Lots happened at Guild Council last week to update you on. Once they are approved, the minutes will be available on our website, but here are the key points!
Completed via circular
- The Guild took a position against Bettina Arndt’s speech denying the problem with sexual assault and harassment on university campuses. We reaffirmed our strong belief that universities are a place that students should be free from sexual assault and harassment. This is a massive problem in Australia and the discourse needs to be how we address it, not whether or not it exists.
- The Guild approved the contract to start work on the new website!
From the executive
- We approved the Terms of Reference for the ‘Collaborative Reference Groups’ that will enable Faculty Societies and Discipline-Specific Clubs to work more closely together.
Operational Motions on Notice for Council
- We accepted the Welfare Officer’s resignation and appointed an Acting Welfare Officer.
- We started a new procedure for co-opting Office Bearers, consistent with the Guild Regulations, that will enable us to find the best candidate to fill the Welfare Officer vacancy.
- Endorsed a proposal for Office Bearers to receive an honorarium in return for being present in the Guild Student Centre each week. By absorbing staffing hours this is cost neutral for the Guild, will increase equity within the office bearing team, and gives you better access to your student representatives.
- We endorsed a new version of the Standing Orders, making them clearer.
Representational Motions on Notice for Council
- We endorsed the NUS Disabilities’ ‘No Mind Left Behind’ campaign, which aims to increase equity for students with mental health conditions at universities but increasing the access to counselling services. The Access Department will be running this campaign at UWA.
- We endorsed the NUS ‘A Future Worth Fighting For’ campaign, which aims to put student priorities at the fore-front of the debate in the upcoming elections. There will be opportunities for students at UWA to be a part of this campaign in the coming months. The key priorities are:
- Reinstating the taskforce into sexual assault at universities to keep universities accountable.
- Ending student poverty – currently 1 in 7 students regularly go without food because they can’t afford it.
- Affordable student housing.
- Fully-funded, equitable, and accessible post-secondary education.
- Real action on climate change
- We reaffirmed our strong stance in solidarity with Jewish people against anti-Semitism, and committed to commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day in January, and ensuring that all activist activities and spaces are accessible for Jewish students.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Conrad
