University of Melbourne Student Union
Meeting of the Students’ Council
12 PM, 26.06.14
Meeting
Union House
1. Procedural Matters
1.1
Election of Chair
1.2
Acknowledgement of Indigenous Owners
1.3
Attendance
1.4
Apologies
Thomas Hayes, Alexia Thompson
1.5
Proxies
Jessica Meng to Viki Nie, Joanne Zuo to Rebekah Drake.
1.6
Adoption of Agenda
2. Confirmation of Previous Minutes
- 20 May 2014, see appendix for minutes.
- 23 May 2014, see appendix for minutes.
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes
4. Correspondence
5. Office Bearers’ Reports (see below)
Activities
Creative Arts
Clubs
Grants
This year we’ve been placing a lot of emphasis on a quick turnaround time for processing grant
payments (two weeks being the targeted time to process them). In past years, repayment has lagged
behind the actual spending of clubs, making it unclear how on track the grants budget is for the year.
We are excited to announce we’ve now paid out over $100,000 on grants for the year- just under half
our budgeted amount (with not quite every grant from Semester 1 having been processed yet) so we
are pretty much on track!
Staffing the office
With Fiona on long service leave and Ben now covering both their workloads, we have spent a lot of
time in the office being on hand to answer club questions, and help confused new committees with
IGM and grants paperwork (as there will be no Grants Training until Semester 2). Tom has processed
some grants to help out Ben, and we have also been looking at regulations and policy to update,
including the “reasons to reject affiliation.” We have also been helping to sort out some fairly serious
internal issues with one of our clubs.
The new clubs saga continues
Lots of IGMs were attended, lots of minutes were reviewed (and sometimes re-submitted), and lots of
things had to be re-explained, however we’re now coming towards the end of the new clubs semester
1 affiliation process (with a few exceptions/clubs who were granted extensions).
Three new clubs are now 100% affiliated:
VCA Play Group, Postgrad Earth Sciences, CIS Postgraduate Group
With many more to be affiliated at our committee meeting next Monday.
We met with the GSA’s new clubs administrator to talk about the growing number of mutually
affiliated clubs, and shared a few of our processes.
 How To Win at C&S Guide (working title)
Rachel is also starting to put together a How to Win at C&S guide in response to some of the standard
questions we answer multiple times a day, especially from brand new clubs. The guide won’t be a
replacement for the compulsory club trainings, but a handy guide to refer to on everything from AGM
legitimacy requirements to effective use of grants to tips for holding events. If there’s any handy
pieces of info anyone can think of that made running a club easier for them, suggestions would be
welcome (and nothing is too obvious. Seriously.)
We would also like to express our support for the Moovin’ Health Rural Student ball grant motion.
They are looking at affiliating with us in Semester 2, meaning they will not be affiliated until the end
of the year (for C&S to fund them prior to then would be against our regs), and they currently receive
no Union/SSAF services.
Disabilities:
Welfare
Indigenous
Enviro
At the Environment Department, we’ve been busy preparing for some big events coming up in our
calendar.
The Students of Sustainability Conference is being held in Canberra in July, and we are subsidising
approximately 15 students to attend.
In Week 1 Semester 2 we are co-hosting a film premiere of an environment documentary in Union
House Theatre.
In Week 3, Enviro Week will be upon us; it is shaping up to be an exciting week.
We have workshops on coffee and climate change, sustainable food, community gardens and activist
wellbeing, and a film night.
On Wednesday we will host a panel about Sustainable Cities with Adam Bandt MP, and
representatives from the City of Melbourne, John Wardle Architects (designers of the new
Architecture Building), and the Melbourne Energy Institute.
On Thursday, we’ll host an event about moving away from coal as our main energy source.
On Friday morning, we’re planning an Environment & Sustainability Careers Fair, which will be
appropriate from students of all faculties, with a broad cross-section of industries represented which
have sustainability/environmental roles.
Stay tuned!
Alexa & Hanna
Motion 1: To pass up to $30.00 for Jackson Gable for plants for the Community Garden, from budget
line 3238, MUC Garden Group.
Motion 2: To pass up to $1550.00 for the purchase of calico bags for Environment Week from budget
line 3839, Special Projects.
Wom*ns
NOWSA
At the end of last semester we did a lot of fundraising and reached our fundraising target. We did
however, have two late sign ups but we have been able to work with NOWSA and we are now able to
pay for everyone’s registration, including accommodation. The two late sign ups are sadly receiving
drastically lower subsidies for their flights. This brings our contingent for 2014 up to 16 people.
NOWSA is looking quite exciting and we had one pre-NOWSA meeting for our UMSU contingent to
come and meet each other. We will be having another one either late this week or early next week.
We have a number of donated items left over and so we plan to use this for a future wom*n’s event in
second semester. In the first week of semester Wednesday at 4pm. We are planning a welcome back
party in the wom*n’s room. We will bring out our excess nail polish, clothes and paraphernalia for
people to try on, have some and hopefully walk away with. We will also be advertising our new
second semester events at this event as well as talking about our normal events and what we have
planned for them.
Women’s Mentoring Network
The Women’s Mentoring Network will be continued second semester and it looks like the events will
be held on the following evenings;
Week 2 Wednesday 6th of August- Theme Gender Studies
Week 5 Thursday 28th August – Someone from VCA/ Art background to tie in with Arts Week
Week 8 Monday 15th September possibly science/ biomed background
Week 11 Tuesday 14th October possibly Commerce theme
Some mentors have finished up as their mentees only signed up for one semester. One Mentor sent the
following message back;
“On a personal note to you and your team, Good job guys on organising this programme! To all the
mentors, to start with, a big applaud for taking up this position, your volunteering spirit is truly what
is needed in a society today. All the best to all of you! Thanks Steph for all the coordination! :)”
Weekly Events
Wom*n’s Action Collective will most likely be moving to 1pm on Mondays due to class clashes.
Feminist Discussion Group will be expanding this coming semester. In week 2 we are looking at
holding a Panel during the usual Feminist Discussion Group time one Men’s Rights Activism and
why it is purely a destructive force. The panel may run for an extra 30mins - 1 hour after the usual end
of Feminist Discussion Group to allow for extra discussion and engagement with those attending the
forum. In Week 3 we will be having a workshop on Men and Feminism, which will be geared towards
engaging men with the feminist movement as well as promoting the events that they can attend that
the wom*n’s department runs. It is likely that there will be a discussion at 1-2pm and then the
workshop will follow however the events may switch around.
Ladies who Lunch with Ladies has undergone a name change and will now be known as Queer and
Questioning QTs and will be moving an hour earlier to run from 1-3pm on Thursdays.
Stitch and Bitch will be moving to an hour earlier so it will be 3-5 on Thursdays. The department has
also been approached by a woman who would like to run workshops through Stitch and Bitch such as
creating a wom*n’s room quilt. We are in ongoing discussions about this idea.
We will hopefully be having a new weekly event run with the Queer Department. We are currently
looking at holding it Wednesday afternoons- (the first week welcome back party would be a sort of
introduction/ launch to this event). It would be a Pro femme, Trans Inclusive event and really be an
event that includes transwomen and welcomes them into the department and more specifically the
room itself.
New Events
The Anti-Racism workshops are well under way and looking very exciting.
At the moment they are planned to run Tuesdays evenings from about 5pm onwards starting in week 3
and, at the moment though it may be extended, running until week 9.
The Commerce Learning Program is looking like it will be run in about week 4 of second semester so
as not to conflict with any other departments. It will now run similarly to Rad Sex and Consent week
whereby we have a number of workshops each day for the week rather than running in a format
similar to the Anti-racism workshops. This also ensures that it doesn’t clash with the Anti-Racism
workshops!
Judy’s Punch
Judy’s Punch, our annual magazine, will have submissions opening soon. It is likely that we will be
having our launch for this year’s magazine in Week 12 and combine it with an end of semester
shindig.
Campaigns
The UMSU Wom*n’s Department and Monash Women’s department are hoping to collaborate over
the next few weeks on a budget campaign to inform women how the budget, as it currently stands,
affects women. The idea (very new idea) at the moment is to have a fortnightly informative letter sent
out to our contingent as well as having attached a letter that they can actually send to particular
senators who may be able to change harmful legislation.
Another campaign we are looking at is an introduction to feminism/ feminism 101 campaign towards
the middle or end of semester. This will be to engage women in particular for our later events and, in
the long term, for next year.
Queer
VCA
Burnley
Media
Above Water
Lately we’ve been focusing our attention on Above Water, the creative writing anthology that we
produce with the Creative Arts department each year. We received about 60 entries, and the standard
was, for the most part, very promising. We are meeting with the Creative Arts Officers after this
council to decide on the shortlist and send the shortlisted pieces off to the judges.
Also, we have decided not to hold the launch for Above Water at the Melbourne Writing Festival.
Although this is a break from tradition, this move has saved our department $500, which we are
excited to put towards improving Above Water and other Media Department events and services.
Edition Five
The writing deadline for Farrago edition five is looming this Sunday. As always, there has been a lot
of interest in edition five as students, especially arts students enrolled in writing subjects, have more
time to write articles during exams.
National Young Writers Festival
We are starting to prepare for the National Young Writers Festival in early October. We are expecting
to take up a team of twelve students, as we have done in the past. The festival is a great opportunity
for students interested in professional writing and publishing to learn and develop new skills, and
network with professionals and potential employers.
President
Secretary
National Union of Students
Under requests from many campuses including talks with office bearers in UMSU NUS has continued
to lobby cross benchers and senators in regards to the budgetary changes that affect both student
welfare and the higher education industry. I would like to thank the NUS office bearers for their work
in this regard and commend them to council.
Operations Sub-Committee
Because of the commitments of the people on Op Sub, we haven’t yet found a time to suit, other than
those which students’ council occupies, so we have been working on a meeting-by-meeting basis until
semester two timetables are established.
Constitutional Working Group
The first meeting of the constitutional working group raised several issues, including office bearer
pay, inclusion of smaller campuses and changes to council procedures, but nothing concrete or able to
be presented to council. Another working group will be organised soon, and I will be contacting
councillors and office bearers to find appropriate and workable times. Meanwhile if there is anything
people would like flagged for discussion in the next meeting please feel free to send me an email or
drop into the office.
130 Years Celebration and Life Membership
UMSU will be celebrating 130 years of Student Unionism this year, and as such are looking into ways
to mark the occasion, with potential for a life membership program to be established.
Committees
Many Committees have found it hard to reach quorum towards the end of semester and into the break,
I would encourage departments to set new regular meeting schedules for semester two in order to help
them achieve quorum.
Education Public
Bust the Budget
We provided a breakfast for students who were planning on coming to the Bust the Budget rally with
the Melbourne Uni contingent, and also to the NTEU contingent. It’s very difficult to get students to
commit to coming to a rally in the middle of exams, which is why we tried to go for more creative
options than just sheer numbers. We ended up getting a few students to attend working bees to make
costumes, and around 20 students came to the rally with UMSU, as well as some new faces which is
great to see. We ended up having one of the biggest contingents out of the student unions.
BIP
I’ve been having meetings with the NTEU about the Business Improvement Program. Obviously we
all heard about the 540 jobs that are being cut from professional staff, and we’ll most likely be
running a campaign around that next semester along the lines of “BIP Proves the University is
Broken”, raising awareness through art installations and demonstrations with the NTEU. We’ve also
developed a survey to ask students whether they prefer online or face to face services, which is being
conducted at exam support stalls in exchange for food.
Handbook competition
We’ve secured two $100 book vouchers from the book co-op, signed off on all the prop and we’re
running a competition for countercourse submissions. Anyone that submits will go into a raffle to win
the prize. We’ll be handing out more of the physical copies of the handbook at mid-year O-Week, and
we’ve been chatting to the Education Officer from Latrobe about moving towards a first year survival
guide, rather than printing a physical countercourse handbook.
Palmer Campaign
We’ve opted to run our Clive Palmer campaign during O-Week, with the goal of securing the Palmer
United Party’s support for students in the Senate. We have a photo petition planned with placards that
say “Clive Palmer do you stand with students?”, we’ll be running this at the O-Week stall whilst
wearing dinosaur onesies. In Week One, we have an event planned “Parmas for Palmer”, which will
be a parma eating contest in North Court to promote the campaign, we’ve been chatting with the clubs
officers to see if we can make this a competition between the larger clubs on campus. We’ll be
running the photo petition again at this event, then tweeting a photo to a PUP senator every hour for
as long as we can, or until we get a response. We’ll also be contacting Clive Palmer’s office to see if
he’d like to adjudicate the event, and contacting media to cover the message we’re trying to send to
the PUP.
Education Conference
Grants were finalised two weeks ago for Education Conference and have all been sent out, I’ve also
been working with the education (public) officer from the Latrobe Student Union to run a workshop
on campaigning at the conference.
Education Academic
SRN
Since the last meeting of Council, we have had a meeting of the Student Representative Network, in
which we further discussed the impacts of the proposed cuts to higher education for students and
brainstormed ideas for making further student-run campaigns against the cuts increasingly innovative
and relatable. We also discussed the University’s Business Improvement Program (BIP) and its
potential consequences. Student representatives noted the frustrations from within their respective
committees about the lack of consultation and information about the BIP, and were invited to attend
the BIP forum with Neil Robinson last week.
Assessment during SWOTVAC
Despite repeated emails sent to all academic staff by former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Pip Pattison
earlier in the semester, there were still many incidences of assessment dates being set within the
SWOTVAC period. We have been largely successful in contacting offending subject co-ordinators
and compelling them to amend the submission dates in advance, as in most cases it is simply an
oversight. However, we received a large volume of submissions to our ‘report assessment during
SWOTVAC’ website function on the weekend before SWOTVAC for assessments due early in the
week, meaning there was little we could do in terms of changing the submission date.
Other initiatives
We have been pursuing a number of teaching and learning issues through various University
committees. We have been looking at developing a set of guidelines to ensure that where marks are
given for tutorial participation, the ways in which marks are allocated are clearly specified. This will
mean that students are aware of how they are being assessed, providing for more accurate grading and
fairer outcomes. As the exam period progresses, we are closely monitoring students’ views toward the
revised exam timetable. Following surveys of last year’s changes that were brought to the Academic
Programs Committee earlier this year, amendments were made to address student concerns, although
students remain unhappy with the early start times, for a variety of reasons. The exam timetable will
be reviewed before the semester 2 exam period, so we would appreciate any feedback provided to us.
6. Other Reports
6.1
130th Celebration
6.2
Destination Melbourne (see attached)
Motion: That the Students' Council allocates $2,000.00 from the Whole of Union
budget line to the Destination Melbourne Honoraria budget line, and authorises the
appointment of two Destination Melbourne 2015 Directors, as selected by the
Destination Melbourne 2014 Directors in consultation with staff.
7. Operational Business
8. Motions on Notice
8.1 Rural Health Ball
Motion 1: To pass $1000 from Budget Line ‘Grants’ to pay for the Moovin’ Health Rural
Student Ball, as outlined in the tabled document.
Moved: Samuel Donnelly
Seconded: Declan McGonigle
8.2 NOWSA Expenditure
Motion 2: To pay up to $4060 to NOWSA for the registration and accommodation of the 16 people
who make up the UMSU NOWSA Contingent 2014 from Wom*ns’ Department Budget Line ‘NOWSA’.
Moved: Stephanie Kilpatrick
Seconded: Caroline Rider
8.3 Thanking Chris Penman
Motion 3: That Students’ Council thanks Chris Penman for his tireless, professional and
diligent work on both the UMSU Grievance and Electoral Tribunals. Council directs the UMSU
President and Secretary to write a joint letter of thanks to Chris.
Moved: Declan McGonigle`
Seconded: Samuel Donnelly
8.4 UniSuper divestment from Transfield
Preamble: Australia's border regime and its reliance on mandatory indefinite immigration
detention is the target of frequent, global condemnation as unjust, cruel, and illegal. Offshore
immigration detention centres on Christmas Island, Manus Island, and Nauru have been singled
out for particular condemnation, with reports emerging that asylum seekers are being raped,
beaten, and even killed while in the care of the Australian government. The remoteness and
secrecy of these prisons shields the Australian government from accountability for this
violence.
All Australian offshore detention centres are run by private contractors. These contractors act as
a further shield against accountability for the Australian government, and profit in doing
so. Infrastructure and waste disposal company Transfield recently won the contract from G4S
to run detention centres on Manus and Nauru, to the value of $1-2 billion dollars, depending on
unspecified "contingencies".
One of the largest investors in Transfield is UniSuper, the industry super fund for the tertiary
education sector. Superannuation is compulsory under Australian law. As such, all academic
staff employed at the University of Melbourne, and the majority of UMSU staff, have
investments in Transfield, and receive returns as Transfield's contracts expand. As the NTEU
and UMSU have consistently taken a position against mandatory detention, this cannot be
considered to be the desire of the majority of UniSuper investors. The NTEU has a
representative — therefore a voice — on the UniSuper board.
Investing in companies like Transfield makes us as individuals and institutions accountable for
these abuses. Further, our investments provide us with a point from which we can put pressure
on all potential contractors to refuse contracts to run detention centres. As such, Transfield is
the target of a boycott and divestment campaign from a broad coalition of pro-refugee groups,
including RISE Refugee, Students Thinking Outside Borders, Crossborder Operational Matters,
Boycott 19 BoS, and Beyond Borders Collective.
In the context of massive cuts to education, and corresponding redirection of funds to border
control, all university students and workers must stand firm against profiteering based on racist
border panic
Motion 4: That Students’ Council reiterate our opposition to mandatory immigration
detention.
That Students’ Council commit to divesting from all contracts with Transfield and other
businesses or funds with investments in immigration detention.
That Students’ Council call on UniSuper to divest from Transfield and all other businesses or
funds with investments in immigration detention centres.
That Students’ Council further call on NTEU National Executive to urge UniSuper to divest
from Transfield and all other businesses or funds with investments in immigration detention
centres.
Moved: Madeline Clarke
Seconded: Kyle Webb
8.5 Media Department - Young Writers Festival
Motion 5: To pass the following from Media Department budget line ‘Conferences’:
$498.33 to reimburse Sean Watson for accommodation for the National Young Writers Festival
in Newcastle
Up to $500 for the remaining cost of accommodation to the National Young Writers Festival in
Newcastle.
Moved: Zoe Efron
Seconded: Michelle See-Tho
8.6 Media Department – Edition 5 Launch Party
Motion 6: To pass up to $500 from the Media Department budget line ‘Launch Parties’ to pay
for food and drinks at the Edition 5 launch party.
Moved: Zoe Efron
Seconded: Michelle See-Tho
8.7 Media Department – Farrago Promotions
Motion 7: To pass $103 from the Promotions budget to reimburse Kevin Hawkins for Facebook
promotions of Farrago and Above Water.
Moved: Zoe Efron
Seconded: Michelle See-Tho
8.8 Students for Sustainability Conference
Preamble: On July 1st to 5th the Students of Sustainability Conference is being held at Australia
National University, Canberra. Over 5 days, 400 students from across the country will
participate in workshops, plenaries and skillshares to learn how to campaign for a more
environmentally and socially just world. This year, a number of University of Melbourne
students, together with students from other universities across the state are taking a bus up and
back from Canberra.
Motion 8: To pass $500 for bus hire to and from Canberra for Students of Sustainability
Conference from budget line ‘Whole of Union’.
Moved: Patrick Dollard
Seconded: Daniel Sullivan
9. Motions not on Notice
9.1 UMSU A-Frames
Motion 9: To pass $1000 from the Whole of Union budget line to buy up to 6 A frames, two
UMSU printed and 2-4 for general use.
Moved: Samuel Donnelly
Seconded: Declan McGonigle
9.2 UMSU T-Shirts
Motion 10: To pass $1000 from the Whole of Union budget line to pay for printing of UMSU tshirts.
Moved: Samuel Donnelly
10. Office Bearer Leave
11. Other Business
12. Next Meeting
13. Close
Seconded: Declan McGonigle
Appendix
Minutes from Students’ Council 20.05.2014
University of Melbourne Student Union
Meeting of the Students’ Council
UNCONFIRMED Minutes
12 PM, 20.05.14
Meeting 10
Union House
Meeting opened at 12:14 by Sam Donnelly
14. Procedural Matters
1.7
Election of Chair
Motion 1: That Stephanie Kilpatrick be elected Chair
Mover: Sam Donnelly
Seconder: Eleanor Ryan
CARRIED
1.8
Acknowledgement of Indigenous Owners
So acknowledged
1.9
Attendance
OBs: Stephanie Kilpatrick (Wom*ns’), Hanna McCreath (Environments),
Adam Galvin (Education Academic), Michelle See-tho (Media), Sophia Liu (Welfare),
Mick Roe (Creative Arts), Elsher Keir (Creative Arts) Annaliva Carli Hannan (Education
Public), Hana Dalton (Education Academic), Madeline Clarke (Indigenous), Sarina
Murray (Disabilities), Sean Watcon (Media), Kevin Hawkins (Media), Ella Fabry
(Education Public), Cin Templeton (Queer), Alexa Thompson (Environments), Kyle
Webb (Indigenous) James Crafti (VCA), Samuel Donnelly (General Secretary).
Councillors: Tyson Holloway Clare (Indigenous Representative), Daniel
Sullivan,
Simon Farley, Thomas Hayes, Sebastian Reinehr, Shanley Price, Jo
Steinle,
James Bashford, Jim Smith (Graduate Representative), Jessica
Meng, Eleanor
Ryan.
Others: Bridget Bourke, Pat Dollard, Jade Eckhaus, Thomas Mudie, Rebekah
Drake, Michael Coffey
1.10
Apologies
Lewis Rippon, Joanne Zuo, Viki Nie, Jo Deng, Julijana Todorovic
1.11
Proxies
Joanne Zuo to Thomas Mudie, Jo Deng to Rebekah Drake, Viki Nie to Jessica
Meng, Lewis Rippon to Daniel Sullivan.
1.12
Adoption of Agenda
Motion 2: To adopt the agenda, changing ‘motions on notice’ to ‘motions without
notice’ as there was no notice given to council of any of them
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick (Chair)
CARRIED
15. Confirmation of Previous Minutes
-
See appendix for minutes form 8.05.2014
Motion 3: To confirm the minutes of the 8.05.14 as a true and accurate record
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick (Chair)
CARRIED
Discussion around the adding of minutes to the website. Sam Donnelly says he will
have the minutes up as soon as possible
16. Matters Arising from the Minutes
-
Returning Officers Recommendations
- Report from the Operations Sub-Committee
Recommendation 1:
Queer Department and Self determination
Verbal Instruction:
Amend 33.2 to read "...with a verbal instruction that “Queer includes those persons who identify as
being within the category of Queer. Only students who identify as queer can vote for these positions”
33. ISSUING OF BALLOT PAPERS
33.1.
Before a voter is issued with a ballot paper, the Polling Clerk must:
33.1.1. obtain the voter’s Student number and check it against the roll;
33.1.2. ask to see photographic identification of the voter;
33.1.3. initial the ballot paper;
33.1.4. cross the voter’s name off the electoral roll;
33.2. Once a voter has been crossed off the electoral roll they will be issued with a ballot paper
with a verbal instruction that “Queer includes those persons who identify as being within the category
of Queer. Only students who identify as Queer can vote for these positions”
Ballot Papers:
Explanation: to ensure the Queer Ballot is clearly defined and marked
32. BALLOT PAPERS
32.1.The form of ballot papers for each election shall be determined by the Returning Officer
subject to requirements of these Regulations
32.2.Elections for more than one position may be included on one page of the ballot paper.
32.3.The Returning Officer must arrange for the printing of ballot papers. A count must be kept of
all ballot papers distributed to polling booths and issued to postal voters.
32.4 – The ballot for all Queer positions must not be attached to any other ballot, and must
include the following words in a prominent location on the ballot: Only persons who identify as being
within the category of Queer (includes, but is not limited to, being same-sex attracted, homosexual,
bisexual, pansexual, asexual, intersex, Trans*, or sex and/or gender diverse) can vote for these
positions
Returning Officers’ Recommendation 2:
Social Media
* Amend 28.6 to require "Please recycle" only on printed material
Explanation: only recyclable materials can be recycled
28.6. All material authorised by the Returning Officer must have the words ‘Please Recycle’
and‘Published by’ followed by the name and Student number of a Student who is to be publisher
displayed on it and every copy of it that is distributed or displayed. The words ‘Please Recycle’ must
be on all material printed on paper products
* Add 28.9 "Where material has been authorised, it may be republished in different formats
(including electronically) without being separately authorised, as long the change in format does not
alter the content or message originally authorised, and the material carries the publisher and
authorisation lines required by these Regulations."
Explanation: Allows candidates to republished unchanged authorised material
* Add 28.10 "The creation of pages, websites, social media accounts, online public fora relating to
the election need to be authorised by the Returning Officer, and carry the authorisation described in
R28.5 and R28.6."
Explanation: This was what OSC wanted, and provides a base of online authorisation
* Add 28.11 "In online media (particularly social media) where it is customary to post short
updates, then separate authorisation and the authorisation and publishing lines in R28.5 and R28.6,
are not required
when:
(a) the item is limited to encouragement to vote for a particular candidate and/or ticket and does not
introduce any new material beyond what has already been authorised;
(b) the item does not comment on any opposing candidate or ticket; and
(c) the item is clearly identified as being posted by a particular candidate or ticket, and contains a
link to or appears on the main site of that candidate or ticket which has itself been authorised."
Explanation: basically copied from Ruling (2) of 2012.
* Add 28.12 "The Returning Officer may ban the use of specific online sites or social media services
for election material."
Explanation: allow the RO to ban Twitter if they want (possibly necessary as too difficult to monitor
effectively)
Speaking list opened for discussion
Tom Hayes suggests that banning facebook be exempted from these regs, as facebook is good.
Asks that an amendment to the regs be suggested to that 28.12 reads "The Returning Officer may ban
the use of specific online sites or social media services except for facebook for election material”
Discussion surrounding appropriateness of the addition of facebook to the suggested regulations and
possible complications in the future surrounding these regs with the changing of Social Media sites.
James Crafti suggests further amendment, that 28.12 read
28.12 The Returning Officer may ban the use of specific online sites or social media except for
facebook
28.13 In the case of a breach facebook may be banned for tickets/persons involved in the breach
Further discussion surrounding these changes.
Sab Reinehr and Tom Hayes indicate that they need to leave in the next 5 minutes
PROCEDURAL MOTION: To move to a vote for all other suggested clauses in the Electoral
Changes
Mover: James Bashford
CARRIED
Motion 4: To recommend all changes apart from the changes to 28.12 to the Electoral Tribunal for
ratification
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick
CARRIED WITHOUT DISSENT
12:47 Tom Hayes and Sab Reinehr leave
QUORUM IS LOST
Under Rule 7.5 of the Standing orders, the meeting may continue for 30 minutes, with all
motions passed after this time, needing to be ratified at the next council
Further discussion about the facebook changes
PROCEDURAL MOTION: To move to a vote
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick
CARRIED
Motion 5: To vote on the amendment to the suggested electoral regs so they read:
28.12 The Returning Officer may ban the use of specific online sites or social media except for
facebook
28.13 In the case of a breach facebook may be banned for tickets/persons involved in the breach
Mover: James Crafti
Seconder: Simon Farley
LOST
Motion 6: To recommend that the following be added to the Electoral Regulations
28.12 "The Returning Officer may ban the use of specific online sites or social media services for
election material.
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick
CARRIED WITHOUT DISSENT
3.1 Lobbying for Education Cuts and de-regulation
Preamble: De-regulation is a huge risk to Australia students and we have a
responsibility to do our utmost to stop it. While protests and marches are important, the
most immediate way we can stop de-regulation is to lobby the balance of power senators
to block in the senate. With Labor and the Greens likely the block the legislation the
best place to direct our efforts is winning over three crossbenchers. I have picked
Family First and John Madigan because their conservative values of support for the
‘family’.
Motion 10: That this council direct the education officers (public) to undertake the
following actions:
- To start lobbying John Madigan and Family First to oppose fee deregulation.
- Organise students to call the offices of these MP’s in an attempt to pressure them.
- Set up stalls on South Lawn asking students to call their offices.
- Buy pre-paid phones to reduce costs to students.
- This council individually call John Madigan’s Office immediately after the meeting.
- Organise lunch time call sessions with food and phones provided.
- Organise an email campaign to be sent to their office‘s to pressure them.
- Start a social media campaign directly targeting Family First and John Madigan.
- To make a representation to the National Union of Students to do the same on other
campuses targeting Nick Xenophone and Palmer United Senators.
- To make representations to John Madigans Office on our behalf with petitions.
Moved: Matthew Thomas
Seconded:
MOTION POSTPONED
Mover not present
17. Correspondence
Nil
18. Office Bearers’ Reports (see below)
Activities
No report received, officers not present
Burnley
No report received, officers not present
Creative Arts
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
Mik Roe and Elsher Kein
Creative Arts Officers
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
We’ve started some free impro workshops and physical theatre workshops. We received funding
(4,000) from CCRAG to run arts access training and Auslan classes for actors, with the condition that
we work towards making it a permanent program with the Disability Liaison Unit! We’ve started
planning and recruiting student artists for a few things next semester like a digital arts exhibition at
the George Paton and the week 4 pop up arts fest.
Clubs
No report received, officers not present
Disabilities
Collective is going well, events well attended.
Would like to raise an issue with the artwork on some posters produced by an affiliated UHT
Club. The poster has come to the attention of the Disabilities Dept and the Creative Arts
department due to numerous complaints from students.
The posters are advertising a play called ‘Abortion’ and picture the silhouette of a pregnant
woman, with the inside of the bump cut out in the shape of a foetus, and an umbilical cord with
a dangling attached red foetus. The stall in Union House plays videos of babies crying, and the
supporting pictures are of foetuses covered in blood.
Below is a written explanation from Sarina (Disabilities co-OB)
Yesterday afternoon a serious issue became apparent when the advertising for a play
called Abortion started receiving a large number of complaints aimed as broadly as the Info
Desk, Union House Theatre, the Creative Arts Officers and myself. After 5 yesterday
afternoon
Elsher, myself and eventually Goldie had a meeting with the head of this theatre group, AOTU,
asking them to amend their advertising to avoid triggering students with their very graphic posters,
and place trigger warnings for their play in promotional
material. We were very respectful
and professional. The language we used was based on the constitution and Union House standards
which they were in clear breach of. We specified that we were not asking them to change the content
of their play in any way. I
also made the specification, using accessible language, that the
problem isn’t people
being ‘uncomfortable’ but that the discomfort is based upon post-traumatic
stress. The
AOTU was not amenable.
Trigger is a clinical term. When a person confronts their trigger unexpectedly, it releases a
huge flood of stress hormones into their system and thoroughly contravenes the
constitution’s aim of students experiencing their education and university life without
discrimination on the basis of mental illness or gender (Statement of purposes, 6 and 7).
Abortion is very likely issue to cause huge problems for people at this university. The
Disabilities Department showed a documentary earlier this year called The Punk Singer, in
which its subject Kathleen Hanna spoke briefly about the abortion she had when she
was 15,
without such she never would have been capable of going to university. Young, bright women being
put in that position is something very applicable to a large number of
women at this university.
This is now being thrown in their faces.
This has a further impact on disabled students being confronted with the information. Prochoice for disabled people, who have had forced abortions or forced sterilisations, or have
been heavily pressured to do so. This is similar to issues faced by women marginalised by
their race. Choice is something these women may not be given. This advertising is
therefore even more likely to negatively affect women marginalised in more than one way.
The third problem is that it may actively contribute to people who have recently had
abortions forming post-traumatic stress. The only proven preventative measure for
women who have faced sexual trauma, to not develop, PTSD is to have as much control as
possible over their recovery. This rips that control away from them.
We condemn their behaviour and will be taking further action.
Justin Baré recommends talking to UHT about the issue.
Discussion about regulation of UHT Clubs.
1:01pm James Bashford left, proxied to Jo Steinle
PROCEDURAL MOTION: To pass the written reports and the Disability spoken report
Mover: Steph Kilpatrick (Chair)
CARRIED WITHOUT DISSENT
Education Academic
Education Public
Organising the NDA, and the build to the NDA.
Enviro
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
Hanna McCreath and Alexa Thompson
Environment Officers
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
The Environment Department has had a very busy fortnight, which included our regular events ‘Play
with your Food’, ‘Ride to Uni Breakfast’, and our first Film Night. We also held a Students of
Sustainability information session, and have been organising reimbursements for this event.
We also participated in the C14HACK, and event organised by the Postgraduate Student Environment
network. The challenges were really interesting, and some fantastic initiatives have been proposed.
We look forward to continuing to work with PEN throughout the year.
On Wednesday, we assisted in the organisation of the Fair Trade Market, as part of Fair Trade
Fortnight. This was great event, organised in collaboration with Sustainable Campus and the Fair
Trade Steering Committee, and featured a number of stall holders and prizes. We were very happy
with the number of people who came along.
On Thursday, we joined with the Queer Department to hold a queer history bicycle tour and afternoon
tea, which we really enjoyed being a part of.
Our Divestment Forum, featuring Bill McKibben was on Thursday evening, and was a fantastic
opportunity for students and staff to ask questions of our three panellists. Fossil Free MU gained a
number of petition signatures and new volunteers as a result.
This fortnight has really been one of collaboration with other departments and groups on campus,
something that we hope to continue more throughout the rest of the year.
Indigenous Have been working on the Reconcilitaion Action Pl;an with Murrup Barak
Media Edition 4 is at the printer. Launch party is next week
President No report received, officer not present
Queer No report received, officer not present
Secretary
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
Samuel Donnelly
General Secretary
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
UMSU International
UMSU International held their elections two weeks ago, and I would like extend my
congratulations to all successful candidates, as well as those who were not successful, contests
of ideas keep the organisations strong. International students are a key group to UMSU, and our
work representing students would be incomplete without their representation and engagement.
Federal Budget
The Abbotts budget looks to be one of the worst for students in a long time. Not only has the
higher education sector been targeted, but also there are attacks tabled to youth welfare,
including youth allowance, and Centrelink access. A budget that attacks students is no friend of
UMSU, and I would encourage departments to use this announcement to inform any campaigns
to be run later on in the year.
National Union of Students
NUS has been organising actions on campuses as well as nationally in order to publically
express student frustration over the changes to the sector, I would encourage all councillors and
students to attend the action nationally on the 21st of May.
Welfare
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
Kinsey Li and Sophia Liu
Welfare Officers
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
Wellness Week
We would like to thank everyone who helped out with Wellness Week, It was a great success.
The healthy breakfast received a lot of positive feedback, and students really enjoyed talking to
the nutritionist regarding healthy food options. The Stress Less Puppies went really well, with
lots of students being able to participate. All our workshops ran well, and we were able to
arrange some last minute replacements where cancelations occurred. Finally the group fitness
classes, yoga and Zumba, held in north court were really successful too. A big congratulations to
all the other departments who contributed, and a big thank you to all our lovely welfare
volunteers for your continued help.
Union House Sleep-In
In an attempt to draw attention to the horrific levels of youth homelessness and student poverty
UMSU Welfare will be hosting a sleep-in at union house sometime soon.
Food Bank
Working off models used at different unions and institutions UMSU Welfare will be setting up a
food bank to help out struggling students with their food costs. We will be taking donations
soon. There is potential for working with the Food Co-Op.
Language Exchange
Our language exchange program is up and running, allowing students from different linguistic
backgrounds to get together and help each other learn and share their languages.
Regular Events
We are continuing all out regular events. The free breakfasts have been growing all semester, we
now feed around 300 students every morning. Our fitness classes are also continuing to book
out, and our collective has grown a lot from previous years.
Wom*ns
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
Stephanie Kilpatrick and Caroline Rider
Wom*ns’ Officers
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
VCA
University of Melbourne Student Union
Report of
James Crafti
VCASA Coordinator
To Students’ Council
20/05/2014
Key activities:
BIP.
We have been running awareness raising campaigns around cuts to university funding both as a result
of the universities “Business Improvement Plan” and as a result of the cut to government funding. We
have been meeting with both the manager of the VCA Student Centre and the Dean both of whom
argue that BIP will both save the university money and make things easier for students. However they
refused to provide us with any details on what would be cut and did mention that a lot of the cuts are
premised on not spending money on the risk of things going wrong, instead presuming that the
majority of students will be able to navigate online systems easily. Of course this can also be read as,
if the system doesn’t work for you, there will be little support available.
Horror Budget
We have been campaigning against the cuts to higher education since the start of the year, but with
Abbott’s horror budget now finally revealed, more and more students are becoming interested in
getting involved in the campaign. The VCA SA has organised lecture announcements in all
departments about the budget and have a new interactive display photo of Tony Abbott being punched
in the face from his student days, that we are having students be photographed with.
As well as being engaged with the national day of action VCA SA has been supporting and promoting
several of the other anti-budget actions such as the rally for Medicare happening on May 30. VCA SA
has also been promoting many other campaigns including the equal marriage campaign and the
campaign against the East/West Link.
Indigenous Rights
The VCA student association and the Wilin Centre (VCA’s indigenous unit) have both expressed our
dismay at the appointment of Mirabella to Melbourne University. We want as many students as
possible to know her history and to ensure that if she ever comes down to VCA she will be as
welcome there as the welcome she received yesterday at Parkville.
We are running a film screening of Utopia with the Wilin Centre at the end of reconciliation week.
Deborah Cheetham the head of the Wilin Centre will be introducing the film and talking about the
Mirabella appointment.
We are also in contact with the family of Mr Targan* who was VCA’s first ever Indigenous officer
and an amazing artist and activist at VCA. Sadly he died last month and we are finding an appropriate
way to honour him on campus.
*This has been edited by the minute taker at the request of the UMSU Indigenous Department, out of
respect to past and present Indigenous peoples.
UMSU and VCA
VCA SA continues to not only encourage but requests that OB departments run activity at the VCA.
VCAr programs have long contact hours and it is usually impractical for VCA student association to
make it to Parkville based events.
While some departments have run events down at the VCA, and we have done our best to acquire
rooms for them, these events have been frequently subject to cancelations or zero attendance (at least
from VCA students) due to a lack of publicity ie. posters and leaflets being distributed at the VCA.
VCA SA is happy to put up posters but we need them in advance of an event.
It is also of concern to us that UMSU entertainment is refusing to spend money on VCA events
because we have our own budget. That budget is spread across multiple campaigns and activities we
run in the absence of many of the activities run by OB’s at Parkville.
It cannot also cover recreational activity funded through the SSAF up at Parkville from the sports
centre, to the Rowden White Library or the hundreds of thousands allocated to the entertainment
department.
While the VCASA campus coordinator is formally invited to participate in the Entertainment
Advisory Group, the fact that UMSU staff refuse to fund any entertainment down at the VCA is a BIG
issue (one that we seek to rectify see recommendations).
An example of this is the Entertainment Department is cancelling the battle of the bands because they
have already found a way for student bands to get involved at Parkville. Which is great for Parkville
but VCA would like that entertainment, however UMSU staff are refusing to direct that funding to a
VCA battle of the bands, instead saying they want to roll it into the general bands budget at Parkville.
It should be noted that prior tho VCA being merged with Parkville, there was an annual battle of the
bands competition held at VCA run by the student union that was extremely popular.
However on a brighter note after a year of functioning we now have 2 working office computers, a
phone and a photocopier. However the photocopier is being replaced with a better one and there
seems to be some blockage between UMSU and MUSUL on this issue. We hope this can be resolved
shortly.
Recommendations
1. That UMSU recommends the entertainment department of UMSU to run (and pay for) some
events at Burnley and VCA campuses every year.
2. These events should be run in consultation with the Burnley Student Association and VCA
Student Association
3. UMSU directs the entertainment department to run a battle of the bands competition held at
VCA early in second semester and to allocate approximately the same amount of funds to it
as they would if the event was to be held at Parkville.
Discussion surrounding the recommendations put. Adam Galvin suggest a change to the word
‘directs’ to ‘advises’. This is amendable to James (VCA Campus Co-ordinator)
Discussion and questions about the VCA Department’s budget, specifically the $11,000
printing allocation and grants procedure. VCA has a grants policy.
Maddee Clark, Indigenous OB points out the lack of respect from the written use of the name
of a deceased indigenous person, by James Crafti in his OB report to council. Request from
UMSU Indigenous OB’s that the person in questions’ name be redacted, and his last name
included in the report only out of respect to the deceased’s family and to Aboriginal people
who may read the minutes or be present in council. Requested that in future, council adopts a
procedure of using only the last name of deceased Aboriginal people and offer a warning to
Aboriginal people in the room that there is a deceased person named, in observance of widely
used cultural protocols.
PROCEDURAL MOTION: That the recommendations be put
Mover: James Crafti
LOST
As the 30 minutes after quorum lost is up, the Meeting Closes at 1:17pm
Minutes from Students’ Council 23.06.2014
University of Melbourne Student Union
Meeting of the Students’ Council
12 PM, 23.06.14
Meeting
Union House
Meeting declared inquorate at 12:30
19. Procedural Matters
1.13
Election of Chair
1.14
Acknowledgement of Indigenous Owners
1.15
Attendance
Students Councillors: Ruby Healer, Daniel Sullivan, Jo Steinle, Matthew Thomas,
Thomas Hayes, Simon Farley, Lewis Rippon (Queer Representative), James Bashford.
Office Bearers: Declan McGonigle (President), Zoe Efron (Media), Stephanie Kilpatrick
(Wom*ns’), Sean Watson (Media), Sarina Murray (Disabilities), Kyle Webb
(Indigenous), Hana Dalton (Education Academic), Rachel Withers (Clubs and Socieites),
Kevin Hawkins (Media), Maddeline Clarke (Indigenous), Mick Roe (Creative Arts), Jess
Evans (Disabilities), Michelle See-Tho (Media), Caroline Rider (Womn*ns’), Samuel
Donnelly (Secretary).
Observers: Jade Eckhaus, Patrick Dollard, Patrick Clearwater, Martin Ditman
1.16
Apologies
1.17
Proxies
1.18
Adoption of Agenda
20. Confirmation of Previous Minutes
21. Matters Arising from the Minutes
22. Correspondence
23. Office Bearers’ Reports (see below)
Activities
Creative Arts
Clubs
Disabilities:
Welfare
Indigenous
Enviro
At the Environment Department, we’ve been busy preparing for some big events coming up in our
calendar.
The Students of Sustainability Conference is being held in Canberra in July, and we are subsidising
approximately 15 students to attend.
In Week 1 Semester 2 we are co-hosting a film premiere of an environment documentary in Union
House Theatre.
In Week 3, Enviro Week will be upon us; it is shaping up to be an exciting week.
We have workshops on coffee and climate change, sustainable food, community gardens and activist
wellbeing, and a film night.
On Wednesday we will host a panel about Sustainable Cities with Adam Bandt MP, and
representatives from the City of Melbourne, John Wardle Architects (designers of the new
Architecture Building), and the Melbourne Energy Institute.
On Thursday, we’ll host an event about moving away from coal as our main energy source.
On Friday morning, we’re planning an Environment & Sustainability Careers Fair, which will be
appropriate from students of all faculties, with a broad cross-section of industries represented which
have sustainability/environmental roles.
Stay tuned!
Alexa & Hanna
Motion 1: To pass up to $30.00 for Jackson Gable for plants for the Community Garden, from budget
line 3238, MUC Garden Group.
Motion 2: To pass up to $1500.00 for the purchase of calico bags for Environment Week from
budget line 3839, Special Projects.
Wom*ns
Queer
VCA
Burnley
Media
President
Secretary
National Union of Students
Under requests from many campuses including talks with office bearers in UMSU NUS has continued
to lobby cross benchers and senators in regards to the budgetary changes that affect both student
welfare and the higher education industry. I would like to thank the NUS office bearers for their work
in this regard and commend them to council.
Operations Sub-Committee
Because of the commitments of the people on Op Sub, we haven’t yet found a time to suit, other than
those which students’ council occupies, so we have been working on a meeting-by-meeting basis until
semester two timetables are established.
Constitutional Working Group
The first meeting of the constitutional working group raised several issues, including office bearer
pay, inclusion of smaller campuses and changes to council procedures, but nothing concrete or able to
be presented to council. Another working group will be organised soon, and I will be contacting
councillors and office bearers to find appropriate and workable times. Meanwhile if there is anything
people would like flagged for discussion in the next meeting please feel free to send me an email or
drop into the office.
130 Years Celebration and Life Membership
UMSU will be celebrating 130 years of Student Unionism this year, and as such are looking into ways
to mark the occasion, with potential for a life membership program to be established.
Committees
Many Committees have found it hard to reach quorum towards the end of semester and into the break,
I would encourage departments to set new regular meeting schedules for semester two in order to help
them achieve quorum.
Education Public
Education Academic
24. Other Reports
6.1
130th Celebration
6.2
Destination Melbourne (see attached)
Motion: That the Students' Council allocates $2,000.00 from the Whole of Union
budget line to the Destination Melbourne Honoraria budget line, and authorises the
appointment of two Destination Melbourne 2015 Directors, as selected by the
Destination Melbourne 2014 Directors in consultation with staff.
25. Operational Business
26. Motions on Notice
27. Motions not on Notice
28. Office Bearer Leave
29. Other Business
30. Next Meeting
31. Close