Wollongong University Students' Association

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The University of Wollongong Students' Association (known as WUSA) is the representative organisation for students at the University of Wollongong. Its governing body is the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The Association is an unicoprorated body that has departments that work within the University to achieve practical outcomes for students, as well as ensuring that both the University and federal government of Australia are held to account over their handling of student issues.

The UOW Students' Association is affiliated to the National Union of Students and has participated in national campaigns such as the fight against upfront course fees, Voluntary Student Unionism and the ongoing struggle to reinstate free education in Australia. WUSA has also called upon the national body and other student organistaions to support its local causes in the past. In a city like Wollongong, notorious for pollution, cancer clusters and other heavy-industry-related health problems, WUSA has always been at the forefront of campus environmentalism in Australia.

The Association facilitates grassroots student collectives that organise around both student issues and wider social issues. These include education, queer rights, women's rights, anti-racism initiatives, accessibility campaigns, alternative media production and environmentalism. The Students' Association also commissions the student magazine Tertangala.

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[edit] Activist History

Over its 40-year history, WUSA has co-ordinated many successful student protests, occupations and even an Aboriginal Tent embassy. In 1995, 2000 University of Wollongong students besieged the campus Administration building to protest the introduction of degree fees. In 1997 WUSA students and SRC representatives participated in the occupation of the University of Technology Sydney campus in a successful campaign to prevent the introduction of buy-a-place degrees at that institution. WUSA students and staff also participated in the successful campaign to prevent the introduction of buy-a-place degrees at the University of Western Sydney in 1998.

National Anti-VSU Campaign During 1999 UOW and other NSW students stormed NSW Liberal Party Head Quaters on a National Day of Action called by the National Union of Students and demanded an end to proposed VSU legislation. Media coverage included the full Sydney Morning Herald front page. The legislation was withdrawn, but introduced again and passed in 2006 when the ruling Coalition of the conservative Liberal and National parties secured the vote of Family First senator Stephen Fielding in the Australian Senate.

Aboriginal Tent Faculty In protest against the axing of the Aboriginal Health Course. The SRC and Education Action Collective convened and run the campaign with local aboriginal, academic and student support. The campaign involved numerous and frequent protests and NUS NSW state-wide support. The end result included the University Council overturning the Vice Chancellor's decision to drop the course in spectacular fashion. The VC also agreed to funding a new Aboriginal Education Centre which now proudly overlooks the McKinnon lawn, the former site of the Tent Faculty.

Queer Space This campaign began some years before the SRC creation of a sexuality officer position - but in 1998 the first temporary Queer Space had been agreed to in negotiations with the campus' first elected Sexuality officer, the Vice Chancellor and the UniCentre General Manager. It was opened in 1999. The space was later closed and relocated as a result of the demolition of the UniBar building. The new site was deemed inappropriate by the Allsorts collective (the autonomous collective representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, transgender and/or queer students on campus) and a new campaign was launched by Sexuality Officer Annaleise Constable during 2004-5.

The University of Wollongong student body has long held the reputation of being "the most left-wing campus in the country". It is no coincidence that the flag of the Australian Communist Party was flown on the University's Foundation Day.

[edit] The Dream Team

The WUSA executive and council elected in 1996 for the 1997 term included a number of prominent left-wing student activists who have since become notable community leaders and policy makers. Under the leadership of Carol Berry, who served as President, the "Dream Team" ran for election on an explicitly anarchist-left platform, beating the Labor students and Democratic Socialist Party activists who contested them with a staggering 85% of the primary vote. The mandate of their victory ensured an explosion of student activist activity on campus, and a record number of campaigns run by WUSA. The radicalism of the University of Wollongong student body under Berry's Presidency had a national political reputation, with the result that the WUSA executive came under the scrutiny of "spooks" (Australian secret service agents) posted to campus to monitor their activities.

The activists of the Dream Team have since pursued influential positions in Australian public life. Even "the guy who booked the bands" for WUSA has been successful: Phil Hutcheon, the Activities Officer of the 1997 WUSA Executive, is now the Vice President and London CEO of Modular Recordings, the label that broke Wolfmother.

[edit] Past Presidents

1994 Peter Knox

1995 Jo Kowalczyk

1996 Laura Wilson

1997 Carol Berry

1998 Erin Cahill

1999 Kane Gleeson

2000 Nardine Toney

2001 John Finlayson

2005 Ben Coughlin

2006 Jess Moore

2007 Elizabeth Larbalestier

[edit] Notable Campaigns & Activism

Image:Wollongong-uni-students.jpg Picture: Ken Robinson - Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong University Students' Representative Council President Kane Gleeson (centre right) argues with controversial right-wing columnist and graduation speaker Piers Akerman (centre left). SRC member Simon Zulian (far left) holds the Students' Representative Council banner while Deputy Vice-Chancellor Peter Robinson (far right) looks on. May 1999.

[edit] See Also

Small + Regionals


National Union of Students of Australia
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Current Factions: Australian Liberal Students Federation | Grassroots Left | Independents | National Labor Students | National Liaison Committee | Socialist Alternative | Student Unity
Former Factions: Australian Labor Students | Left Alliance | Love and Rage | National Broad Left | National Organisation of Labor Students | Non-Aligned Left | Small + Regionals