UTS Students' Association

Last updated

The University of Technology Sydney Students' Association (UTSSA)
MottoOur Voice. Our Way. Our SA.
InstitutionThe University of Technology Sydney
LocationLevel 3, UTS Tower Building 1, Broadway NSW 2007
Members46,328
Affiliations National Union of Students (NUS)
Website utsstudentsassociation.org.au

The University of Technology, Sydney, Students' Association is the representative body for students at the University of Technology, Sydney. [1] It is based on level 3 of building 1 at UTS. It publishes the student magazine Vertigo. [2] The association has departments which have previously worked collaboratively with the university to achieve practical outcomes for students, as well as ensuring that the university is held to account over its handling of student issues. Historically, this has resulted in numerous successful campaigns which have won rights for students in the university.

Contents

Executive

The executive of the UTSSA are responsible for the day to day operation of the Association, and are elected by the students annually. [3]

2022-23 Executive

The executive members elected for 2022-23 were: [4]

PositionNamePartyAllianceTook officeTerm ends
PresidentNour AL HAMMOURIStudent UnityFire Up!December 2022December 2023
General SecretaryWill SIMMONSNational Labor StudentsFire Up!December 2022December 2023
Assistant General SecretaryZebadiah CRUICKSHANKNational Labor StudentsFire Up!December 2022December 2023
Education OfficerAnna THIEBEN Independent ReviveDecember 2022December 2023
Welfare OfficerMia CAMPBELLStudent UnityFire Up!December 2022December 2023

2023-24 Executive

The current executive members elected for 2023-24 are: [5]

PositionNamePartyAllianceTook officeTerm ends
PresidentMia CampbellStudent UnityFire Up!December 2023December 2024
General SecretaryAdam LevettNational Labor StudentsFire Up!December 2023December 2024
Assistant General SecretaryBridie O’KellyStudent UnityFire Up!December 2023December 2024
Education OfficerAlisa HamiltonNational Labor StudentsFire Up!December 2023December 2024
Welfare OfficerAylin CihanStudent UnityFire Up!December 2023December 2024

Student Representative Council

UTS Student Representative Council
56th Council
UTS Students' Association.jpg
Type
Type
History
Founded1966;57 years ago (1966) [6]
Leadership
Mia Campbell, Labor Unity
since December 2023
Adam Levett, National Labor Students
since December 2023
Structure
Seats25
  • 14 General Councillors
  • 5 Executive
  • 4 Directly Elected Office Bearers
  • 2 University Board [7]
Svgfiles 2023-12-19-02-08-34-338039-6502964268711214394.svg
Political groups
Fire Up! (24)
  •   Labor Unity (15)
  •   National Labor Students (9)

Students First (1)

Length of term
1 year
Elections
Single Transferable Vote
Last election
October 2023 [8] [9]
Next election
October 2024
Website
UTSSA Student Representative Council
Constitution
Constitution of the UTS Students Association
Rules
Bylaws of the UTS Students Association

The Student Representative Council is the representative body of students at UTS. It was founded in 1966 under the NSW Institute of Technology. [10]

Role

The role of the SRC is to represent the students at the University of Technology Sydney Meetings are held monthly, and are open to all students. [11] They are usually held on-campus and are promoted on social media pages. Important matters relating to student activism, concerns, budgets and the function of the association are raised at meetings. Motions are raised and voted upon by councillors, and are passed by a simple majority. However, a two-thirds requirement must be met to pass amendments to the constitution. [3] Office bearers for the Queer, Enviro, Disabilities and Ethno-Cultural collectives are elected annually by the SRC at the "repselect" meeting. To be eligible, a candidate must be a General Councillor. Office bearers are elected by a majority by SRC members. [11]

The UTSSA Student Council is democratically elected, with elections in the spring semester of each year. [12]

Factions

Like most bodies representing students in Australia, the SRC is divided into factions. The factions work together in groups, in 2022 these are based on their election tickets: "Fire Up!" and "Left Action" (Labor Right, Labor Left), "Revive" (Independents, Socialist Alternative) and "Accountability" (Australian Democrats). [13] [14]

Student Unity

Student Unity, the centre-left of Labor. The group is affiliated with national Labor Right and the Australian Labor Party. They are the largest faction in 2023 and have held the Presidency three times in the last four years. Student Unity's principles centre on unionism, service provision and comprehensive advocacy.

National Labor Students (Labor Left)

National Labor Students, the unofficial student wing of Labor Left, its pillars are Feminism, Socialism, Unionism, and Democracy. [15] The faction has a strong record on LGBTQIA+ rights and environmental action on campus. The faction contested the 2021 election under the "Fire Up!" ticket. [13] Labor Left has 5 members on council.

Composition

The current Student Representative Council as elected for 2023-24: [13]

NamePartyAlliance
Mia Campbell Labor Unity Fire Up!
Adam Levett NLS Fire Up!
Bridie O’Kelly Labor Unity Fire Up!
Alisa Hamilton NLS Fire Up!
Aylin Cihan Labor Unity Fire Up!
Jermaine Petterson Heard Labor Unity Fire Up!
Laura Currie NLS Fire Up!
Mariam Yassine Labor Unity Fire Up!
Raghav Motani Labor Unity Fire Up!
Daewah Thein NLS Fire Up!
Joseph Naffah Labor Unity Fire Up!
Adrian Lozancic Australian Democrats Students First
Matthew Murray NLS Fire Up!
Dirk Hoare Labor Unity Fire Up!
Samiha Emran NLS Fire Up!
Salma Elmubasher Labor Unity Fire Up!
Bilvika Abburi Labor Unity Fire Up!
Januka Suraweera Labor Unity Fire Up!
Sina Afsharmehr NLS Fire Up!
Thomas Richardson Labor Unity Fire Up!
Hasim Rahman NLS Fire Up!
Neeve Charlesworth Labor Unity Fire Up!
Jeremy Higgins NLS Fire Up!
Peter Blair Munford Labor Unity Fire Up!
Kurt Cheng Labor Unity Fire Up!

[16]

Collectives

Women's

The Women's department creates a space and community for non-male identifying members of the UTS community and is affiliated with NOWSA. There is an Autonomous Space in Building 3. In 2016 they worked with the NUS Women's Officer to host the NOWSA conference for that year. [17]

Welfare

The welfare collective is opened to all students but has in the past been asked to be the main organising body for students from low socio-economic backgrounds. The collective aims to help students by providing food and how2life workshops. These workshops have covered topics like cooking 101, renting how-to, and fair wage/your rights. [18]

Education

The Education Collective, also known as the Education Action Group, is open to all students and is focused on campaigning around issues that affect all students on campus. This includes fighting against fee hikes and cuts to staff and for a better trimester system, more library hours, in addition to other campaigns led by the National Union of Students. [19]

Indigenous

The Indigenous Collective is composed of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The Collective meets regularly and works alongside Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research. Founded in 2012, they run campaigns surrounding Indigenous issues and have been an active political and pastoral component of the Students' Association since their inception. Camille Smith is Indigenous Officer for 2022. [20]

Queer

The Queer department runs campaigns for LGBTIQ students on campus and maintains a Queer Space on campus. Campaigns include anti-homophobia campaigns, student safety campaigns, Pride Week, Anti Queer Youth Homelessness campaign, Gender Neutral Bathrooms campaign and works with the Out2Party club on social events. The Queer department also works closely with the UTS Equity Department. [21]

Enviro

Affiliated to the Australian Student Environment Network, the Enviro Collective is focused on green activism and campaigns like 'Flick my Switch' and 'Fossil Free University' as well as environmental campaigns off-campus. [22]

Disability

The Disabilities Collective is for UTS students who identify as having a disability and/or medical condition. The group operates without a space but cooperates with many internal UTS sectors to ensure students with disabilities receive adequate support. The group also campaigns around larger abilities awareness projects. [23]

Ethno-Cultural

The Ethnocultural Collective is composed of students from across many ethnic backgrounds, races, religions and beliefs with the aim to promote harmony and peace through fostering the diversity at UTS. The collective works to ensure representation and supportive frameworks for students experiencing or at risk of prejudice and opposes all forms of discrimination against migrants, minorities, and people of faith. [24]

International

The International Collective is for International Students at UTS who seek networking opportunities and space to protest on issues which affect them. Campaigns include the right to access student travel concessions and fairer fee structures. [25]

Postgraduate

The UTS Postgraduate Committee is a group of students who aim to make a positive contribution to the educational experience of Postgraduate students. There a range of initiative the Postgraduate Collective advocate, including fairer fee structures. [26]

Related Research Articles

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a technical institution can be traced back to the 1870s. UTS is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network (ATN), and is a member of Universities Australia (UA) and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).

Tertangala is the student magazine of the University of Wollongong. It is published by Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association, and Tertangala is older than the university itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Students (Australia)</span>

The National Union of Students (NUS) is the peak representative body for Australian higher education students. As of 2020, there are 21 student unions in Australian campuses affiliated to NUS. A student union is eligible for membership by its classification as a legitimate student representative body at any Australian post-secondary training provider and the payment of Union fees by the union according to the number of full-time study units of its students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh University Students' Association</span>

Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) is the students' union at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Association's aim is the advancement of education of Edinburgh students by representing and supporting them, and by promoting their interests, health and welfare within the community. It is led by a team of five elected student sabbatical officers.

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.

The Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA) formerly known as Tasmania University Union (TUU), is the peak body of student representation for tertiary students attending the University of Tasmania and was established in 1899.

The Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN) is the national network of many campus environment collectives in Australia, formed at the 1997 Students and Sustainability convergence in Townsville. People from ASEN facilitate communication between environment collectives and co-ordinate national projects and campaigns. ASEN is particularly known for cultivating intersectional social justice analyses and critiques amongst young environmentalists, facilitating direct action campaigns, projects towards just transitions and indigenous solidarity work. ASEN is the longest running, and one of the largest, youth environment networks in Australia.

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) is the peak representative body for postgraduate students in Australia. CAPA's members are 33 postgraduate associations and the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association (NATSIPA). CAPA provides member associations with representation to the Federal government, and peak bodies such as the Australian Research Council and Universities Australia, on issues affecting postgraduate students in Australia. In 2017, Australia had over 400,000 postgraduate students, representing one quarter of all tertiary students in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Sydney Students' Representative Council</span>

The University of Sydney Students' Representative Council (SRC) is the representative body for undergraduate students at the University of Sydney. In addition to a student-elected council and student advocacy portfolios, the SRC coordinates a free legal service and caseworker service for all undergraduate students at the University of Sydney. These services provide legal, academic appeal, migration, tenancy and study advice to students. The SRC has a reputation as Australia's most radical student union, and has been instrumental in leading student activism on a range of issues including education, feminist justice, environmentalism, First Nations justice and queer rights. The longest-running weekly student newspaper in Australia, Honi Soit, is funded by the SRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff University Students' Union</span> Students union in Wales, UK

Cardiff Students' Union is the Students' Union for Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Melbourne Student Union</span>

The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) is one of two student organisations at the University of Melbourne, Australia. UMSU, incorporated as University of Melbourne Student Union, Inc. (UMSU) provides representation and services for all current students and the University of Melbourne.

The YouX Students’ Representatives Council, formerly Adelaide University Union is the student representative body at University of Adelaide succeeding Students' Association of the University of Adelaide (SAUA) after the Adelaide University Union restructure in 2007. YouX SRC is one of two governing bodies of YouX, the other being the YouXboard.

Vertigo is the student magazine of the University of Technology, Sydney. Its name derives from the university's main building, which is a 28-storey brutal modernist tower block, and how the Vertigo Offices were originally at its summit. Vertigo is published by the UTS Students' Association (UTSSA).

Australian National University Students' Association is the students' union of the Australian National University (ANU). It is better known by its acronym, ANUSA. ANUSA acts as a representative body for the undergraduate, postgraduate and research students of the Australian National University, while also providing a number of goods and services to those students.

Campus Experience is the student organisation at Macquarie University and is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the University. The organisation manages Macquarie University's non-academic services of food and retail, entertainment, sport and recreation, student groups, child care and student publications. The organisation also houses an elected student representative council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association</span>

The Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) is the peak body of elected representatives who campaign on behalf of the Research and Coursework Students at The University of Sydney, alongside the University of Sydney Students' Representative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Queensland Union</span>

The University of Queensland Union is a student organisation established to provide service, support and representation to the students of The University of Queensland. It remains the largest student representative body in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. The Union oversees approximately $15 million in revenue each financial year.

The La Trobe Student Union (LTSU) is a representative body for students at La Trobe University. The LTSU is located at the Bundoora campus in the Agora. The LTSU is made up of elected student representatives who provide advocacy, services, events and support for all La Trobe Students. The representatives include President, Education Vice President, General Secretary, Postgraduate Officer, Education Public Affairs Officer, Welfare Officer, Women's Officer, Queer Officer, People of Colour Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Officer, Disabilities Officer, Social Justice Officer, Activities Officer and 7 General Members of Council.

The Flinders University Student Association (FUSA) is a student union at Flinders University, South Australia. It provides free welfare services, academic advocacy, grants for clubs and societies, and funding for the student newspaper, Empire Times. It also organises an O'Week each semester, as well as various social events throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydia X. Z. Brown</span> Autistic disability rights activist

Lydia X. Z. Brown is an American autistic disability rights activist, writer, attorney, and public speaker who was honored by the White House in 2013. They are the chairperson of the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Disability Rights Committee. They are also Policy Counsel for Privacy & Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, and Director of Policy, Advocacy, & External Affairs at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network. In 2022, they unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 7A, losing to state delegate Kathy Szeliga and delegate-elect Ryan Nawrocki.

References

  1. "Students' Association". 29 June 2016.
  2. "Home". UTS Vertigo.
  3. 1 2 "UTSSA Constitution" (PDF). UTS Students Association.
  4. "Declaration of 2022 Election Results". UTS Students' Association. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  5. "2023 UTSSA Elections – Declaration of Results" (PDF). 2023.
  6. "Celebrating over 50 years of advocacy". UTS Students Association. UTSSA.
  7. "Constitution of the UTS Students Association" (PDF). UTS Students Association. UTS Students Association.
  8. "Election Notice" (PDF). UTS Students Association. UTS Students Association.
  9. "Declaration of Results" (PDF). UTS Students Association. UTS Students Association.
  10. "Celebrating over 50 years of advocacy and action". UTS Students' Association. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Speaking up for every student". UTS Students' Association. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  12. "Our student reps are here to make uni life better. Want to get involved?". UTS Students' Association. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 "Student Election Final Results". UTS Students' Association.
  14. "'Unprecedented, undemocratic': UTSSA ousts Education Officer". Honi Soit. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  15. "Volume 6: Autonomy by UTS Vertigo". issuu.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  16. "2022 UTSSA Elections Declaration of Results" (PDF). UTSSA. UTS Students Association.
  17. "Women's Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  18. "Welfare Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  19. "Education Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  20. "Indigenous Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  21. "Queer Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  22. "Enviro Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  23. "Disabilities Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  24. "Ethnocultural Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  25. "International Collective". UTS Students' Association.
  26. "Postgraduate Collective". UTS Students' Association.