SRC 3 Liveblog

19.59

The meeting closes at 7:57pm.

19.58

Motion 7.1

Janagaraja stated that representatives have been going “above and beyond”. To alter honoraria the SRC is required to wait until next year. Honoraria is currently constitutionally restricted to 4000 dollars a year. Janagaraja claimed that this amount is “in no way adequate” for the work that representatives do.

Gen Rep Jaya Ryan asked a question regarding why the Clubs Council Chair Josh Yeend did not receive honoraria. Janagaraja stated that ANUSA “did not receive nominations” and increasing advertising for the process “is the best thing I can do”.

A procedural is passed for 10 minutes of discussion time.

Chido Nyakuengama stated that it has been insinuated that some department members can get honoraria while others can’t. She questioned whether some people and departments are overrepresented in the honoraria process. 

Clubs Council Chair Josh Yeend noted that almost 40% of ANUSA Honoraria has gone to Clubs Council members but asked whether it has been considered for the Club Council as a whole to receive their own stipend. Yeend stated that they are concerned about the “disparity between the payment for people in Clubs and the club officer”.

The motion passes.

19.44

As Carter is not present, Tess Carlton speaks to the motion. She raises ANUSA’s past endorsement of environmental issues and states that there is a debate within the environmental movement about what net zero means. She stated the government’s current plan does not take into account Australia’s exports of coal and focuses on carbon offsets of fossil fuels rather than reduction of emissions. She said “it’s a big threat today that people want to co-opt the environmental movement with this greenwashing”. She encourages ANUSA to take a “leading stand” on the issue.

Nick Carlton now speaks as the seconder of the motion. Carlton restates that the idea of net zero emissions is “a scam” and encourages participants to “come to the climate strike” and vote for the motion.

This motion passes.

19.43

Motion 6.2

This motion is moved by SAlt Member Grace Carter, on behalf of Tess Carlton. It calls on ANUSA to reject “the 2050 net zero carbon emissions targets taken up by the Australian government and various world governments” and calls on ANUSA to advocate for “more radical action against climate change, such as the total abolition of fossil fuels and a complete transition to renewable energy”. 

The preamble of the motion claims that “‘net zero’ as a target is deceptive due to the malleable way in which its meaning can be changed to fit whichever data set is most convenient for governments”. Further, it states that “net zero emissions by 2050 would be too little action far too late”.  

19.27

Deputy Education Officer Phoenix O’Neill claimed that “this guide is literally the best and most comprehensive guide I have read”.

Maddie Chia also endorsed the Pronoun Practice Guide, stating that it “is a fantastic initiative by the Queer* Department”.

This motion passes.

19.22

Motion 6.1

Moved by Queer* Officer Vincent Li and seconded by Deputy Education Officer Phoenix O’Neill, this motion proposes that ANUSA endorse a pronoun practice guide for ANU academic colleges. The draft of this guide was previously endorsed at OGM 1. Li will also be required to “make all reasonable efforts to meet with the relevant associate deans of each academic college regarding the details of this guide”.

19.21

Now for a toilet break.

19.20

All reports are moved en bloc.

19.19

Yeend takes his report largely as read. He commended  the expansion of the council from 10 to 17 members, after recent elections took place. Yeend stated he “will be working with new officers through induction periods to get the clubs handbook up and running”. Yeend has also decided to delay a few projects, particularly the clubs info pack. This is due to a focus on the change of the affiliation process which would render the current info pack outdated. The secretary is working on quotes for a commercial office space. Yeend states that he is “trying to get something up and running with consultation packages”. Clubs council has recently launched new grants for collaborative events and for the provisional affiliation process. Finally Yeend commended everyone in council receiving honoraria, but after working 200 hours, said  “we need to be talking about volunteer burnout”. The question of clubs ball is raised and Yeend confirms that the ball will be going ahead, adding that “celebrating clubs culture on campus is a massive priority”.

19.11

Clubs Council Chair Report

Yeend delivers his report, noting that all roles have been filled in the Clubs Council, with the exception of the Faith and Religion branch officer and Special Interest branch officer. 

Yeend is prioritising student engagement and accessibility in regards to clubs and associations. However, he said the current model is financially unsustainable, particularly when it comes to strategic planning from 2022 onwards.

19.09

Nyakuengama takes her report as read.

Nyakuengama stated that there have been an “overwhelming amount of incidents” of racism on campus, but noted recently the department has received a fraction of the reports which were submitted in O-week. Nyakuengama encouraged people to approach the BIPOC department regarding any incidents of racism, reassuring students that “no incident is too small”.

Indigenous Officer Katchmirr Russell asked whether the racism survey will be broadcasted by ANUSA’s social media. Nyakuengama responded that she “will get that done”.

19.08

BIPOC Department

Nyakuengama begins by noting the launch of RACE1001, a series of events that aim to provide BIPOC students with expert opinions regarding race in the contexts of other disciplines such as psychology and politics. Past events include RACE1001 X CULTURE with Dr Kim Huynh and RACE1001 X PSYCHOLOGY, led by Professors Ian Walker and Michael Platow.

Nyakuengama then outlines plans for future projects. In Semester 2, the Department will continue to run Chai & Chats on a bi-weekly basis, allowing BIPOC students to share their experiences in a casual setting. Further, the Department will provide an autonomous room in Marie Reay every second Thursday for students to engage in creative activities. The Black African Student Collective will also continue to provide social events.

In collaboration with The Indigenous Student Department, the Department has developed CHROMA: The BIPOC EXPERIENCE, launching on 5 August. Additionally, in partnership with the Indigenous Department and the Education Officer, the Department will launch a campaign on burnout faced by BIPOC students. The campaign involves the release of infographics and resources released over the exam period and will culminate with an autonomous community bonfire held on the final day of the exam period.

The Department has compiled an annual Racism Report, a database of racist incidents on campus that will be released in July. Nyakuengama encourages students to report racist incidents by completing the survey or by emailing [email protected]. 

19.03

Corby takes their report as read. They report on the success of the department’s recent events, praising high turnout. Corby said the Collective has received confirmation from ANU in regards to their continued investment in fossil fuels. Corby will be organising a workshop soon regarding the matter. The department will also have a contingent at the school strike for climate this Friday and “will be soon launching an ANU fossil free [campaign]”.

19.03

Environment Department

Corby opens by noting the successful launch of a number of Environmental Collective events since the last SRC. He makes reference to the EC coordinating the Canberra Protest of Climate Justice at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy which saw protestors move from this location to before Parliament House, chanting for climate action. 

50 people attended the EC’s new Fossil-Free ANU campaign launch in Week 7. The following week saw 100 people attend the May-day rally (coordinated with the NTEU) and the Fossil-Free Speakout. Corby states that EC continues to oppose ANU’s investment in fossil fuels and “will continue to fight this neoliberal structure for tertiary education”.

Among upcoming events for the EC is the School Strike for Climate on May 21 which will see the EC lead an ANU contingent. A petition is also likely to be launched soon by Fossil-Free ANU. Corby mentions that other notable work by the EC includes “continuing to write for our Environmental Justice education campaign, forming a working group to reform the EC constitution, and beginning to create resources on accessibility for activism and events”.

In light of the fast approaching 2021 Bush Week, the EC is looking to hold “a stunt for Fossil-Free ANU and a social evening”. A speaker panel on the environment and corruption is also in planning for Bush Week.

19.01

Winn takes her report as read.

She mentioned that the Disabilities Department will be hosting an Education Access Plan (EAP) drop in session tomorrow, both online and in person at 1pm-2pm.

Winn gave a “massive shoutout” to PPE Society President Zair Ahmed, who assisted her in preparing a policy document with the Dean of CASS regarding accessibility issues.

19.01

Disabilities Department

Winn and Adams report that their focus has been assisting students in disputes with course convenors and colleges, overseeing their collectives and planning. They have been organising a residential hall intersectionality campaign with other ANUSA departments and officers. They have taken on an issue regarding Carer grants. They have set up autonomous collectives for several branches that fall under the department. They have met with the Associate Dean of CASS over the implementation of accessibility measures. The plan on updating the Spoons Space over winter. Spoon week is scheduled for week 9 of semester 2 and they are looking for a DSA Ball Director and volunteers for events during the week. They report on events running, the activity of their social media and merchandise.  Under finances and administration they report that their access to the department bank account is still limited and that all expenses incurred will require reimbursement. They report on difficulties making sure the department falls in line with the current financial reporting standards. They are looking at possibly changing the constitution.

19.01

Chin takes his report as read. He said the ISD’s board meeting was positive and that requests for accommodations for students stranded overseas were successful. He extends his thanks to all those involved including students and officers.

19.00

International Students’ Department

Chin mentions that not much has happened since SRC 2, but that the ISD continues to work on a number of initiatives. First, CRS/CRN has been reintroduced on a case-by-case basis, with supporting documentation for each student varying based on individual circumstances; Chin thanks Janagaraja and the ISD team for their efforts. Chin attended the first and second Academic Board meeting, with the first focusing on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression. The ISD’s advocacy work has been focused on COVID impact, including initiatives for overseas students and providing guidance for reports of racism against students. The ISD social media pages and the International Students @ ANU 2021 Facebook group chat have remained up-to-date with resources and support. Upcoming projects include Indian Food Distribution and the Less Stresstival Week with ANUSA Wellbeing.  

19.00

Li takes his report as read and received no questions.

19.00

Queer* Department

Li notes that the Queer Department has recently been focused on campaign planning, including the IDAHOBIT campaign which was run alongside PARSA to raise awareness for the Queer community at ANU. With the exam period fast approaching, they also outline that the Queer department is looking develop different ways to support its members during this stressful time. 

Li continues by mentioning the Queer* soiree, which has been run fortnightly since O’Week, has been “generally well-received” and has concluded for the semester. However, they note that issues have been raised around the price of tickets and the selected venue (which excludes under-18s). To mitigate these problems, the Queer department is seeking an alternative and more-inclusive venue. Li further mentions that the soirees will be held “at a lower frequency” next semester.

The Pronoun Practice guide is announced as having been finalised. Li has met with the CASS Dean of Student Experience who has agreed to help to “push through this guide on the ANU”. Once this SRC votes on the guide, the next stage is for the education officer to present it to the Teaching and Learning Development committee which will then implement it across the academic colleges.

This Thursday, as part of the IDAHOBIT campaign, the Queer Department will run the universal lunch hours with BKSS. Also, the Executive of the Queer Department is expected to attend an ACT Legislative Assembly panel discussion on IDAHOBIT.

Li mentions that despite the conclusion of the Queer soiree for this semester, the department is looking to introduce movie nights as a regular event that excludes alcohol. 

18.59

Daruwalla takes her report as read, but reminded students to vote against the affiliation of the life choice club at the clubs council meeting tomorrow.

18.59

Women’s Department

Content warning: this report mentions sexual assault and harassment, anti-choice rhetoric and abortion 

Women’s Officer Avan Daruwalla begins her report by noting that she attended the Respectful Relationships Working Group this morning. Daruwalla outlines that she expects the meeting to primarily address internal hiring and staffing within the Respectful Relationships Unit. She encourages anyone with questions about the meeting to get in contact with her.

Daruwalla then lists the ongoing projects of the Department:

The Department’s 2021 Campaign ‘Not All Feminists’ is being prepared for the coming weeks. The Department is producing a panel event on critical and radical intersectionalism in Week 12, a feminist craft workshop with Bossy Magazine, and further collaboration with other Departments. 

The Department will be releasing informative content surrounding contentious issues in contemporary feminism on their social media platforms. An accompanying photo campaign will also be opening submissions shortly. Daruwalla says that more details will be released through the Departments online platforms soon. 

The Department made a submission to the ANU Clubs Council opposing the contentious proposed affiliation of the anti-choice group, LifeChoice. Daruwalla notes that the Deputy Queer* Officer has also submitted an opposition to be presented at the Clubs Council Meeting tomorrow. 

Daruwalla says she has consulted with the diverse community of her Department and that the consensus of these consultations has been that the affiliation of this club would negatively impact the wellbeing of students. Many members of the Women’s Department have expressed distress and discomfort at being exposed to a group intending to infringe upon their bodily autonomy and passing judgements on their agency to make their own choices about their own bodies. 

Daruwalla stresses that every student on campus should feel safe, comfortable, and welcome. She believes that the nature of an anti-choice student club presence challenges this standard at ANU. 

Finally, the Department urges all voting members of the Clubs Council to stand with the Women’s Department and vote against the affiliation of LifeChoice ANU.

Daruwalla has been the Respectful Relationships Unit to provide more Disclosure Training sessions – presented as ‘Understanding and Responding to Sexual Violence’. Sessions have been offered to ANUSA representatives amongst others and have been attended by a few department officers, general representatives, residential hall advocates, and the Women’s Department executive. Daruwalla says there will be more opportunities for training in the future. 

Daruwalla ends her report by celebrating the Department’s chosen ‘girl boss of the month’, ANUSA Gen Sec Meghan Malone. Daruwalla highlights Malone’s demonstrated patience and hard work in her role. 

Daruwalla notes that a girlboss need not be a girl nor a boss and encourages all students to engage with the Women’s Department’s ‘Not All Feminists’ campaign as they seek to deconstruct girlboss culture, investigate intersectionality and critically analyse pop feminism.

18.58

Russell takes their report as read.

Russell discussed a meeting which took place between the BIPOC and Indigenous department, and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust regarding the messaging around the ANU’s Winston Churchill statue and the “story the [it] tells” about indigenous people. They described the meeting as “positive”.

18.58

Indigenous Department

Russell begins their report by highlighting the various events the Indigenous Department has run over this semester. 

Russell attended a meeting with the Churchill Foundation and reached an agreed upon outcome of installing a plague to note “Churchill’s racist legacy”. 

An anti-racism campaign will launch soon in collaboration with the BIPOC and Education departments. The campaign will involve an event, as well as infographics. 

A vote of no confidence was also passed at a department meeting against the department’s treasurer. The position is now vacant, and looking for applicants. 

18.55

Jagger takes her report as read. She promoted upcoming events and the Bush week coordinator application process. Regarding the ‘less stresstival’ event coming up she encouraged students to take part and volunteer.

18.52

Social Officer’s Report

Social Officer Sophie Jagger begins her report by encouraging anyone with event related ideas or queries to send her a message on Slack or email her at [email protected]. 

Jagger announces that the Bush Week coordinator application process has commenced. She will be interviewing candidates over “the next week or so”. Jagger encourages anyone wishing to collaborate or suggest ideas for an event for Bush Week to contact her.

Friday Night Party preparations have begun. Jagger is currently investigating a new venue of Chifley Meadows in collaboration with the ANU Stakeholders, which she says will hopefully lower the overhead costs of the event. Due to COVID risk, there may be a lower capacity for the event. More details regarding the lineup and set up of the event will be released soon.

Less Stresstival is running from 27 May – 2 June this year. ANUSA will run craft sessions, sports classes, relaxing walks, puppy play dates and more. Jagger encourages students to check the Facebook event for more details.

18.50

Law takes her report as read.

A student asked whether there were any specific licensing requirements for bus drivers when events involving alcohol are concerned – in relation to the ANUSA bus. Law stated that she is working on reforming the Bus policy with VP Christian Flynn. Once this takes place, details will be updated on the ANUSA website.

18.50

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Siang Jin Law opens her report with an expenditure report for the period 11 April to 31 May. For this period, ANUSA had an operating expenditure of just more than 160,000 dollars. Law now lists a number of ongoing projects, which includes: updating the Bus Use policy, ongoing discussions regarding the opening of an ANUSA-run business, compilation of an ethical sponsorship register for businesses, and considering moving from Clubs’ administration systems to QPay Union from MSL.

The ANUSA Bus is in the process of registration with Access Canberra. Law hopes that the ANUSA business will be “up and running before the end of our [ANUSA officer] terms”.

18.48

Malone takes her report as read. Malone has been working on the electoral reform working group as well as the governance reform working group. In the governance working group an outcome was reached in regards to executive stipends – which will be proposed in an upcoming AGM.

She asked for feedback on the multi-modal meeting structure and states the AGM will be remaining online. She said she is “still chipping away at the gen rep project” and has been in talks with the ANU archives about preserving artifacts and the history of ANUSA’s activism. She also advertises nominations for the financial review committee.

18.48

General Secretary’s Report

Malone has continued to work with the Governance and Electoral Reform Working Groups. The Electoral Reform Group has been considering issues including early publication of election deadlines, greater use and distribution of the EOI form etc. Malone will collaborate with Woroni to release an article outlining the election timelines for 2021. The Governance Reform group is currently working on Executive stipends. Malone mentions the move towards a multimodal meeting format for this SRC, and hopes to attain greater accessibility throughout the year – this has included discussions with the Queer* Dept re greater use of pronouns in online meetings. Malone has met with a senior archivist to discuss better recording and preservation of ANUSA’s history and activism efforts (eg. protest posters and flyers alongside minutes and budgets). More to come on this in the future. Malone is organizing the induction of the new Disputes and Probity position holders, and advertised for nominations for the Financial Review Committee.

18.44

Chia takes her report as read. She said she is working on an upcoming racism campaign with BIPOC Officer Chido Nyakuengama and Indigenous Officer Katchmirr Russell.

An anti-course cuts protest will be held on 26 May, encouraging everyone to attend to show their support for the campaign. Chia claimed that the situation “will only get worse”.

She also flagged that she is planning on holding a candlelight vigil to say “RIP to Higher Education” as a response to the recent Federal Budget.

18.42

Education Officer’s Report

Education Officer Maddie Chia states in her report that the Education Committee met on 17 May. Chia also recently attended the TLDC for discussion of the 2025 Strategic Plan; she states that classrooms on campus should be at 100 percent capacity again next semester. 

Chia met with BIPOC Officer Chido Nyakuengama to discuss an upcoming collaborative campaign that will also include the Indigenous Department, timetabled for the end of the exam period. 

Chia states that the Education Department will be running a course cuts protest on the 26 May at 1pm in Kambri, with a march to the Chancellery.

18.40

Flynn takes his report as read. His time has largely been spent working on the academic freedom working group. He reported an increase of student use in the BKSS space and wishes to further “promote and revive” the space for club use.

BIPOC Officer Chido Nyakuengama asks how the BKSS can be booked, with Flynn replying that it is free for use with no bookings necessary.

18.36

Vice President’s Report

Flynn opens his report by noting the work which has taken place between Janagaraja and himself to secure the CRS/CRN grading system for this semester. He will now spend the final weeks of semester ensuring the changes made to the grading system, late withdrawals and exams are made across the academic colleges. 

The Academic Freedom working group met with the ANU’s Academic Board where changes were made to stop students being disadvantaged in student associations. The policy which follows the working group’s findings has an unclear date of completion, but in the meantime Flynn is working on areas which can be improved upon to promote academic freedom at the university. 

On the long discussed ANUSA business, Flynn has worked with Treasurer Siang Jin Law to develop the business plan, and along with Janagaraja, has begun discussions with the university. Posts on social media will appear on students feeds shortly to gauge an understanding of what students want from the business. 

18.35

Janagaraja takes her report as read. She acknowledged that the CRS/CRN campaign was largely a success and thanked those who worked with her to achieve this.

After receiving a question from Queer* Officer Vincent Li if ANUSA had received any media releases received from ANU on the net zero by 2030 campaign, Janagaraja stated that she has not received any communication. She added this was not in her capacity as President. However, she further stated that she is happy to talk about “any perceived shortcoming by the community or any advocacy needed to be done in the space”.

18.28

President’s Report

President Madhu Janagaraja opens her report with a review of her work from the end of April until SRC 3; which has predominantly been focused on CRS/CRN and academic accommodations. She provides a SASH content warning for parts of her report.

ANUSA has made “necessary adjustments” to the ANUSA Carers’ Grant. It has also met with ANU’s head of Facilities and Services, and Chief Operating Officer, to discuss ANUSA’s commercial venture initiative. Janagaraja notes her participation in two meetings of the Ethical Sponsorships Committee and chairing of the Honoraria Committee. 

Janagaraja then moves to ANUSA office and administration business; stating that most professional staff will likely be recommencing in-person work three days a week by June, but that legal and student assistance will continue via Zoom. Janagaraja has also “remodelled” the legal service provision model, and met with ANU’s COVID Protocol Office to discuss extended student support for affected students.

Janagaraja has been appointed to the ANU Alumni Awards judging panel. She states she has also met with the CASS Executive to discuss remote learning and accessibility issues, along with increased Winter and Autumn Session course offerings. 

She also states that herself and ANUSA submitted a number of Academic Accommodations proposals to the Executive and Academic Board, all of which have since been approved and are in the implementation phase. 

Janagaraja has met with the SIG head to discuss improved service group cohesion during COVID-19. She has also met with ANU School of Psychology staff to discuss improvements to the School’s extension process, and will be following up with other stakeholders. 

Janagaraja then reviews her participation, and work in University committees, and University Council.

18.24

The meeting opens at 6:22pm