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Celebration of student services for National Day of Action

August 11, 2005

Tug.thumb.jpgStudents at The University of New England joined their counterparts around Australia in yesterday's National Day of Action by celebrating the contribution of student organisations to university life, and to the life of the wider community.

The National Day of Action was designed to alert university communities to the risks these organisations could face from the Commonwealth Government's proposed Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) legislation.

A UNE student group called the "SOS Collective" organised yesterday's "SOS Open Day". "Our University community is under threat from the Coalition Government's plans to introduce VSU," said the Convener of the SOS Collective, Luke Fowler. "The day was designed, among other things, to educate students about the various organisations on campus that are funded by their compulsory General Service Fee, and what they provide."

A crowd of about 600 enjoyed the exuberant activities in UNE's Central Courtyard, the highlight of which was an inter-College tug o' war competition won by Mary White College. (The winning team is pictured here.)

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, spoke at the event. She encouraged both students and staff to keep up the campaign and have their voices heard. She said she was still lobbying for universities, particularly regional universities, to be able to levy a service or amenities fee. If this was not possible, then regional universities in particular should be compensated through additional funds or a substantial increase in the regional loading, she said.

"UNE is committed to provide the best possible support for students," Professor Moses continued. "If we have to fund all the present student services from our operating grant we will have to take the funds from teaching and teaching support. This is not acceptable. Our students deserve the full range of support services and facilities to ensure that the UNE experience is as good as we promise them it will be."

In a message to the SOS Collective, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Education Spokesperson for the Australian Democrats, said she "strongly supported" the Collective's campaign against VSU. "The services and facilities provided by student organisations," she said, "not only benefit all members of the university community, they also benefit the broader community - especially in regional Australia."

At the end of the day a member of the SOS Collective, Giles Dickenson-Jones, said it had been "a really positive show of opposition to the Government's VSU proposals". "Everyone there seemed to know about the issue, and to appreciate how destructive VSU would be," he reported.

The Newcastle band "The Looks" provided live entertainment for the event, which also included street theatre and a free barbecue. It was supported by Sport UNE, the UNE Union, the UNE Postgraduate Association, the National Tertiary Education Union, the Community and Public Sector Union, and UNE's Uniting Church Chaplaincy.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 11, 2005 11:12 AM