES students and has been noted by many in the sector as a possible deterrent for these students accessing higher education.

Attempts to link the savings to the increased Gonski funding to school education miss the point. Withgovernment funding to tertiary education at just 0.8% of GDP, Australia remains one of the lowest contributors to the sector in the OECD (university funding is typically between 1% to 2%). Universities Australia, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) have all called for a minimum increase of 10% in Federal Government funding, as recommended by the Bradley Base Funding Review.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Rathjen, has suggested that these funding cuts could lead to the loss of 100-150 jobs and/or the cancellation of projected capital works projects.UTAS provides employment for over 5000 Tasmanians, and plays a strong role in the Tasmanian economythrough its ongoing operation and capital works projects. Cuts to the budget of the UTAS will have a negative effect on Tasmania’s economy and future prosperity.

We are particularly concerned that these cuts will disproportionately affect Tasmania. There is only one university in the state. The majority of students attending UTAS are from rural andregional areas that will be hit hard by increases in student debt. If we are to fulfill the education revolution and enable 40% of Tasmanians to gain a tertiary qualification, cutting an estimated $40m (over 4 years) from the UTAS budget and increasing the burden of cost on students is counter-intuitive.

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The TUU is currently undertaking areview of services and representation on the UTAS campuses in Sydney.Currently these students have little services available on site and have received no SSAF grants. The TUU will be implementing a SRC on thesecampuses and providing a paper to UTAS with recommendations as tostudents experience outcomes, equitable access to education andUTAS services.

Sydney

Decisions being made in Australianpolitics this election will shape the future of our country for a generation. It’s crucial that young people voice their opinion on the issues currently on the table.

The Australian Electoral Commission is reporting that only 81% of people aged between 18-25 are enrolled to vote. That means 1 in 5 won’t have their say. More troubling still is the recent Lowy Institute Report which says thatonly 48% of 18-29 year olds think that democracy is the best system of government.

My Future Our Voice, the NUS election campaign is asking young people to decide what matters to them this election. After the survey is complete NUS will design their campaign for the election around WHAT YOU WANT, in combination with a fight against the recent cut to your education.

Check it out here:http://myfutureourvoice.com.au/

ParkingThe University has increased the price of parking across the state. The TUU was not consulted about this change in parking, which is disappointing as these changes present a real access and equity issue for students. We will be discussing these changes with the UTAS Senior Management Team and will update as information becomeavailable. We encourage students to write to the university about concerns they have.

Relevant emails: [email protected] - Corporate Services Manager [email protected] - the Chef Operation Office

National Union of Students National Election Campaign

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Vino Rajandran

Postgraduate student activism is something that rarely makes the headlines or is visable to the larger student body. At our University, it was not until the early 1980’s, when postgraduates decided it was time that a Union represented them, a student association was created. The Tasmania University Postgraduate Association (TUPA) was founded in 1982 as a small

Post-Graduate.

committee of research students. It func-tioned to improve postgraduate student representation in University governance and ran regular social functions to promote inter-disciplinary activity and general fraternisation between postgraduates across the disciplines at the University.

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In the late 2000s, the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU), a disastrous policy conceived by the How ard-led Liberal/National government, saw the demise of TUPA. TUPA was now restructured into a council of the TUU. This ensured that it continued to receive a portion of funds to support its activities and represent students in university governance. But somewhere in this process, the formerly vibrant community of postgraduates at the University lost its zing. The community was almost non- existent. So much so, in 2012 the University was able to push through legislative changes that saw postgraduates no longer guaranteed membership on University Council, the peak decision-making bodyat the University.

While, might some argue that this changewas inevitable, regardless of the existence of active postgraduate community, it is important to acknowledge that without the capacity to rally the postgraduate community together, little could have been achieved by the former members of the council. The consequences of this change however are severe. Postgraduates, despite contributing significantly to the University’s research reputation and rankings, are now left behind. We no longer can contribute to the University’s conversation at the highest level. Whether this will eventuate as a loss to the postgraduate community

or the University will become moreapparent in the long run, but for now we are deemed to be the losers.

The silence of the postgraduate voice in university governance coupled with extensive operational and curriculum changes across the University has a silver lining. Postgraduates began to realise that unless they stood up and aired their perspective on issues that affected them, nobody was going to do it for them. The conversation on how we as a University see our future in this time of rapid change within the sector is incomplete without the perspectives of the postgraduates that labour in their offices and laboratories day in day out. Moreover is it crucial that postgraduate community has its say, as it is them who will eventually rise to become the future leaders of our institution.

The resurgence of postgraduate student activism has also led to the rise of a new community. A community, until a few months ago, was fractured along the lines of their respective faculties and schools. This year, the Postgraduate Council, in its ‘TasPostgrads’ outfit has seen record turnouts for it’s social and networking events. Something that was inconceivable not too long ago. One can only hope that this resurgence is not a blip in the larger scheme of things but rather the start of a new community, reflective of its more vibrant past.

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The

North-West

Semester one of 2013 for the Cradle Coast Campus SRC was extremely eventful. The main reason for this was that there had not been student representation on the campus for a substantial period of time. This being the case a large period of the semester was spent organising appropriate space for the student representatives to call ‘home’ and a suitable environment for other students to feel comfortable to discuss any issues that they may have around campus.

Ensuring that the students both on and off campus are aware of the SRC was also extremley important through out the semester. Setting up facebook

pages with the aim of making thepresence of the student representativesknown to the student body wasessential. The facebook page entitled “TUU Cradle Coast SRC 2013” was also created to engage with the student body and to advertise upcoming events on campus including the National Day’s of Action (NDA). The first of the NDA campaigns was held on 14th March 2013. The CCC SRC had decided to hold a Morning tea to symbolise what (amongst other things) could not be possible with the Emerson Cuts to tertiary education. This would cause huge damage to the Cradle Coast Campus in particular, with this in

Gene Stewart-Murray President CCC SRC

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mind it was vital to engage the student body as much as possible when the NDA was being held. In August of 2013 there will be additional National Day’s of Action held through-out August 2013 (8th and the 20th). The Cradle Coast SRC will be standing up for students and against the Cuts on the above mentioned days along with the many other student representative bodies nationally. The events held within semester one of 2013 consisted of various morning tea’s to symbolise weeks like Blue Stockings week and the NDA. The student body seemed to be substantially satisfied that student representation was on campus again and also were strongly looking forward to future events to be held. There has also been another facebook page created by the SRC entitled North West Coast Car Pooling in hope to created more student engagement as well as an option of Car Pooling with other students to get to and from campus and save funds at the same time. This page has not been overly successful but with more advertising this may change in the near future.

The CCC SRC are looking forward to representing the student body as best as possible and providing events that are to the highest level possible as well as engage with students when possible. I hope to represent the students of the Cradle Coast Campus for the remaining of my period of study. I am strongly looking forward to participating in the NDA campaign’s that are coming up in the very near future. Remember the dates 8th and 20th August 2013 to stand up to the cuts that will affect YOUR EDUCATION. Stand Up with the National Union of Students and let the Government know that these cuts will greatly affect Universities nation wide. I am looking forward to being a representative for the student body of the Cradle Coast Campus in the future and hope to organise many more events that (hopefully) will be successful. Please feel free to approach myself or any other representative of your SRC if any issues arise whilst studying at CCC.

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LAURA Isolation, it seems, has become a prominent theme in my life so far. The main reason being that I live quite far away (to varying degrees) from everybodythat I know (apart from my mum and step dad.) This isolation is abit of a pain in the arse to photography student who likes to photograph people (and with parents who refuse to sit for photos because, according to them, they aren’t photogenic). In order to combat this, I have had to befriend my tripod and resort to photographing myself. I have become a student of the selfie and an individual who appears tohave a massive ego.

Wilkinson.

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As the Southern Campus President 2013I have seen the result of all the hard work of our amazing studentrepresentatives. I decided to run for the role of Southern Campus President because I was concerned about thequality of our education, I was concerned about the transparency of the SSAF and I was concerned that we weren’t celebrating the diversity of campus culture the way we should.

This year our SRC ran an incrediable Oweek having a meal deal marathonat every single satellite campus, we had the brilliant Fiona O’Loughlin come down for a sell-out comedy night and we had the first ever multicultural night market in Oweek. We kept up our traditional and much loved events as awesome as previous years including the Oweek Concert and Market Day. We made Clubs and Society’s Day bigger and better. We also saved students money at our book sale which was run by our Secretary Noah Sutton.

Post Oweek we have served you Toasts, we have put on free uni gym sessions

and we have represented you on variousuniversity committees (but seriously there are so many universitycommittees). To add to what has been an action packed semester we have also hosted some of our own new signature events. Our Education Officer, Georgia Allen, taking steps to address student education apathy on campus, hosted an education forum which had panellists including Vice Chancellor Peter Rathjen and Minister for Education, TheHonourable Nick McKim. Our International Officer, Shafiq Sobri, kick started a ‘Utas Buddy Program’ where we trained and buddied up second year students with first year international students and in conjunction with Michelle Ang, our Activities Officer, we also held a Harmony Day celebration and an outdoor moonlight cinema which was a magical night and well enjoyed.

Our Publications and Communcations Officer, Liam Carswell also launched a new student magazine ‘Insula’ which is actively engaging students online and in print. Aaron Moss, our Sexuality &

TheSouthMadeleine Charles

President SRC South

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Gender Diversity Officer, hosted the most dynamic party I have ever been to on campus, the Marti Gras Street Party. Our welfare team, including Olivia Jenkins, held SHAGFEST. Our Women’s Officer, Emily Robinson, hosted the Bluestockings Week which has been a highlight for many students and she continues to run a bubbly Women’s Collective. Our Environmental Officer, Laura Sykes, hosted an Earth Hour Party and is working towards putting solar panels on the TUU as part of ‘Repower the TUU’ initiative and Claire Chandler and Christian Street made Clubs and Societies Day one of the best ones yet starting with a dry hour prior and being organised to a tee.

Finally, a massive thank you to our General Reps, Liam Dolbey and Jamila Fonanta, our Treasurer all-rounder Issac Foster, Tim Javis who also works with the Post Grad Council, and our Satellite Campus Reps, Hasssan Al Sinan, Skye Hamilton, and Steph Arnold who have

also been part of events and led some wonderful initiatives.

This year we have held events which have been more inclusive, we have seen the university recognise and make efforts to make the division of SSAF more transparent and accountable and we have seen an incremental decrease in student apathy. Our wonderful TUU staff, clubs and societies are without a doubt an essential part of the fabric which plays an integral role in creating our dynamic campus culture and it is with such a great team that we will continue to provide you with the fun everyone else wishes they were having, the friends you will never forget and the inside representation, that isn’t as fun sexy but secretly we all know it isimportant. Thank you to such a wonderful council (students of 2013 you’ve been pretty lucky) and the TUU staff who have been part of the ride and to those who continue to support our student union.

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