Welcome back from break everyone. I hope you are diving into your studies happily and to all new students welcome.
This past month was very hectic in the beginning but has calmed down since.
The month started out with my self attending the National Indigenous Student conference. The conference was amazing and the report will be available for you guys to read in my next board report.
I also attended the Welfare committee, met with Ethan Taylor the president of UATSIS to discuss how USASA can help the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community from students to staff and community. Lastly I attended a meeting to better the process of academic review for students.
I also attended a formal inquiry.
Coming up in the next week is the board meeting, committee and attending a blue stockings dinner for women in higher education, also meeting with Jordan Mumford, and Daniel with Ethan to continue the discussion with Ethan.
 I am up near Clare this week, running my research project at a small regional school. Data collection is always exhausting, particularly out in the field, but it’s a really lovely little community, and it’s nice to finally have a lot of participants after months of struggling to recruit any! I hope everyone else’s research or coursework is going well too.
You might be aware that next Thursday is the UniSA 3 Minute Thesis Final. ‘3MT’ is a competition where PhD students communicate their research to a non-academic audience in under three minutes, using only a single slide. Myself and 7 other students will be competing, and from what I’ve heard so far they all have some very exciting research to tell us about. If you’re interested in watching, you can register for the event here. I’d particularly encourage honours or PhD students who might be thinking about competing next year to come along and get a feel for the event.
We also have a data and time for our Grad Games Night: Thursday 30th of August, 5.30 for the listening session and 6-8 pm for pizza and games! There is a Facebook event on the USASA page, which I’ve shared to the UniSA Postgrads Group, and posters will be going up on Metro campuses soon.
Much of this month has been taken up with meetings and events related to the anniversary of the national report on sexual assault in universities. UniSA is making encouraging progress on this front, but it cannot be said enough that there is much still to be done. This is a long-term issue and we are committed to maintaining momentum and keeping this conversation going into the future. As a part of this, I, Jordan Mumford and Pamela Spek attended a course at Yarrow Place on Recognising and Responding to Disclosures of Rape & Sexual Assault. It was an intense day but a worthwhile experience and one that I would encourage other student leaders to undertake.
I won’t say too much more; hopefully I’ll have a chance to talk (and listen!) to many of you at the games night. See you there!
Activity Report
06/08/18 – Yarrow Place Recognise and Respond Training Day
17/07/18 – USASA Board Meeting
18/07/18 – USASA Strategic Planning Day
18/07/18 – consultation for DE&A survey
23/07/18 – Sexual Assault Prevention Communications Plan Meeting
01/08/18 – NUS National Day of Action – End Sexual Violence in Universities
Upcoming Events
21/08/18 – USASA Board Meeting
23/08/18 – UniSA Council Dinner to Farewell Outgoing Chancellor
24/08/18 – Policy Review Steering Group Meeting
28/08/18 – Diversity, Equity and Access Committee Meeting
30/08/18 – Postgrad Merger Listening Session and Grad Games Night
July rolled in, still felt like a beginning – but in a good way of course!
In this past month, I had involved in activities and discussions that had direct impacts on students’ experience and their academic life at UniSA.
As other board members have mentioned, the monthly board meeting and USASA Strategic Planning were two of the many collaborative works between the board members and USASA staffs that revolve around seeking continuous improvements in services for students.
July was also when the mid-year intake commenced. During the orientation week, I got to interact first-hand with new students at the USASA counter as well as being on a Student Panel with other student leaders to talk about our experiences and answer students’ queries. It was a small cohort but we were able to help our new students familiarizing themselves with the university life, available academic and non-academic supports, and other useful resources/services.
Remember the Student Advocacy service I mentioned in my June report? Here in July, I received a further training around policies and procedures relating to the service and my role as a student rep. With this additional knowledge, I was allowed to join a formal discussion with academic staffs and provide my input as a student on a deliberation of decision in academic matters.
Now, that’s a wrap for July.
Uni is well underway which means study loads are lining up; but don’t stress, USASA got your back! Drop by our counters for hot drinks to re-energize, and/or kick back for a bit in our upcoming event like the Chill Vibes!
Welcome back – hope you all enjoyed your well deserved semester break.
The first week of July was a very busy but exciting one for me. Whilst you were most likely enjoying the perks of some much needed relaxation and binge-watching Netflix all day for the first week of holidays, I had the privilege of attending this years NUS Education Conference hosted at Flinders university here in SA. Students from Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and Western Australia all flew over to enjoy 5 days of workshops, seminars, and discussions (some a little more rowdy than others) but overall it was a great week socialising with other university representatives to share opinions and ideas to ultimately greater the student experience and environment for everyone. After 6 full on days at conference I finally got to enjoy some of my uni break and jumped on a flight to Darwin – where funnily enough I was sitting in the same row as Magill Rep, Ryan Colsey.
Since being back in Adelaide I have continued to attend the usual array of academic inquiries, academic board meeting, welfare/education/ and finance committee meetings, as well as UniTopia SP5 planning committee meetings to bring you all another fun and enjoyable day of uni.
On the Wednesday of Wk 3 SP5 I hosted Mawson Lakes first ‘Hungry Hump Day’ providing free toasties in the Hive from 9:30 am until sold out – and although this activation was technically August not July it is still something I am very excited about doing every week for the rest of the semester.
Until next month, stay safe – look after yourself and your friends and feel free to get in contact with me with any suggestions/concerns/complaints at anytime and i’ll be more than happy to address them the best I can. dixgl001@mymail.unisa.edu.au Kindest Regards, Grace Dixon
In case you’re wondering, I’d like to confirm that, yes, you’re reading right — this is an update from your 2018 City East Undergrad Rep.
Before going into nitty-gritty bits of this month report, I’d like to firstly thanks City Easters for allowing me an opportunity to represent undergrads of our campus. I’m delighted to be serving as the City East Undergrad Rep for the remaining half of this academic year.
Being freshly inducted to the role midyear, June was surely a surprising, exciting, and rewarding month for me. Thankfully, USASA staffs and other board members have been a great help in getting me up to speed with the board’s activities.
Within the past month, asides from picking up a baton of role and duty, I had attended an Education Committee meeting, our monthly board meeting, and Academic Board meeting. Some highlights from these meetings were presentations from Student Advocacy and Student Ombud services. I’d like to share these with you as a reminder of their existing supports. It is worth-noting though, that, despite their seemingly similar purpose, there are differences between the two services. Therefore, I encourage you to visit the following links shall you wish to find out more about the service:
Alternatively, you can reach out to us and we will help to put you through to them.
On another note, I’d like to finish off with a brief notice that the news around a merging of our university with the University of Adelaide also came to our attention. We will be out to hear your thoughts on this matter in the near future.
In the meantime, I’d really love to hear from you regarding any ideas and issues you’d like to address; so please feel free to send them along to me at tanpy045@mymail.unisa.edu.au.
Congratulations on surviving through to study period 5! Hope everyone feels rested after their winter breaks, ready to face the last study period of the year.
In July, although being on holidays, I was able to achieve a few things as a rep.
The most notable event of July for me, was attending the 2018 NUS Education Conference hosted at Flinders University. The conference is designed for student representatives, and is attended by representatives from all over Australia. The event ran from 2 July to 5 July, involving four jam-packed days of discussion and presentation.
Education Conference was a great event that allowed me to learn from student leaders from across Australia, enabling me to see a diverse perspective on our different experiences, opportunities, and issues. We had a range of presentations from both students and outside presenters, with a range of backgrounds, experiences, and opinions on different topics – which allowed me to see the different sides of the story that students face.
Over the four days, I was blown away with the number of workshops but also the variety of discussions that ultimately affect students in someway, shape or form. I feel as though I could never write a list including so many issues that affect the student experience – but really, there are many things to consider and experience as a university student. Some of the topics I attended included talks on homelessness, student welfare, Newstart allowances, unionism, indigenous rights and reform, sustainable activism, mental health awareness, the HECS system, negotiation and experiences from regional students and campuses.
Overall, I felt that NUS Education Conference 2018 was a valuable experience, allowing me to create networks and friendships with other students across Australia. It has enabled me to broaden my perspective, and to consider the various opportunities and challenges faced by University students currently. I would highly recommend this conference to any upcoming student representatives, or students who are interested in making a difference in their University.
As usual, I also attended July’s board meeting and the Governance committee meeting. A lot of discussions surrounding the merger, sexual harassment awareness and ‘hazing’ issue were discussed.
As most of you are probably aware, both University of South Australia and University of Adelaide are in the middle of discussing a possible merger of the two universities. Please be mindful that this is a discussion, and that no decision has been made as of yet. In saying that, we would really love to hear your feedback about the merger, and want as many students to participate in the process as possible. At City West, we will be having feedback sessions on Tuesday 28 August, between 11 am to 2pm outside the Jeffrey Smart building. Would be great to see you there!
The discussion paper can be accessed here: newuniversity.nousgroup.com.au/discussion-paper-1
Please look out for a survey that will be distributed 20 August
For now, that’s all. Please contact me if you want to chat or have any questions. My email is barba006@mymail.unisa.edu.au
Next Month:
21 August
Unite Workshop – Conflict Management and Effective Feedback
Governance Committee Meeting
USASA Board Meeting
Ummm so what happened to July? Obviously it was the mid-semester break for those lucky enough to have SP4 off, but who really ever has a break when studying at university?
At the beginning of July I was fortunate enough to score myself a mini holiday to Alice Springs to visit family, but that’s a story for another day!
Back into business… I attended the USASA Board Meeting on the 17th July, and was able to officially meet the Whyalla Rep Kemal! While in Adelaide, we spent time developing our team relationships during a Strategic Planning Meeting – but to also come up with a VISION and a MISSION for USASA. Trust me when I saw HUNDREDS of great ideas were thrown around the room that day.
The next day, Thursday 19th July, was mid-year orientation for students at the Mount Gambier campus. Only a small group, but a lot of knowledge and excitement filled the room with a lot of potential!
Tuesday 24th saw students swarm the piazza for a “Welcome back to Uni” BBQ, leaving the university smelling like a weekend at Bunnings thanks to their famous sausage sizzle!
Students were happy to see Friday come, and made their way to Jens Hotel for a drink, some nibbles and a chat about how their studies were going so far for the semester. We were also able to play some pool, and watch those competitive sides come out!
Although this report is short, the month was filled with a lot of laughs and a few snorts! See you next time!
As always, any questions or concerns, shoot them my way – goggp001@mymail.unisa.edu.au
Upcoming Activities:
3rd August – Coco Movie Night
5th August – UniSA Mount Gambier Open Day
8th August – USASA Clubs Visit at UniSA Mount Gambier
14th August – Meeting with Student Ombud – Franco
21st August – USASA Board Meeting
23rd August – Meeting with Jordan – Merger of UniSA and UoA
25th August – UniBar at Jens
28th August – USASA Diversity, Equity and Access Committee Meeting
July had quite a few interesting days of USASA work despite it being the “winter break” period.
On the 11th of July, I participated in the night walk around the whole campus with FM assist. This was really useful as I was able to raise some of your concerns around campus facilities and hopefully they get resolved.
17th of July was the SP5 orientation day at Mawson Lakes and it was once again a fulfilling day as I got to meet many new students and help them if they had any issues. I sat on the student panel during a Q&A session that was organised for all the new students and through that was able to promote many USASA services such as the advocacy service. That evening, we had our board meeting and we had Shweta who came to talk to the board about the sexual assault and harassment website she and her team have been working on. Board members were able to provide feedback and help improve some of this website’s features.
On the 18th of July, we had a strategic planning session for USASA’s goals and objectives for the next three years. This session allowed for alot of interaction between all USASA members, students and staff alike. We were able to come to a consensus on what USASA stands for as an organisation. USASA aims to empower all students to be the best that they can be and achieve their dreams.
I attended the international students’ tour to Victor Harbour on the 21st of July. It was an awesome experience yet again meeting new international students and exploring Adelaide with them. Through this, I was also able to answer certain questions that some of them had regarding accommodation, insurance and so on.
We had our clubs committee meeting on the 25th of July at Magill campus. Clubs based at Magill were contacted to come to the meeting and we had the president of the psychology club attend on that day. Other clubs represented were Women in STEM, IPITS and the rainbow club. Many productive discussions took place around organising leadership workshops and creating a facebook group for club executives to help them run their respective clubs more efficiently in order to reap more benefits to both them and other students. On that note, I would like to again stress the importance of clubs’ presence at these meetings. The reason why we hold meetings at every campus is so that all clubs can come down and express their needs and concerns. These meetings also stand as a good opportunity for clubs to talk and clarify things with the USASA clubs support officers as well.
That is all from me for now. Have fun at uni and happy national science week!
Happy July all and welcome to uni for another semester!
After a two week interstate holiday at the start of the month it was back to work for me at our monthly board meeting on July 17. It was a productive meeting as always.
The following day USASA had a planning meeting involving both Board and Staff in order to develop our Strategic Plan for the next three years. Everyone at the planning meeting contributed towards our new plan and I can guarantee anyone reading this that the organization will be in a strong position for at least the next three years.
On a personal note, this semester I will not be able to be on campus everyday like I was able to in SP2 due to the fact that I am undertaking cross-institutional study at Flinders University.
Hey, don’t give me that look
So far only seven people have told me I should resign as Magill Rep for being a traitor, which I’m assuming means the other 7.4 billion people in the world think I’m doing awesome. For the record I still do have two classes at Magill this semester anyway, so those seven people need to calm their farm.
I will still be present at Magill Campus three and a half days a week and intend to do my best during the times I am at Magill. The only real difference is there may not be as many Toastie Tuesday’s this semester and/or they may have to be shifted to a different day.
Anyway, back on topic I was able to volunteer during O-Week at Magill at the counter to introduce myself to new students and add to USASA’s presence at Magill.
The next week (week 1) was a busy week for me USASA wise.
On Wednesday we held the Clubs Committee (CCOM) meeting at Magill. Prior to the meeting I reached out to several of the clubs at Magill to see if we could do more to support them. I had mixed responses from the clubs, but was fortunate to be able to meet with the executives from the UniCast Radio Club, as well as invite the Psychology Club President to attend the CCOM.
The next day I sat on the Magill Campus Advisory Group, which is comprised of members from FM, Security, OH&S, a few heads of school etc. I am very thankful to Damian for allowing me to sit at this meeting and raise a concern I had about the Student Hub bins being too tall for students in wheelchairs to reach. I am pleased to announce that they are now in the process of rectifying this.
Finally onto the matter that has been receiving the most attention: the merger. At the Education Committee meeting on Friday we ran a focus group to ask students their thoughts on the possible merger between the Isotopes UniSA and Albuquerque the University of Adelaide. All of the discussion raised by the students was incredibly helpful and exceeded our expectations. Several points raised were things that neither myself, Jordan or Daniel had even considered but added to our collation of data.
I would also like to thank Dr Laura-Anne Bull for being at this meeting also to take on our suggestions for the My Course Evaluation as well as dispel some of the myths that had been spread regarding it.
Other than that, ta ta and farewell, and enjoy the semester!
PS: I’m hoping to write something in the Verse Magazine for the next edition (if they accept it) so keep an eye out for that.
My Activities This Month:
July 17 USASA Board Meeting
July 18 USASA Strategic Planning Meeting
July 18 USASA O-Week at Magill
July 25 Meeting with Co-Rep
July 25 Connection meeting with UniCast radio club based at Magill
Hello everyone, hopefully you all enjoyed your well deserved break. This month i attended the USASA Strategic Planning Session, Clubs Committee, Education Committee and Academic Board Meeting. I was also present at the USASA City West Campus Counter during Orientation Week, interacting with new students and handing out the USASA Goodie Bags.
I was an apology for USASA Board Meeting and Governance Committee due to being overseas for academic purposes.
At the USASA Strategic Planning Session, the USASA Board and the Staff discussed what key values they want USASA to represent going forward. During the session, the attendees were divided into two teams with both teams being tasked to come up with a mission statement that encapsulates USASA’s values. We were also tasked to come up with ways we can achieve the mission statement.
At the Clubs Committee meeting, we predominantly discussed the ways USASA can reach out to Club Presidents so that they can attend Clubs Committee Meetings. Tracy also updated us regarding the number of nominations received for Clubs Awards and she also went over an informal proposal to revitalise clubs at regional campuses.
At the Education Committee we had a presentation from Laura Anne Bull regarding some myths around MyCourseExperience. She also showed us the algorithm used to calculate mean score, which is an indicator of a teacher’s performance in a course. We also discussed the feeling around different schools regarding the proposed Merger between the University of South Australia and Adelaide University. The Academic Board meeting was a straightforward meeting and the only thing to note was the Academic Integrity Report, which highlighted a steep increase in the number of Academic Integrity cases arising from the Division of IEE.
 I am up near Clare this week, running my research project at a small regional school. Data collection is always exhausting, particularly out in the field, but it’s a really lovely little community, and it’s nice to finally have a lot of participants after months of struggling to recruit any! I hope everyone else’s research or coursework is going well too.
