Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association Explained

Formation:1960s
Type:Student union
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Jessica Wallace
Leader Title2:General Secretary
Leader Name2:Ela Akyol
Main Organ:WUSA Council
University of Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association
Abbreviation:WUSA
Location Country:
Affiliation:National Union of Students (Australia)
Subsidiaries:Tertangala
Location:Northfields Avenue, University of Wollongong
Office Bearers:President, General Secretary
Footnotes:[1]

The University of Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association (known as WUSA, and its governing body the WUSA Council) is the principal student union at the University of Wollongong (UOW), New South Wales. Besides representing the campus students' interests, WUSA provides them with specific welfare services.[2]

WUSA was affiliated to the National Union of Students (Australia) and has participated in national campaigns including the fight against upfront course fees, Voluntary Student Unionism, and the struggle to reinstate free Higher Education in Australia. WUSA has also called upon the national body and other student organisations to support its local causes in the past.

The sister student organisation for WUSA is the Newcastle University Students' Association.

In 2016, WUSA held a referendum to end affiliation with the National Union of Students.[3] The campaign to disaffiliate, led by a group called WEXIT 2016, saw the motion passed. However, only 27 votes were cast in total causing significant controversy.[4] WUSA reaffiliated with the NUS in 2019.

In the years since WUSA has actively participated in a number of campaigns, including leading the opposition to the controversial degree in Western Civilization.[5] [6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ANNUAL ELECTION 2023 – DECLARATION OF BALLOT . University of Wollongong . Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) . 24 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231124053335/https://documents.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@gld/documents/doc/uow273507.pdf . 2023-11-24.
  2. Web site: About Us. wusa.uow.edu.au. WUSA. 25 March 2015.
  3. Web site: Will WUSA Part Ways With The NUS.
  4. Web site: Provisional Results Indicate WUSA Splitting From The NUS..
  5. Web site: The fight against the racist Ramsay Centre continues. 31 May 2019.
  6. Web site: Protests on campus as UOW Ramsay Centre fire still burning. March 2019.
  7. Web site: Student rep locked out as UOW Council decides on Ramsay deal. 12 April 2019.