University of Newcastle Students' Association explained

Above:University of Newcastle Students' Association
Label2:Abbreviation
Data2:UNSA
Label3:Established
Data3: as Newcastle University College Students' Association
Label4:Registered as company
Data4:27 May 2020 as University of Newcastle Students' Association Ltd.
Label5:Address
Data5:UNSA Building,University Drive, Callaghan 2308
Label6:Governing body
Data6:Board of Directors
Label8:Membership
Label9:Website

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.

History

Establishment

The origins of UNSA began at Newcastle University College (NUC, established 1951). NUC was created as an offshoot of the New South Wales University of Technology (now known as the University of New South Wales) and was co-located with the Newcastle Technical College at Tighes Hill.[1] As NUC began to expand its enrollment in 1952 and 1953, views among the student body continued to grow that the university's student union, based in Sydney, unable to adequately represent students in Newcastle. This push by NUC students for a local student union resulted in the creation of Newcastle University College Students' Association (NUCSA). The inaugural governing Council of NUCSA held their first meetings in 1953 and the organisation became incorporated as a fully constituted body on 28 April 1954 with the adoption of its constitution. From then it was eligible to receive compulsory student union fees collected from all students at NUC.[2]

The first SRC of the university refers to the Council of NUCSA commencing in the year of 1953 with subsequent Councils named in numerical succession each year from this, the 2nd SRC of UON being in the year of 1954 and 3rd SRC for 1955 and so on.

Renaming as NUSA

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Newcastle residents and NUCSA campaigned for NUC to be re-constituted as a university in its own right. The campaign was ultimately successful, with the University of Newcastle being established as an autonomous institution on 1 January 1965 by gubernatorial proclamation under the University of Newcastle Act 1964 (NSW). Following the autonomy of UON, NUCSA was renamed as Newcastle University Students' Association (NUSA).

In 1966, the university and NUSA relocated from Tighes Hill to a largely undeveloped bushland site in Shortland which underwent major development as enrollment grew in subsequent years.

Political history

Consistent with the historical dominance of Labor Left in the greater Newcastle area, a majority on the NUSA Council has long been held by the left factions of the National Union of Students of Australia usually by either the National Labor Students (NLS) or left-wing independent groups or more often by the two, cooperatively.[3] Predecessors of these groups include the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) and National Broad Left (NBL) which dissolved in the period of late 2005 and early 2006.

Voluntary Student Unionism

Despite the Howard government's Voluntary Student Unionism legislation, which was in place from 2006 to 2011 and prohibited the charging of student union fees, causing massive cuts to both staffing and service levels at NUSA,[4] [5] it continued to provide independent representation through its own sources of income and university funding. NUSA's partner student organisation at UON responsible for commercial services and entertainment events, the University of Newcastle Union Ltd, was wound up following a loss of revenue. This resulted in the university taking responsibility for most commercial leases and a range of campus life activities on the Newcastle campuses in the late 2000s and early 2010s.[6]

Independence of NUPSA

Newcastle University Postgraduate Students' Association (NUPSA) was a name given to the Postgraduate Students Collective of the NUSA Council in the early 1990s. The elected Postgraduate Students Convenor on the NUSA Council was referred to as the president of the postgraduate students' association. During a time of a growing postgraduate student population at the university, from 1995 moves were initiated by the university to split NUPSA from NUSA as an independent organisation, citing the increasing diversity of postgraduate students' needs.[7]

A motion at a Special General Meeting on 29 May 1997 for constitutional changes to establish NUPSA as an independent entity was defeated, resulting in the Postgraduate Students Collective remaining part of NUSA's structure. However, at a meeting of the University Council on 27 June 1997, the university resolved to override the decision and establish NUPSA as a separate entity from NUSA, effective from 1 July 1997. At the time, the move by the university was met with mixed views among the student body and concern from NUSA.[8] While NUPSA began the process of operating separately to NUSA from the late 1990s to provide independent representation and support services for postgraduate students, the two bodies maintained a close collaborative relationship. NUPSA was registered as an incorporated association in NSW on 3 February 2014.[9]

Founding of Central Coast Campus Union Ltd. (Yourimbah)

Interest in forming a local student union for the Central Coast began from 1989 at the time the University's Ourimbah Campus was beginning to develop and expand. A local Central Coast student body was soon formed and their aim was to become a financially independent recognised student body by the university. Following lobbying by the group, by 1993 the University Council voted to recognise the student body and provide funding from the General Service Fees of Central Coast students. From this, the Central Coast Campus Union (CCCU) was to be based on a guild structure providing both student representation and operating commercial services in contrast the split structure of multiple student organisations on the Newcastle campus.

In 2002, the organisation was registered as an Australian Company Limited by Guarantee under the name Central Coast Campus Union Ltd. (CCCUL).[10] By the end of 2003, its Board had voted to change the trading name to Campus Central - Ourimbah.

Campus Central - Ourimbah did not receive any funding from the university in 2013 during a brief dispute with the company over the ownership and delivery of commercial services on the campus, but the relationship improved in following years.[11] In early 2015, the company again re-branded itself under the name Yourimbah. The company maintained a strong relationship with NUSA and NUPSA to support university-wide student representation and the delivery activities and events.[12]

Merger

In 2016 the NUSA Council adopted a four year strategic plan to expand services and reform its governance and representative structure. As part of this, NUSA initiated discussions with NUPSA and Yourimbah on combining the three existing student organisations into a single, whole of institution student union for UON. These discussions culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2019 between NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah for the merger of the three separate organisations to form the University of Newcastle Students' Association (UNSA).[13]

The University of Newcastle Students' Association Ltd. was registered as an Australian Public Company, Limited By Guarantee on 27 May 2020.[14] From 30 June 2020, NUSA will cease most operations as an incorporated association alongside NUPSA and Yourimbah pending wind up and deregistration as individual legal entities. On 1 July 2020, the University of Newcastle Students' Association (UNSA) will commence operating in place of the three separate student associations.[15]

Structure and Governance

UNSA is a not-for-profit Australian Public Company Limited by Guarantee with a governing board consisting of nine directors. The board's composition includes six elected students and three appointed directors.

Services

UNSA enhances the lives of students at the University of Newcastle by providing:[16]

Student Representative Council (SRC)

UNSA's representative structure facilitates the Student Representative Council (SRC) as the peak representative body for students at the University of Newcastle. Prior to the reforms to student representation commencing from 2016-2020 and the transition to UNSA Ltd, the NUSA Council had a dual role of both the governing body of the organisation and the principle SRC for UON.[17] Representatives on the SRC are elected by the student body in annual elections in Semester 2 each year.[18]

Representative structure

The SRC's structure incorporates several representative committees and bodies, each chaired by an office holder elected to the SRC. These include portfolio committees for Education, Wellbeing & Welfare, Engagement & Experience; a Postgraduate Student Senate; an International Student Senate; Campus Committees; and Collectives for Disability, Indigenous, Queer and Women's representative groups.[19]

Elected positions on the SRC include:

That are also several positions that are elected externally to the SRC and hold ex-officio membership on the Council:

The SRC Executive consists of the President, the three Vice Presidents and the two Senate Convenors.[20]

University of Newcastle Students' Association Ltd. was registered as an Australian Public Company, Limited By Guarantee on 27 May 2020.[21] From 30 June 2020, NUSA ceased most operations as an incorporated association alongside NUPSA and Yourimbah pending wind up and deregistration as individual legal entities. On 1 July 2020, UNSA commenced operating in place of the three separate student associations and began providing the services previously delivered by NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah.[22]

Past Presidents

Presidents by Year
UNSA Presidents
NameYearPolitical association/grouping
Luka Harrison2020National Labor Students (NLS)
NUSA Presidents
NameYearPolitical association/grouping
Kearnie Kelly2020Grassroots Independents
Kearnie Kelly2019Grassroots Independents
Christy Mullen2018Grassroots Independents
Michael Labone2017National Labor Students (NLS)/ Independent
Phill Johnson2016National Labor Students (NLS)
Clare Swan/Phill Johnson2015National Labor Students (NLS)
Thomas Seilding/Clare Swan2014-
Rosemary Gosper2013National Independents
Heather Richards2012-
Heather Richards2011-
Matilda Hunt2010-
Talia Barrett2009-
Beth Maloney2008Grassroots Left
Megan Clement2007Grassroots Left
Jack Thieme2006
Carl Harris2005
Michael Whitbread2004Grassroots Left
Vanessa Bowden2003
Kylie Rooke2002National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS)
Matthew Thompson2001
Amie Grierson2000
Michael Kachel1999
Matthew Paul1998
Lisa Ronneberg/Nicole Pietsch1997
Gennice Davies1996
Lincon Saunders1995
Tina Bubutievski1994
Tina Bubutievski1993
Matthew Cantrill1992
Christopher Toll1991
Martin Davies1990
Alison Kinder1989
Glenn Beatty1988
Chris Craig1987
Chris Craig1986
Matthew Yates1985
Michael Harkin1984
Terry Slevin1983
Margaret Kavanagh1982
Margaret Kavanagh1981
Greg Holding1980
Max Spaanenburg1979
Mick Barr1978
Leo Walsh1977
Paul Drinkwater1976
Adrian Woo1975
Dave Wallace1974
Greg Giles1973
Ann Duke1972
Aldis Svirskis1971
Russell Schulz1970
Brailey Sims/Giles Martin1969
Giles Martin1968
John Sara1967
Michael Nelson1966
Kent Wilson/Tony Cootes1965
NUCSA Presidents
NameYearPolitical association/grouping
Tony Cootes /Kent Wilson1964
Tony Cootes1963
Paul Walmsley1962
John Cornelius/Paul Walmsley1961
Adrian Nelmes/John Cornelius1960
Christopher Cornelius1959
Joan Sawyers1958
Peter Allen1957
George Kirkby1956
Robert Hitchcock1955
Jim Dowrie1954

Campaigns

The union and its collectives are involved in a number of campaigns at any one time. The organisation maintains a strong relationship with the other unions on campus such as the CPSU, NTEU and United Voice by joining with them in many campaigns.[23]

Construction of Warabrook railway station

Amid growing transportation concerns from students as the Callaghan campus expanded, NUSA initiated a protracted student-led campaign during the late 1970s for a new railway station to be constructed on the Great Northern Railway line to service the campus. The organisation held several extended public campaigns and lobbied state and federal members of parliament for support. NUSA was ultimately successful in this campaign by the early 1990s and on 23 October 1995, the Warabrook (University) railway station was opened.[24]

Preventing the closure of the Huxley Library

In the late 1990s and early 2000s the Vice-Chancellor announced several plans to close the Huxley Library.[25] NUSA and the student body led strong campaigns against this, in one instance organizing and holding three successive rallies of several hundred students each in the same week. The large-scale student protests organised by NUSA caused the University to abandon plans to close the Library.[26]

Night-time safety on campus

Night-time safety at the Callaghan campus was an issue that rose prominence from the early 2010s, following reports of attacks on students.[27] [28] [29] [30] Campaigns run by NUSA to draw attention to this issue have led to improvements to campus lighting and security services.[31]

Outsourcing of UON facilities maintenance services

Between 2015 and 2017, NUSA mounted a sustained campaign[32] in opposition to University's decision to outsource of facilities maintenance services to Broadspectrum (previously known as Transfield Services), a company that was controversially responsible for running Australia's immigration detention centers in Nauru and Manus Island.[33] In May 2017, the university announced that it was cutting ties with the company.[34]

Compulsory class attendance

From Semester 1 2020, the University's Vice-Chancellor introduced a compulsory 80% attendance requirement at small group tutorials, laboratory sessions and seminars for all first year students. The consequence of failing to meet the 80% attendance requirements for a course was Component Fail grade. In order to prove their attendance in classes students were required to use an app with geotracking software.[35] NUSA's Education Collective initiated a campaign against the mandatory attendance policy and raised concerns over the geotracking software used to monitor students.[36] In March 2020, during growing concerns of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced the suspension of the mandatory attendance policy.

Other campaigns

Other notable campaigns by NUSA include:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2012-03-01 . Archives Outside » Grant of Arms – The University of Newcastle's Declaration of Independence . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301150224/http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/grant-of-arms-the-university-of-newcastles-declaration-of-independence/ . 2012-03-01 . 2020-06-25.
  2. Web site: Opus - Issue 1 - 1954 . 2020-06-25 . Living Histories.
  3. Web site: 17 September 2016 . Failed ticket delivers NUSAC to Stand Up! Unapposed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228064738/http://www.opus.org.au/failed-ticket-delivers-nusac-stand-unopposed/ . 2017-02-28 . 25 June 2020 . Opus media.
  4. Web site: 2008-01-13 . Student unions on brink of extinction - National . 2011-01-02 . smh.com.au.
  5. Web site: 2008-09-27 . Campus tension: uni services are facing the axe - National . 2011-01-02 . smh.com.au.
  6. Web site: STRACHAN . JULIEANNE . 2008-12-18 . Last drinks for University of Newcastle Union . 2020-06-28 . Newcastle Herald . en.
  7. Book: NUSA Council Meeting Minutes 23 August 1995 . Newcastle University Students' Association . 1995 .
  8. Book: Opus, July 1997 edition . Opus magazine . 1997 . 6–7, 12–13.
  9. Web site: Associations Search . 2020-06-27 . associationspr.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.
  10. Web site: 2014-11-01 . ABN Lookup . 2020-06-27 . abr.business.gov.au . en.
  11. Web site: 2013-06-24 . Newcastle Uni Ourimbah students accuse management of administrative breach . 2020-06-27 . www.abc.net.au . en-AU.
  12. Web site: History - Yourimbah . 2020-06-27 . www.yourimbah.com.au.
  13. Web site: 2019-05-03 . NUSA, NUPSA & Yourimbah to be potentially overhauled as one united student association . 2020-06-11 . UON Navigator . en-US.
  14. Web site: Australian Securities and Investments Commission - UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION LTD. ACN 641 135 195 .
  15. Web site: 2019-04-30 . Student associations . 2020-06-11 . The University of Newcastle, Australia . en.
  16. Web site: Everyday Services . 2020-06-26 . NUSA . en-AU.
  17. Web site: Opus - Orientation handbook - 1994 . 2020-06-28 . Living Histories.
  18. Web site: 2019-04-30 . Student associations . 2020-07-23 . The University of Newcastle, Australia . en.
  19. Book: SAC Elections Guide 2020 . University of Newcastle . 2020.
  20. Web site: 20 June 2020 . SAC and new Association SRC Election FAQs .
  21. Web site: Australian Securities and Investments Commission - UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION LTD. ACN 641 135 195 .
  22. Web site: 2019-04-30 . Student associations . 2020-06-11 . The University of Newcastle, Australia . en.
  23. http://www.nteu.org.au/news/2005/2005/12377
  24. Web site: Rail fight heats up in the Hunter . 2020-06-26 . Railpage.
  25. Web site: 2016-09-06 . Anger at plans to close uni library . 2020-06-26 . Green Left . en.
  26. Web site: 2016-09-06 . Library campaign: three rallies and a partial victory . 2020-06-26 . Green Left . en.
  27. Web site: Branley . Alison . 2009-09-15 . Newcastle international students discuss violence - Local News - News - General - Newcastle Herald . 2011-01-02 . Theherald.com.au.
  28. Web site: Boys charged over attacks on students . 2011-01-02 . Brisbanetimes.com.au.
  29. Web site: Jerga . Josh . 2009-05-21 . Youths attacked foreign students in Newcastle - police | Courier Mail . 2011-01-02 . News.com.au.
  30. Web site: 2009-10-31 . Newcastle uni students vulnerable - Local News - News - General - Newcastle Herald . 2011-01-02 . Theherald.com.au.
  31. Web site: 2019-04-16 . Getting around campus at night . 2020-06-26 . The University of Newcastle, Australia . en.
  32. Web site: 2017-02-28 . Broadspectrum protest disrupts UoN Open Day OPUS MAGAZINE . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228070724/http://www.opus.org.au/broadspectrum-protesters-disrupt-uon-open-day/ . 2017-02-28 . 2020-06-26.
  33. Web site: 2017-02-28 . Protest against Broadspectrum held as Nauru Files leaked OPUS MAGAZINE . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228071605/http://www.opus.org.au/students-staff-protest-broadspectrum-contract-nauru-files-leaked/ . 2017-02-28 . 2020-06-26.
  34. Web site: McGOWAN . MICHAEL . 2017-05-16 . University of Newcastle cuts ties with Broadspectrum . 2020-06-26 . Newcastle Herald . en.
  35. Web site: 2020-02-11 . Compulsory attendance . 2020-06-26 . The University of Newcastle, Australia . en.
  36. Web site: 2020-02-03 . University rejects outrage over mobile phone tracking . 2020-06-26 . www.abc.net.au . en-AU.
  37. Web site: CARR . LILY RAY and MATT . 2014-12-14 . Thousands Rally for the Rail in Newcastle . 2020-06-27 . Newcastle Herald . en.
  38. Web site: KELLY . MATTHEW . 2015-03-25 . Students rally against uni fee deregulation . 2020-06-26 . Newcastle Herald . en.
  39. Web site: Cottrill . Tyson . 2016-03-30 . CONCERN OVER PROPOSED CHANGES TO HECS DEBT REPAYMENT LEVEL NBN News . 2020-06-26 . www.nbnnews.com.au . en-AU.
  40. Web site: Kelly . Matthew . 2018-12-15 . Newcastle uni flicks the switch to 100% renewable energy . 2020-06-26 . Newcastle Herald . en.