University of Melbourne Student Union

UMSU

Full name	University of Melbourne Student Union
Founded	1884
Affiliation	NUS
Key people	Rachael Lim, President
Office location	University of Melbourne
Website	union.unimelb.edu.au

The student union, one of several student organisations at the University of Melbourne, Australia, is divided into two parts. The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU), incorporated as University of Melbourne Student Union, Inc. (UMSUi) provides representation for students. The service provision arm is Melbourne University Student Union Limited (MUSUL). UMSUi was incorporated on 17 November 2005, following approval by the Council of the University of Melbourne in October of that year. Its first elections were held in October 2005 under the transitional clauses of the constitution.

Culture

Particularly noteworthy is Union House Theatre, out of which a large number of notable Australian celebrities have emerged, such as Cate Blanchett, Barry Humphries and Malcolm Livingstone; the Union Band Comp, which has kick-started the careers of several well-known Australian bands; and an annual comedy revue which produced the Working Dog crew.

Farrago

Farrago is the official newspaper of the University of Melbourne Student Union. The name is included in the motto Quidquid agunt homines nostri farrago libelli est — whatever men do forms the motley subject of our page.

The newspaper was founded by Brian Fitzpatrick in 1925. Noteworthy editors in the past have included E W (Bill) Tipping, Geoffrey Blainey, Amira Gust, Claude Forrell, Ian Robinson, Morag Fraser, Garrie Hutchinson, Ross McPherson, Lindsay Tanner, Peter Russo, Louise Carbines, Jim Brumby, Pete Steedman, Arnold Zable, Kate Legge, Nicola Gobbo, Cathy Bale, and Christos Tsiolkas in 1988.

Funding

The student union had been funded by compulsory Amenities and Services Fees since 1911. The introduction of VSU means that the ASF will not be charged from 1 July 2006.

Of the $14m (Aus) allocated for student services around three quarters goes to MUSUL. This allocation funds either fully or in part a range of student services and amenities including: the Rowden White Library; the Computing Centre; the Student Union Advisory Service; subsidised legal, health and dental services; a campus information centre; and common areas in Union House. This allocation also covers salaries, upkeep and development of the student union's buildings.

Somewhat less than $2 million is allocated to UMSUi. This funds (among other things) the Advisory Service, Clubs and Societies, Farrago, the Women's Department and the Queer Department; it also includes funds set aside for payment of NUS affiliation fees. In 2009 it has put aside $65,000 for NUS, under some controversy while all other departments budgets have been slashed.

Following passage of the VSU legislation, the University has signed a three year, $16 million, funding arrangement for all University of Melbourne student organisations, including MU Sport and the postgraduate association (UMPA). Of this UMSUi will receive a little over $1.1m in 2006, $1m in 2007 and $0.9m in 2008. The total income of UMSUi is expected to decrease to $1.3m.

History

The University of Melbourne Union was founded in 1884 to promote the common interests of students and assist in social interactions between its members. The Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council was formed as an independent unincorporated association at a special general meeting called by the Sports Union Council on 19 September 1907.

The Associations Incorporation Act, 1981, allowed incorporation of student bodies, among others. The Students’ Association in 1987 as the Melbourne College of Advanced Education Students’ Association-Carlton Incorporated, and the Students’ Representative Council was incorporated in 1988 as Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council Incorporated. On 13 October 1988 the two merged to form Melbourne University Student Union Incorporated (MUSUi).

Voluntary liquidation

From 2002 some of the union's unprofitable commercial services were terminated, including U-Bar, and a property deal was entered into with Optima Property Development Group. A draft report from auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers warned in June 2003 that this could potentially create obligations beyond MUSUi's capacity to pay.^[1][2] The deal was for MUSUi to sublease student apartments to international students from the Optima Group. It did not proceed.

On 30 September 2003, Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert informed MUSUi that the University was terminating the 2003 Funding Agreement, effectively stripping it of any future money, citing "evidence of breaches by MUSUI of its obligations under the Agreement", (the agreement being "providing facilities, services or activities of direct benefit to students at the institution"). He also cited a "serious breakdown in governance, financial management and accountability structures within MUSU".

On February 6, 2004 the Union was placed into liquidation by the Supreme Court of Victoria after a vote by the Student Union Executive. MUSU's liquidator, Dean Royston McVeigh, said in his provisional liquidator's report, that the Union owed debts of $4.3 million (mainly to the University of Melbourne) but only had assets of $3.5 million. McVeigh acknowledged that these "debts" were the result of creative accounting by the University, with the University ultimately relinquishing any claim to such "debts". As a result it was no longer student-controlled (a prerequisite for affiliation to NUS) and was in any case unable to pay affiliation fees. A new constitution was approved.

Master Ewart Evans, who was presiding over the hearings of the liquidators' examination until his retirement in 2005, was critical of the "somewhat precipitative" timing of civil court proceedings, which McVeigh quickly settled out of court after much adverse publicity about his own fees and expenses believed to total more than $8 million^[3] prior to producing a Liquidator's Report and convening a meeting of creditors. The downfall of MUSU was satirised by the Union Players in the play Friday Night at the Union in 2004.

Recent Political History

Following the 2004 annual election, a coalition between the Liberal Club and the Labor right was defeated by a cooperative left, made up of National Labor Students (ALP Club), Socialist Alternative and a group of Green-anarchist students called Activate. The positions won by the left groups were for an interim student representative committee established by the University to oversee student representation and advocacy until the incorporation of UMSU.

UMSU saw few changes in its power dynamic from 2005-07. In 2007 National Labor Students held the President, Secretary and Education (Academic) Offices. The makeup of the 2007 Student Council had no ALSF presence (due to the Liberal Student tickets withdrawing from the annual elections prior to the opening of the ballot). The 2007 UMSU budget, due to funding cuts caused by VSU, was reduced from just over $2m in 2006 to $1.23m in 2007. This resulted in reductions in funding for departments, particularly those which traditionally have been considered high, such as the Activities, Clubs and Societies and Media Departments.

In 2008, the National Labor Students and Grassroots tickets, running as StandUp! and Activate respectively, won most of the paid positions in the Student Union. Their tenure in 2009 was highlighted by difficulties in passing budgetary support towards the National Union of Students and Students for Palestine organizations.^[4]

2009 saw nearly all major elected positions won by a Labor Right-Liberal coalition called Synergy.^[5] On Student Council, Synergy were elected to four positions (two Liberals and two Student Unity) and five positions were won by iUnion, a newly established ticket run by international students and former StandUp! office bearers.^[6]

Initial constitution

The Constitution of UMSU was drafted by a Student Representative Working Group, members of whom were elected in 2004 by electronic ballot; the University Secretary was appointed Returning Officer. The University was closely involved in the drafting process and provided free legal advice to the Working Group.^[7]

Faction	Leader	Seats held	2004 - SRWG
Students for Change/Activate	Paul Donegan	3
ALP Club - Labor Socialist Left	Paul Erickson	3
Melbourne University Liberal Club (ALSF)	Christopher Jermyn	3
Socialist Alternative	Rebecca Barrigos	2
International Association	Huay Mei Lee	1
Melbourne University Jewish Students (AUJS)	Jason Rapke	1
Melbourne University Labor Club (Student Unity)	James Rankin	1
Independents	-	4

These student Working Group members consisted of both undergraduate and post-graduate members, and the overall composition of the Working Group was factionally diverse, with the incumbent Student Unity/ALSF coalition being reduced to opposition status. Due to a large number of inquorate meetings, the Working Group instituted a drop-off rule.

The Working Group persisted until mid-2005, when the final draft of the Constitution was presented to the Council of the University.^[8] In September, 1052 out of 1240 students voted in favour of accepting the new constitution.^[9]

The Constitution itself was largely based on the MUSU Constitution, with a number of innovations, including affirmative action provisions, pay-parity and strict accountability mechanisms curbing the powers of the President and Secretary in particular. It also created the Clubs & Societies Department (which in the past had been a part of the Activities Department) and the Indigenous Department.

Paid officers

UMSU has a number of paid officers, which are: Activities Officers; Arts Officer; Clubs and Societies Officers; Education (Public Affairs) Officer; Education (Academic Affairs) Officers; Welfare Officers; Environment Officers; Media Officers (Farrago editors); Indigenous Officer; President; Queer Officers; the Secretary and Women's Officers.

Notable associations

Several Members of Parliament were active within Melbourne University student life, including Sir Robert Menzies (former Australian Prime Minister), Gareth Evans (former Australian Foreign Minister), Lindsay Tanner (Member for Melbourne), Michael Danby (Member for Melbourne Ports), and Sophie Mirabella (Member for Indi).

Notable past presidents include:

• 1991: Andrew Landeryou
• 1987: Evan Thornley

Student societies

• Melbourne University student organisations
• University of Melbourne Cricket Club
• Melbourne University Football Club
• Melbourne University Sri Lankan Students' Association

External links

• union.unimelb.edu.au − official website

References

1. ^ "Student union urged to abandon deal" - The Age 2003-07-09
2. ^ "The deal that threatens to send a student union broke" - The Age 2003-07-20
3. ^ "Landeryou threatened me, says liquidator" - The Age 2005-05-25
4. ^ Integrity TV (2009). Union Divided (Online video). University of Melbourne: Intergrity1TV. 
5. ^ Crook, Andrew (15 September 2009). "Young Liberals find their campus saviours: the ALP". Crikey. http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/15/young-liberals-find-their-campus-saviours-the-alp/. Retrieved 17 October 2009. 
6. ^ Summers, Chris (16 September 2009). "Left and right? Just the beginning of the complexities of student politics". Crikey. http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/16/left-and-right-just-the-beginning-of-the-complexities-of-student-politics/. Retrieved 17 October 2009. 
7. ^ "Elected student working group will form a ‘constitutional convention’". UniNews Vol. 13, No. 4 (University of Melbourne). 22 March–5 April 2004. http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_1289.html. 
8. ^ Christina Buckridge (22 August–5 September 2005). "Council gives go-ahead to student body’s constitution". UniNews Vol. 14, No. 15 (University of Melbourne). http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_2658.html. 
9. ^ "Yes vote on new student body sets scene for elections". UniNews Vol. 14, No. 16 (University of Melbourne). 5–19 September 2005. http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_2724.html.