Adelaide Student Politics

In essence, this is a fix-it post, designed to make up for some of my botch ups in previous articles.

Firstly, I'd like to apologise to you all for breaking the cardinal sin of journalism. Her name is Lavinia Emmett-GrEy, not -GrAy. Sorry Lavinia! I've got that consistently wrong so far, but I promise that'll change. Now it'll only be wrong most of the time.

In the 'Summer Holidays' post I said that Matthew Taylor heads a constitutional reform committee. This was correct last year, but the constitutional reform committee is actually the responsibility of the Vice Pres, so the responsibility falls to Emilio Roberts this year, as all of you devoted readers would know (most of you know that because you're on the board rather than because of any good journalism on my part, but let's not dwell on that too much).

After the complaints of the 'independent faction' I'd like to take back my statement that they're the independent faction at all. They're just a group of completely individual board members who happened to campaign together during the election. I've been told that they break the main rule of factions, in that they never discuss the meetings before hand. At least not as a group. And not to decide how to vote as a block. Or something.

Finally, it's been pointed out that I never posted on here about what the Board actually is and does, so here's my column on that from the first issue, with a little bit extra about how the Board relates to the University:
"The Board is a group of 18 students who are elected by the student body to oversee the student union. The union has four basic jobs: to provide important services (like computer access, stapler access and rowing machine access, more on this later), to oversee the Affiliates (more about them even later still), to organise events that develop campus culture (I don’t think there’s anyone who can explain this. It’s just one of those mysterious things that the uni needs. A bit like an appendix.) and to help the university spend their money on these things.

To most board members, student services are the most important thing that they work on (something that I agree with). These services cover the everyday-useful-stuff, like 24 hour computer access and a resource centre with hole punches, scissors, binders and staplers; sometimes-useful-services like the gym and Unibooks; and services that some people never think of while they’re at uni, like the employment office and the EWOKs, who shelter rebel heroes… EWOs (Education Welfare Officers), who offer help, advocacy, counselling, welfare support and advice about things like disability support, accommodation and study issues. These services aren’t all essential, but they can make an enormous difference to the students who need them and take the time to seek them out.

The Affiliates are all the student groups on campus. The Union is used as an overall governing group that watches over them. The student groups in question are the Clubs Association, the Sports Association, the Student Representative Council, the Postgrad Students’ Association, the Overseas Students’ Association, The Waite Students’ Association and the Roseworthy Students’ Association, each of which will actually get some money from the Board this year. If you’re an overseas student, a member of a club, part of a campus sports team or involved in any of these other associations, the board is the group that monitors you (and the money they give you) from above.

Finally, there’s the Union’s direct involvement with students. Unlikely as it must sound, Board members are actually students themselves. You might even find one in your class (lecture bashing, probably) or the Unibar sometime. As students, one of the things they most like doing is putting on events involving food, booze, music or a combination of the three. This year, the country gal in charge of fun stuff (Simone) even plans to indulge another student weakness, practical jokes, when she revives Prosh! The other side of the Union’s involvement with students is the deal that they put together for membership. This year, $20 gets you cheaper gym fees, an Ambassador card, member only parties and the knowledge that the Student Representative Council will be pushing for political reforms in your name."

The AUU's relationship with the University is also worth noting. The University and the Union each rely on the other to survive. The Union exists only because the University has a student body to be represented, and it relies heavily on the Uni for funding, particularly with the advent of VSU and the funding agreement. The University, on the other hand, relies on the Union to make sure that there's a level of student activity, advocacy and general participation in non-class university life. Without the Union, the University would probably lose it's Group of Eight status, and be reduced to a pitiful undead state - a uni-zombie like UniSA. As it is, the University and the Union dance around each other like a mother and daughter with a bad relationship. The daughter needs her mother's money and the mother lives through her daughter's actions, but neither of them really want to have to talk to each other to achieve this.