RMIT University Student Union

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RMIT University Student Union
RMIT University Student Union Logo.png
RUSU logo
History
Founded1944;81 years ago (1944)
Leadership
President
Finbar Bray
General Secretary
Dulan Ariyathilaka
Structure
Seats28
Length of term
1 year
Affiliations
National Union of Students
Meeting place
Storey Hall, RMIT Old Building (4505219368).jpg
Storey Hall and Building 57, Level 4, RMIT University, 115 Queensberry Street, Carlton 3053
Website
rusu.rmit.edu.au
Constitution
RUSU Constitution
Rules
RUSU Regulations and Policy

The RMIT University Student Union (RUSU), is the peak representative body for students enrolled at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The Student Union is independent of the university and operates under the direction of annually elected student representatives. According to the constitution, all students are automatic members of the Student Union but may choose to become a financial member. [1] RUSU works in collaboration with its sister organisation the RMIT Vietnam Student Council to achieve common aims and objectives for all students.

Contents

The Student Union offers a range of services, including student rights advocacy, campus activities and events, funding student media including RMITV & Catalyst as well as hosting Women's, Queer and Postgraduate student lounges. RUSU is also responsible for funding and supporting over 100 clubs & societies that are either Academic, Cultural, Political, Social or Spiritual based. RMIT Link, which is run by the university (not the Student Union) funds and manages all Arts and Sports clubs. RUSU has offices at the three major Melbourne campuses and sites of RMIT University. RUSU is an affiliated body to the National Union of Students and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.

History

John Storey Junior helped found the Student Representative Council in 1944, acted as its first President, and lobbied for the establishment of a central library. His studies were cut short when he was diagnosed with leukaemia and died in 1947, aged just 22. His recognition of service to the RMIT community lives on with one RMIT's most striking buildings – Storey Hall – in tribute to John Storey Junior and his father Sir John. [2] Over the years since its founding, the student union has continued to grow and expand into more areas to become an integral part of the student experience on campus.

In 2006, with the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation, the Student Union underwent a major reorganisation. Most of the staff were made redundant, the organisation's three separate campus councils were merged, and several services such as the second-hand bookshop were abandoned. While the organisation suffered a drastic funding cut (from $3.9 million AUD to $1.3 million AUD) as a result of VSU, it managed to survive the cutbacks and continue providing services, advocacy and representation to students.

In 2010, the RMIT University Student Union adopted the acronym and rebranding of RUSU. The student union had become formally incorporated in 2021, leading it to achieve a non-for-profit status.

Current structure

As of 2024, the Student Union Council has 28 voting members, who are elected by RMIT students at annual held elections. Each Melbourne campus of RMIT (Brunswick, Bundoora and City) has a campus coordinator and a general campus representative as part of the 28 voting member structure.

Councillors are typically elected in the second week of September and hold November to October terms. Ex-officio (non-voting) members may be appointed to the Student Union Council at its discretion. All members of the Student Union Council must be financial members of the Student Union.

The Student Union Council meets regularly, and it is also responsible for electing the President and Communications Officer, as outlined in the Student Union Constitution. A smaller group of student office bearers, known as the Secretariat, meets more regularly to discuss day-to-day operational, staffing, and other urgent matters.

In addition to having student representatives as board directors of the organisation, the Student Union employs professional staff to help deliver key programs and services, and assist in governance. All staff members are supervised by an elected student representative as determined by the Secretariat. [3]

Leadership

Presidents of the RMIT University Student Union
No.PortraitNameTermElection yearGeneral Secretary
541 November 1997 – 31 October 19981997Mandi Scott
55Mandi Scott1 November 1998 – 31 October 19991998Lizzie Minchin
56Jess Latimer1 November 1999 – 31 October 20001999Kristin Godby
57Jonathan Wilkinson1 November 2000 – 31 October 20012000Danny Bouvong
58Emily Anderson1 November 2001 – 31 October 20022001Ty Capach
59Emily Anderson1 November 2002 – 31 October 20032002Kittisak Muckaprom
60Dinesh Rajalingum1 November 2003 – 31 October 20042003Duc Hieu Le
61Sridaran Vijayajumar1 November 2004 – 31 October 20052004Duc Hieu Le
62Dan Thomas1 November 2005 – 31 October 20062005Taylor Wright
63Patrick O'Keeffe1 November 2006 – 31 October 20072006Priyanka Erasmus
64Robert Harding1 November 2007 – 31 October 20082007Priyanka Erasmus
65Jessica Hall1 November 2008 – 31 October 20092008Natasha Ferroff
66Emma Henderson1 November 2009 – 31 October 20102009Thomas Ayers
67David Swan1 November 2010 – 31 October 20112010Hovig Melkonian
68Hovig Melkonian1 November 2011 – 31 October 20122011Jian Zhong
69James Michelmore1 November 2012 – 31 October 20132012Gabriel Brady
70James Michelmore1 November 2013 – 31 October 20142013Ariel Zohar
71Himasha Fonseka1 November 2014 – 31 October 20152014Ariel Zohar
72Ariel Zohar1 November 2015 – 31 October 20162015Abena Dove
73Abena Dove1 November 2016 – 31 October 20172016Emily Hansen
74Abena Dove1 November 2017 – 31 October 20182017Ella Gvildys
75Ella Gvildys1 November 2018 – 31 October 20192018Aditya Sharma
76Daniel Hoogstra1 November 2019 – 31 October 20202019Beatrice Co
77Akshay Jose1 November 2020 – 31 October 20212020Jarred Armitage
78Adam Steiner1 November 2021 – 31 October 20222021Sheldon Gait
79Beth Shegog1 November 2022 – 31 October 20232022Mark Morante
80Ella Byrne1 November 2023 – 31 October 20242023Dhweep Shah
81Finbar Bray1 November 2024 – Incumbent2024Dulan Ariyathilaka
General Secretaries of the RMIT University Student Union
No.PortraitNameTermElection yearPresident
54Mandi Scott1 November 1997 – 31 October 19981997
55Lizzie Minchin1 November 1998 – 31 October 19991998Mandi Scott
56Kristin Godby1 November 1999 – 31 October 20001999Jess Latimer
57Danny Bouvong1 November 2000 – 31 October 20012000Jonathan Wilkinson
58Ty Capach1 November 2001 – 31 October 20022001Emily Anderson
59Kittisak Muckaprom1 November 2002 – 31 October 20032002Emily Anderson
60Duc Hieu Le1 November 2003 – 31 October 20042003Dinesh Rajalingum
61Duc Hieu Le1 November 2004 – 31 October 20052004Sridaran Vijayajumar
62Taylor Wright1 November 2005 – 31 October 20062005Dan Thomas
63Priyanka Erasmus1 November 2006 – 31 October 20072006Patrick O'Keeffe
64Priyanka Erasmus1 November 2007 – 31 October 20082007Robert Harding
65Natasha Ferroff1 November 2008 – 31 October 20092008Jessica Hall
66Thomas Ayers1 November 2009 – 31 October 20102009Emma Henderson
67Hovig Melkonian1 November 2010 – 31 October 20112010David Swan
68Jian Zhong1 November 2011 – 31 October 20122011Hovig Melkonian
69Gabriel Brady1 November 2012 – 31 October 20132012James Michelmore
70Ariel Zohar1 November 2013 – 31 October 20142013James Michelmore
71Ariel Zohar1 November 2014 – 31 October 20152014Himasha Fonseka
72Abena Dove1 November 2015 – 31 October 20162015Ariel Zohar
73Emily Hansen1 November 2016 – 31 October 20172016Abena Dove
74Ella Gvildys1 November 2017 – 31 October 20182017Abena Dove
75Aditya Sharma1 November 2018 – 31 October 20192018Ella Gvildys
76Beatrice Co1 November 2019 – 31 October 20202019Daniel Hoogstra
77Jarred Armitage1 November 2020 – 31 October 20212020Akshay Jose
78Sheldon Gait1 November 2021 – 31 October 20222021Adam Steiner
79Mark Morante1 November 2022 – 31 October 20232022Beth Shegog
80Dhweep Shah1 November 2023 – 31 October 20242023Ella Byrne
81Dulan Ariyathilaka1 November 2024 – Incumbent2024Finbar Bray

Student Union Council

RMIT University Student Union – 81st Student Union Council (elected 2024)
PositionName
General SecretaryDulan Ariyathilaka
Education OfficerBunny Wadhwa
Welfare OfficerTathya Grover
International OfficerXin Shen
Postgraduate OfficerTandeep Singh
Women’s OfficerAmellysha Amran
Queer OfficerLuna McLeod
Queer OfficerMaya Szyszko
Indigenous OfficerTessa Cristiano
Indigenous OfficerMaddie Quail
Disabilities & Carers OfficerSamuel Coombs
Activities OfficerAmandi Peiris
Sustainability OfficerThikshani Abayasekara
Clubs and Societies OfficerAshar Husain
Vocational Education OfficerDaiyan Mustansir
Brunswick CoordinatorSnigdha Garg
Bundoora CoordinatorMathy Sivakumar
City CoordinatorTanya Ajit
Brunswick RepresentativeAmrutha Baburaj
Bundoora East RepresentativeGeorgia Collier
Bundoora West RepresentativeKarthik Karkala
City RepresentativeYoan Theodore
1st-elected General RepresentativeFinbar Bray
2nd-elected General RepresentativeHolly Medlyn
3rd-elected General RepresentativeNishtha Rana
4th-elected General RepresentativeBen Milne
5th-elected General RepresentativeZhenghuai Ni
1st Alternate General RepresentativeKashish Juneja
2nd Alternate General RepresentativeFelicity Monk

Student media

The RMIT Student Union funds the student-run magazine Catalyst & student television on-campus production studios RMITV. It continues to have strong ties with SYN radio station located within RMIT, however there is no formal or funding relationship between the separate organisations.

Catalyst Magazine was first published in 1944, the same year the Student Union was established. It is one of two official student magazines and news sources on RMIT campus.

References

  1. "RUSU Constitution May 2017". RMIT University Student Union. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. "RMIT University Buildings – Storey Hall". RMIT University. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  3. https://www.rusu.rmit.edu.au/regulations