Working Students

Last year’s ANUSA survey revealed that the majority of students at ANU undertake part-time work, with some 20% of students failing or withdrawing from courses due to work commitments. We believe that this figure is disturbingly high and that the university must acknowledge that students have to work and do everything possible to make it easier for students to juggle work and study commitments. This would include

• Flexible lecture and tutorial programs with multiple lectures for core subjects, including after-hours tutorials.
  
• Flexible exams upon arrangement.
  
• Longer library opening hours, or at least more hours after regular office hours
  
• Wide-spread use of digital lecture taping, or supplementary online notes
  
• A greater variety of subjects (especially core subjects) available over summer
  

accommodation

Hall and Collage Tariffs
Tariff changes at Halls and Colleges are an important situation in which students should always be kept aware of. Synergize will look closely at making sure that students are consulted with on all changes made with regards to tariffs and upfront deposits and fees.

Accommodation Guarantee
2006 will see a continuation of both the first and later year student guarantee for ANU approved accommodation. The success of this guarantee in 2004 has seen a vast improvement in the lines of communication between the University Accommodation Service, the presidents of the Halls and Colleges and the president of ANUSA this year. Synergize would like to see this co-operation continue to ensure that all students who live in Halls, Colleges or other ANU approved accommodation are made aware of the decisions made by the university in regard to students living arrangements.

City West Development
The City West development, which will see the creation of accommodation for over 500 students and set to open in 2007, is set to alleviate many of the problems that have arisen over the last few years. However, there are a few areas in which it will be important for next years executive. These include:

• Ensuring that there is enough parking for residents so that existing campus parking is not placed under further pressure
  
• That tariffs are kept at affordable prices
  
• That there be sufficient support for students in the City West Accommodation both pastoral and academic in order to foster a sense of community
  
• Make sure that Dolly’s is not evicted from campus!
  
• Making sure that the businesses that establish themselves in the area are not just student friendly, but also able to hire students living in the area.
  

Health

Mental Health Awareness Program.
Many students in colleges and studying in general become depressed, or develop some other forms of mental health problems. If we can raise awareness of these problems and where to go to find help some of the devastating effects could be minimised.

Promote and raise awareness of help available.
Although there are many avenues of aid available to students within the university eg. Legal officer, welfare officer etc.

Parking

To start with, Synergize would push the university to seal and mark all surface car parks. Although this doesn’t solve the problem, it removes the infuriating scenario of missing lectures because some other person has parked across what would be two car spaces.
More seriously Synergize would encourage the university to refrain from selling more surface parking permits than there are spaces available. The current system disproportionately affects students because a high percentage of students buy surface permits as they can’t afford more expensive, secure parking station places. The university’s pricing system for parking permits should be more reflective of students’ financial capacities.


Secure Parking
This appears to be a specific problem regarding students that are residents on campus or students that park after hours on campus. The parking is either to expensive or too far away from residencies and student buildings such as Chiefly library. Synergize will encourage the building of secure, multi-story parking in between Bruce and Burton & Garran Halls available to residents and increased lighting on the paths towards parking areas and also increased security patrols of car parking areas.

Security

UniSafe escorts are employed by Security on campus to help people get from on area of the campus to the other after dark. Unfortunately though, many students have called on this service have had to wait up to an hour and a half for some one to come and collect them, in some cases the UniSafe escort hasn’t even shown up. Synergize believes that this is unacceptable and will lobby in order to make sure that this service is available for all students in an acceptable manner.

O-week has some of the highest rates of sexual assault during the entire year at ANU. Synergize’s social officer candidate, if elected, will work closely with security to ensure that O-week is safe and inclusive as possible.

Parking on campus is increasingly frustrating. Parking permits are expensive and it is virtually impossible to find a parking space and after hour breakings are unacceptable. Although we acknowledge ANU’s green policy of encouraging people to leave their cars at home this policy does not acknowledge the fact that students earn less than a quarter of what the average staff member does, or the fact that students have irregular hours.

Synergize would also encourage the implementation of flexible parking packages. These packages enable students to park on campus at a reduce rate on Mondays and Fridays and catch buses at an also reduced price for the other three days.

International Students

Synergize is a strong and diverse group of people who feel passionately about ensuring that international students are as well represented as any other ANU student group.

Tuition Fees
An Independent-lead Students’ Association and International Student Service of the ANU (ISSANU) have worked with the university to achieve a 5% cap on rises in international students’ fees. Synergize will strive to continue this cap and ensure to ensure equal standards for all overseas-fee-paying students.

Accommodation
Students form overseas face the same difficulties in obtaining accommodation at the ANU that domestic students do. In addition, international students face difficulties of language, unfamiliar local practices and sometimes outright discrimination when seeking accommodation in the rental market. Synergize will work with ISSANU and the University Accommodation Services to seek commitments from the university to look after the priorities of later-year international students.

Social
There coninues to be a distinct social divide between international and domestic students. One way to counter this divide is to organise social events that cater top a diverse range of people. This includes a good balance between alcoholic and non-alcoholic events, and to provide culturally sensitive alternatives to BBQ (vegan and halal options). We would also facilitate better promotion of events hosted by ISSANU

Language support
Proficiency in English is strongly linked to academic success. We strongly support an increase in the entry requirement for overseas students from an International English Language Test Score from 6.5 to 7 (on a band from 0-9 where 9 indicates expert user fluency)
in any case, international students currently have little support for their concerns about English language difficulties. Synergize will push for quality language support to be provided by competent advisors within each Faculty
we also believe that better collaboration between ANU College, the Academic Skills and Learning Centre and the International Education Office is necessary to ensure the value of English language courses provided to international students

Indigenous

The creation of the indigenous officer in 2005 leads ANUSA to a new opportunity to help promote awareness of the indigenous students of ANU. It is the hope that 2006 will see ANUSA’s representative councils work in with the new officer to create a collective and transfer the role from officer to department. This move will allow for an increase in awareness of indigenous student issues, i.e. adjustment into university life and promotion of national events, such as NADOC week and NITES games.

Women

The major role of the ANUSA women’s department is the provision of information and services. The Synergize ticket recognises the importance of departments, such as women’s, to provide forums for discussion of relevant issues. Issues where action can be taken, i.e. the provision of parenting rooms and campus safety, would hold particular importance.

Synergize supports the move that the current women’s officer has made in regards to the UniSafe escort service, and will provide what help it can in its promotion.

Queer

Synergize recognises the vital role in which the sexuality department plays in the promotion of queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and queer indentifying) issues.

It supports the move to increase contact between the hall and college sexuality officers and the ANUSA sexuality department in the move to combat much of the negative cultural stereotyping that occurs in and around the ANU. This aids the establishment of an inclusive and inviting community in both the ANU and its associated halls and colleges.

Synergize also supports the move by the sexuality department to create the Ally program on campus and promote involvement by elected members of the coucils of ANUSA.

Disabilities

Along with the indigenous officer the disabilities officer position was also created in 2005. This position with voting rights on both SCR and CRC means that a perspective on matters concerning student with disabilities can be heard and decision made with ANUSA councils can be made with a more informed nature

Synergize also supports the direction of the current co-disabilities officers to transition from a sub-department into a department, with an active collective, as is stipulated in the constitution.

Social

Synergize aims to take a fresh approach to social events next year whilst capitalising on what worked this year.

A FRESH APPROACH
There are three ways in which the social life of the university could be improved:

The first thing that we need is better advertisement of uni events. Never again will you regret missing those social events you never even knew about! With a weekly newsletter outlining all the activities of the clubs and societies each week, free lunches, careers nights, social interaction and fun times can be had by all!

With the diverse range of clubs and societies presently in existence at the ANU, sometimes we lose sense of the big picture. It is for this reason that Synergize advocates more “whole uni” events, where the entire university can come together not just in O-Week and Bush week but also throughout the year. This will give everyone a greater chance to network and make friends.

Inter-faculty rivalry is alive and healthy at the ANU, so why don’t we encourage it through organised events! An interfaculty Olympics and Trivia night will be a definite winner – now it’s time to see which faculty truly dominates the ANU!!!! This is another chance for bonding between colleges and non-college students.

O-WEEK
Alongside the usual bar crawl, parties and nightclubbing, next year’s o-week will have three new events:

• Union Court movie marathon: on the last night of o-week, we will have an all-night sleepover in Union Court.
  
• Cocktail / mocktail party: when the sun sets the party begins. This is an all ages event in Union Court with jazz, drinks and dancing.
  
• Trivia night and dinner: this one speaks for itself – with a variety of trivia questions, this is a great way to make new friends and win great prizes.

BUSH WEEK
Of course, the Bush Week Scavenger Hunt will go off as usual (I have already had a few crazy minds offer to help write the list!) as well as the social events of years gone by. However, Synergize has come up with some new ideas as well:

• An all-uni party on the Thursday night (just to make sure that everyone actually takes the Friday off).
  
• An international food day – enjoy your favourite foods from around the world.
  
• A Canberra coffee crawl: just what everyone needs to fight away the winter blues.
  
  I have experience in organisation, representing my peers, and coordinating with others to publicise and convene huge events. I know that as Social Officer next year, with my Synergize team alongside me, I can make 2006 the best year ever. Just let me prove it to you.
  
  Claudia Newman-Martin - Social Officer Candidate for 2006
  
  

Community

Halls & Colleges

Over one third of ANU students live in a Hall or College. The promotion of ANUSA through these bodies is vital to maintaining a good understanding between student needs in this particular area of the ANU and the people elected to represent them.

So, it is the hope of Synergize in 2006 to move beyond the meetings between the presidents of the Halls and Colleges and ANUSA into something that is more integral in the running of these Halls and Collages.

A good way in which this can be achieved is by allowing representatives, for example the President and Vice-President of ANUSA to attend N-Week to talk about the services which ANUSA can provide. This way Resident Tutors of Halls and Colleges are able to correctly inform students of services that are available through ANUSA and hence the rest of the ANU.

Clubs & Societies

Clubs and Societies form a vital part of the cultural fabric of our university; it allows students to participate in sports and activities that they would otherwise either not be able to afford or would have to participate in outside the campus community. Clubs presently get a significant amount of financial support from ANUSA, however, that does not mean that they could not function without direct grants. With the high potential for the introduction of VSU next year ANUSA should be focused on ensuring that clubs are able to make the best of sponsorship opportunities available to them throughout the community.

Many clubs already get external sponsorship and the challenge for next year will be creating new opportunities so that more clubs can enjoy continues funding. The SA can help here by offering forums and advice to suggest new targets for sponsorship and methods of minimizing costs. The SA could also help clubs reduce costs by supplying basic in kind materials to clubs, such as barbeque materials (ie sausages etc). While it will certainly be difficult to generate the same amount of sponsorship as ANUSA presently receives in GSF it is vital to the future of clubs and societies that we propose some possible suggestions in which clubs and societies can continue to exist.

Visibility and Promotion

Promotion is important in that it allows students to engage with the services that are provided for by ANUSA and get value for their money. In a VSU state however, promotion becomes the cornerstone of the way in which ANUSA operates. It becomes the avenue to which ANUSA must drive to continue and increase its membership numbers and hence financial support.

It has being obvious that although considerable effort has being put into the promotion of ANUSA, students don’t respond to the traditional forms of advertising, such as stalls and sausage sizzles. This is largely to do with the limited resources that ANUSA has in order to promote itself.

However, in a VSU climate, how does a body respond to the challenge of an even smaller base of resource allocation for promotion and still continue to be as visible as it needs to be?

• Use of the new electronic mailing list, established this year by the executive
  
• Co-operation with uni to ensure that representation of ANUSA is delivered to all new ANU students
  
• That General Representatives and faculty reps further promote themselves, so for example using the e-mails created specifically for faculty positions so that they can be generally promoted in course outlines
  
• Greater use of social events to cross promote other services such as welfare and legal advice.
  
• Better advertising of ANUSA services within the ANU communities. This would go a long way in the ability for all services within the ANU to network effectively so that there is no cross over.
  
• Differential membership incentive schemes for Clubs and Societies affiliated with ANUSA in a VSU state so that membership is ever increasing.
  

Appeals

One of the most important roles that the Students’ Association plays is acting as an advocate for students when they need to appeal a decision made by the university. Unfortunately, appeals processes vary widely among faculties and even where there is university-wide policy, the way in which it is applied can vary dramatically. This means that whenever students try to take on the university they become entangled in red tape.

We would like to see a universal policy on appeals applied by all faculties in the same way. There should be a single point of contact for each faculty and that should be the faculty Dean.

The University has also recently changed its Academic Progress Rules. If you fail more than half your subjects in two semesters, the university will ask you to leave. Currently, you can only appeal this decision by “showing cause” as to why you failed and prove to the university that you should be allowed to continue. The problem with this policy is that “showing cause” is not defined by the university in a clear and unambiguous way. It is difficult to provide sufficient evidence, especially where problems are on-going or have had an accumulative effect. Furthermore, once you have been dismissed from university, you cannot appeal the decision. These rules have a particularly bad effect on International Students because once they have been dismissed from university and are no longer students, their visas are revoked and they must leave the country within a month.

We would like to see the university clarify these rules so that students aren’t dismissed in an arbitrary manner or without recourse to a transparent appeals process.

HECS

This year, a number of Faculties have been investigating an increase in HECS as a solution to funding problems. In some faculties there has been consultation with students regarding the most appropriate way to deal with these problems.

We would seek to ensure that HECS rises are only resorted to if absolutely necessary to maintain present teaching quality and course availability, after all other possible avenues of revenue raising have been exhausted.

We would also push for the widest possible level of consultation.

We would seek to ensure that HECS are only raised by the minimum amount required. If any other cost-cutting or revenue raising methods can be found, students deserve to have a lower rise in HECS as a result, rather than the university raising HECS by the full 25%.

Libraries

Getting access to the library can often be difficult, especially for students who work part time. Synergize would, in 2006, lobby to have libraries open for longer hours on the weekends. However, it should be recognised that there are limitations to this problems with regards to staffing costs.

Alternatively, we would propose to have one library, say Chifley library, open from 9am on weekends, with the ability to request books on reserve, journals and bricks to be brought to the open library to be available in the two hour loan section. Such requests would be made through the library website (meaning that you can do it from home) and at least a day in advance.

We would also propose that libraries such as Chifley be open for 24 hours a day during the StuVac period.

Also, it is recognised by students on the synergise ticket that lecturers frequently do not put essential texts on reserve and in many compulsory subjects fail to reserve sufficient copies, and so Synergize will endeavour to increase communication between course convenors and the library regarding demand for textbooks in their courses.

Information Accessibility

Website
The student website is being revamped later this year. Students should be involved in the consultation process so that it is a) user friendly, b) make sure it is compliant with university disability policy and c) will not disrupt access during its implementation period.

WebCT
the contract is almost up for the program WebCT, what avenues is Division of Information perusing? What were the problems with WebCT? What kind of student consultation should take place between DOI, students and staff?

Buying Bricks Online
Is this a possible avenue to explore, considering that it is now possible to buy parking permits through B-pay on ISIS? It’ll sure save students from having to wait for an hour at the beginning of each semester!

Printing

The new printing system has generally been good for students with fewer printer breakdowns and increased environmentally friendly through the ability to print double-sided and on recycled paper.

Despite these improvements some students find that their quotas inadequate. Although a differential quota system, with increased quotas for subjects with higher printing need, seems like a good idea, we realise that once someone starts deciding who deserves a larger quota, it becomes an issue of which faculty can apply the most pressure to that deciding body, rather than reflecting the needs of students. This argument may even be used to justify a decrease in quotas for some students.

Instead we would push for a universal increase in printing quotas, if needed, or at the very least prevent any decreases. Secondly, we would push for quotas that reflect a students subject load. This way students that are overloading have access to 100 extra pages for each extra course undertaken.

Lecture Taping

ANU has a decentralised nature, which means that each of the faculties and research schools is autonomous. This environment inhibits university wide policy from being enforced or even made. So when it comes to matters affecting all students, such as lecture taping, it is hard to know which avenue to take in order to achieve a positive outcome. If the Synergize ticket would like to take lecture taping as a serious issue then we have to develop a strategy that has more depth than simply saying ‘Lecture taping, yes we promise we’ll get that for you’.

Most students regard digital taping as a good thing because it allows students greater flexibility when juggling study and work. Also, it should be recognised that many students, particularly those with English as a second language, greatly benefit from being able to hear a lecture a second time. And so in essence the Synergize ticket would work towards a universal taping system.

However, many lecturers are reluctant to tape lectures because the current system is technically complicated and that they believe students will no longer attend their lectures. To combat these problems we would encourage the Division of Information (DOI) to make the process of digital taping easier for lecturers and to provide them with a sufficient amount of technical support and increase awareness of the concerns of students and their work and study commitments.

Faculty Representatives

ANU is a decentralised university: Each faculty is independent with different course requirements, consultation procedures and appeals processes. Synergize would endeavour to make university wide policy on matters such as Lecture Taping, use of WebCT, course assessment and appeal mechanisms simpler by lobbying to each faculty in a manner that is reflective of their situation.

Greater visibility of faculty representatives
To assist students it is important that they understand the student representative’s role in the faculty, how to contact them, what they have achieved and what they plan to. If the some of this information (contact details etc) was included in course outlines, it would increase the faculty representatives’ effectiveness.

Assessment
Synergize believe that it is essential that lecturers outline clearly to students what work courses require, and provide students with the opportunity to give meaningful feedback on these requirements. This means that if students aren’t happy with particular assessment tasks, eg. A 70% exam a 20% tute mark and a 10% research essay, they will have the opportunity to suggest alternatives and reach a compromise with lecturers before it is too late to make alterations.

Better information on degree requirements
It can also be extremely difficult and confusing to find information on degree requirements and structures in faculties, as well as things like what courses are going to be offered and when. We would campaign for the faculty to improve the available information and make it readily accessible to all, not hidden away on an obscure web page. It’s also important that the faculty regularly review compulsory requirements for all degree streams to ensure that there aren’t ‘redundant’ courses

Law- Niamh Lenagh -Maguire and Jesse Kennedy

Power-Sockets
The new Spark-Helmore Theatres are great for the increasing number of students with laptops, but the old Law and Law Link Theatres offer little in the way of power-sockets for everyone’s laptop. Putting in more power-sockets and/or power boards will put an end to the ‘low battery warning’ sounds going off during lectures.

Smaller Tutorials
Compared to other faculties, the size of Law tutorials is unacceptable. Cramming over twenty people into a room that fits 15 or even having more people than there are computers in a library tutorial negatively impacts on our learning at the ANU.

Copies of Textbooks in the Library
Some law students have difficulty in affording the often expensive set texts for law, and therefore rely on a copy being available in the library. Given there is only one textbook on closed reserve for each subject however, students can not always access the text when they need to. We believe every compulsory law subject must have at least three of each of the required texts on closed reserve in order to ensure all students have access to the required reading for their course

Arts- Pamela Gilbert and Anna Verney

Books on Short Loan
Make sure that all recommended reading text proposed for major essay questions are placed on reserve to ensure equal accessibility for all students.

Compatible Majors
Better subject compatibility between subject majors so that the courses from one major can count towards another major. This will allow greater flexibility in terms of what subjects are available to students.

Publicity of Subjects
Arts is notorious for not publiciing which courses will be available in coming years. Because the majors in Arts are so structured, this lack of information makes it difficult to plan study programs. There needs to be greater publication of later year courses that follow on from each other.

Asian Studies- Arjuna Dibley and Emily Hogden

Year-In-Asia
While this is individually coordinated by the different language centres, information regarding the Year-In-Asia program, which is vital to students considering the specialist program and translation degree, is generally unavailable and the information nights are badly publicised. This could be easily rectified by sending emails through the clubs and societies, putting posters up on information boards in advance of the information nights and by updating contact details on the handbook or webct.

Career information
For those of us who don’t want to go straight to DFAT (and maybe those who do) it would be helpful.

Asian Studies and Arts
Considering the limited amount of cognitive subjects available each semester to Asian Studies students, allowing students to take courses for their cognitive major from the Arts faculty which are relevant to the culture they are studying, would improve the diversity of the students experience.

Economics/Commerce- Nithya Sambasivam and Dave Edwards

Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
Many students in the Faculty are from linguistically diverse backgrounds, and we need to ensure that information and resources that the Faculty provides are easily accessible to and understandable by all students. There is a need to provide information regarding matters such as professional requirements, assessment and appeals procedures, and student advocacy services in a straight-forward and easily understood manner. There is also the possibility of publishing some of, or at least directing students to, this information in languages other than English.

Broadening the Role of the Economics and Commerce Society
The ECS needs to be a source of information, discussion and aid on matters relevant to Eco/Comm students. It should be better integrated with the faculty and student body, as it is your society and should reflect your interests and needs. The ECS website could be better developed so as to provide information on courses, lectures, assessment and review process, surveys for feedback during the semester, information on professional requirements, helpful links and so on. Creating a discourse between faculty reps, the faculty itself and the ECS will allow for better communication and facilitation of students' interests within the faculty, in addition to ensuring the survival and continued viability of your Economics and Commerce Society under VSU.

Science- Phoebe and Aidan Morrision

Faculty Clubs and Societies
To investigate and set up, if appropriate, the use of members of science clubs and societies for direct feedback; by their very nature, clubs and societies are a buffet of interested science students.
To further promote interaction and a sense of community between the departments by encouraging group social activities between science clubs and societies.

Timetabling
The Synergize Science Faculty Representatives would endeavour to minimise the impact of such course clashes by trying to identify which courses are most frequently taken out of faculty by science students, and urging time-tablers or lecturers to make arrangements in awareness of the science students who might want to study their courses. Also, the representatives would avail themselves to hear the concerns of any science student who thought that clashes were restricting their academic program, and take their case to the relevant administrators.

Engineering/IT- Madeline Cooper and Craig Gibbons

Inadequate computing resources
At peak times, when several courses have assignments due at once, it can be practically impossible to get a computer in any of the dedicated FEIT labs. In the short term, we would push for coordinated scheduling of assignments in both assignments, to ensure that several courses do not have assignments due at the same time, which puts enormous pressure on the available resources. The scheduling of lab sessions should also be improved so that there is always at least one lab that is not being used for class sessions and can therefore be used by students working on assignments. In the longer term, it is important for the faculty to continually reassess their infrastructure needs, so as to ensure that the labs are able to support the number of students enrolled in the two departments.

Improve access to info on how to use computer resources
There is a very steep learning curve for many students entering the faculty, both in terms of course content, and in difficulties with using unfamiliar technology, i.e. Linux systems. The amount of information available from the Department of Computer Science about how to use the CS system is incomplete, confusing, spread over various websites: in short, completely inadequate. We would push hard for the faculty to centralise, update and improve general information on how to use the provided systems, particularly on topics such as how to access resources at home.

Promotion of Engineering in Canberra
In the field of engineering and IT, Canberra excels in IT contracting with a majority of engineering work focused in telecommunications. It is quite difficult for other students studying different engineering disciplines to find compulsory vacation work experience. It is important for stronger consultation to be established between the faculty and local industry bodies. The student body of the faculty needs to make these issues aware to the heads of the faculty.

Independence and Independents

Why it is important to have independent people on our student representative councils.

ANU is a diverse community. Students come from all around Australian and the world; they have different views, different values, different politics, different perspectives, and different priorities. So when it comes to speaking on the behalf of the student body, students need representatives that will reflect this diversity.

Now, although ANUSA doesn’t have much money it does have influence; it’s your voice on the University Council, the Finance Committee, the Campus Advisory Sub-Committee, the Transport Reference Group; its your advocate when you appeal a grade or make a complaint against a lecturer; it is your safety-net when the unexpected happens. Because regardless of whether VSU comes in or not, ANUSA will still be your representative to the university and still advocate on your behalf. When you vote in this year’s ANUSA elections, vote for people who give priority to the issues that directly impact on students’ lives.

We realise that not all students are the same: not all students see their degree as path to a career, not all students live at collage, and not all students see politics as the centre of their universe. But all students deserve representation.

So then why vote for Synergize? (I hear you mumble as you walk away from Union Court holding 10 How to Vote Cards in your hand). Because, we realise that the ANU is diverse and we reflect this in the people running on our ticket. We recognise the difficulties that we all face as students and try to present options that are actually attainable. And we identify with people who don’t believe that alignment to political parties is central to the running of ANUSA and to helping students receive the best possible education that they can get out of ANU.

The best we can ask of you after you see our pamphlets in lecture theatres, our posters up on the bollards, or see a person wearing one of our t-shirts is to get informed, talk to us and think critically before you vote!

Voluntary Student Unionism

The reality of the situation is that Voluntary Student Unionism legislation in some form or another is likely to come into place in January 2006. VSU legislation, as it is currently tabled, will mean that no compulsory up-front non-academic fees can be collected from students by the ANU. However, there has being some dissent over the recent months, most especially from Liberal backbenchers and National Party Senators which means that the form of the legislation, and its impact on studnets’ associations, is as yet uncertain.

Unfortunately, because we do not know in what form VSU will ultimately be passed, it would be irresponsible to form hard and fast contingency plans. That is to say that no action has been taken by ANUSA to compensate for voluntary membership. This year’s executive have being working closely with the Vice Chancellor and ANU administration to develop strategies that will ensure not only the survival of ANUSA, but also the continued provision of its vital services. Furthermore, if the VSU legislation is passed this year, most of the changes that will occur to ANUSA will be taken by the elected representatives of 2005 in consultation with students. In fact there are already plans for university-wide forums to discuss these issues once the legislation is passed.

The people that make up the Synergize ticket recognise that if VSU legislation is implemented, ANUSA will have to change in order to adapt to its new circumstances. The heart of the problem with VSU is that with voluntary membership comes a variable income. Currently ANUSA applies for funding from the GSF committee of the ANU with the knowledge that there is an expected income. With VSU, and an unstable income, we want to continue to provide essential services, like the welfare and legal officers, or Woroni, which have fixed costs, but we do not know how much income we have to be able to provide for them. The way to make this work is to create a stable income through close co-operation with the university and good promotion of the services we provide to students, all the while keeping the interests of students first.

It should be acknowledged that no amount of good management will prevent students from feeling the impact VSU. Anyone who tells you that they will be able to prevent the loss of services or give you the same level of representation and advocacy as you enjoyed this year, doesn’t have a very good understanding of the issues. Instead ask them which services they will fight to keep. And anyone who says they are running because they want to make the changes so that ANUSA will survive next year doesn’t realise that by the time they take office, these decisions will probably have already been made by you.

Opening words!

So its time again for the ANU Students’ Association Elections and although these elections have been somewhat engulfed by the ever looming VSU legislation, it is still important to discuss other ideas which will affect students next year. Because while VSU is a huge issue, there are still other concerns that students have that can’t be sidelined.

Representation is a broad term used to describe all the activities and services which ANUSA provides for all students at ANU. It includes the lobbying that ANUSA undertakes to maintain and increase the quality of education at ANU. It encompasses the assistance it provides through advocacy and welfare services so that the administration and broader community are reminded of the pressures that students face. Representation provides awareness of the diversity that exists within the ANU community and then further fosters its growth through continual support of social, creative and learning opportunities. All while ANUSA must continue to be accountable to its members, both it terms of its finances and in terms of the decisions it makes on the behalf of students.

The ideas in this blog, although not binding on ticket members after these elections, are a reflection of the values and concerns which are shared by the individuals who have come together to form this ticket. I hope that they will provide some understanding to the kinds of possible outcomes that are actually achievable by students in the Students’ Association. The people on this ticket, including myself, will endeavour to continue what is achievable no matter what package the VSU legislation comes wrapped in.