By Nuria Olive
There are four candidates running for the position of Education Officer in the upcoming ANUSA election. These candidates are: Carter Chryse from Stand Up!, Ainouojin (ANU), Luke Harrison from Together for ANUSA, and Mickey Throssel from Student Left Alliance.
One of these candidates will be taking over the role following the end of current Education Officer Beatrice Tucker’s term.
The Role
One of the primary functions of the Education Officer role is to run campaigns associated with ANUSA’s Higher Education Policy. These campaigns in the past have included protests against government cuts to higher education, HECS indexation, and unaffordable housing. These are often conducted alongside the National Union of Students. The Education Officer is also responsible for preparing relevant submissions to Government bodies and liaising with them where possible. For example, the 2014 Education Officer met with Federal Senators to raise the impact of tuition fee deregulation.
The ANUSA Education Officer runs the Education Committee. All ANU students automatically form part of this committee and students are invited to provide their input on education issues whilst supporting the organisation of campaigns.
The Candidates (in the order they appear on the 2023 Election Candidate List)
Carter Chryse
Carter Chryse is running as Education Officer for Stand Up!. Chryse’s previous experience with activism has been “part of organising nearly every major protest on ANU campus this year- from leading the rally against Posie Parker that outnumbered transphobes 10 to 1, campaigning against the climate criminals at ANU and in government and fighting for housing affordability on and off campus.”
Chryse’s vision as Education Officer is to fight for the improvement of education and “against the cost of living crisis”.
As part of campaigning for “better education”, Chryse calls for ending student debt and fees for both domestic and international students alike.
In line with previous Education Officers, Chryse wants to “reverse course cuts” that have occurred since 2020.
Chryse’s policy also alludes to AUKUS, opposing the ANU’s future implementation of a Nuclear Systems major as well as “AUKUS integration in research and scholarships at ANU”.
Chryse further stands in solidarity with the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) in their demands for enhanced pay and job security.
Chryse’s proposals regarding fighting the cost of living crisis commence with the cost of food on-campus. Chryse suggests that all food purchased in Kambri and its surroundings should be capped at a maximum of $10. However, this capped price should only be for students and “not public servants”.
A significant concern for ANU students this year, in particular those living on campus, has been changes to parking arrangements. Chryse proposes that all parking on campus should not only be free of charge, but also all current parking fines and charges imposed by ANU against students for parking infringements be dropped.
Chryse’s policy further outlines the introduction of higher welfare payments, extending to not only domestic students but also international students. Alongside this, Jobseeker and Youth Allowance payments should be increased.
A further cost of living crisis issue that Chryse raises is the cost of living in ANU student accommodation, arguing that all rents should be decreased alongside “better contracts that enshrine residents’ rights” and all student accommodation being run solely by the ANU itself.
Chryse’s final point on the cost of living crisis is the current PhD stipend. Chyrse argues this “is below the poverty line for many families” and should be raised, adding that PhD students should be paid “accurately for the hours they work”.
Ainouojin (ANU)
Ainouojin (ANU) is running as an independent candidate for Education Officer. Policies include “curriculum and club development” by “working closely with professors, tutors, and ANU staff to design and further upgrade the courses”.
Ainouojin also supports the distribution of enhanced educational resources “including teaching aids required by professors/ tutors, and textbooks”. She emphasises this will enable the ANU to “provide quality education” to students.
This candidate’s final policy is developing better community outreach to foster a relationship “between ANU and the local communities” including through “partnerships with local organisations”.
Luke Harrison
Luke Harrison is running for Education Officer under the Together For ANUSA ticket. Harrison’s involvement in ANUSA this year involved being a Gen Rep, Deputy Education Officer, Co-convenor of the Environment Collective, and Welfare Officer (since midyear). Harrison emphasises that the Education Officer role is focused on activism, and “to be a chief organiser of the union’s campaigns”.
Harrison’s first policy is enhancing the engagement- “political and practical”- of ANUSA with the student body. Part of this will include expanding the Counter-Course Guide, introduced by 2023 Education Officer Beatrice Tucker. Harrison’s proposed expansion of this guide includes implementing “an Orientation Handbook section that would include guides on navigating the university”, and a guide on the evolving situations of each academic college including but not limited to course cuts.
An initiative Harrison is “personally really excited about” is creating a Radical Education (‘Rad Ed’) Week. This would involve hosting “conference-like sessions…that are political in nature” about topics “including but not limited to; radical student unionism, the corporate university, Palestinian liberation, First Nations justice”. Harrison aims to ensure these sessions are as accessible as possible.
Harrison proposes to reform the Education and Welfare Action Group (EWAG) that they created this year with current Education Officer Beatrice Tucker. They aim to make the group more accessible including “promoting EWAG more effectively” and “Reforming the Deputy Education Officer structure”.
Referencing the NTEU rally earlier this year, Harrison proposes further promotion of NTEU events, connecting on a regular basis with NTEU and the Casuals Network members, and developing campaigns that students and staff can collaborate on.
This candidate emphasises the importance of the Education Officer working towards issues that impact not only undergraduate students, but also postgraduate students. As well as this, Harrison hopes to foster active engagement with College Representatives regarding campaigns, and proposes activist and advocacy training for Department Officers.
Regarding ANU’s upcoming introduction of a compulsory minor which combines “critical thinking, transdisciplinary problem-solving, and Indigenous Knowledge”, Harrison perceives that EWAG “would demand the ANU to engage in proper and extensive consultation” with students, alongside demanding a “cap [on] the number of students that are allowed to attend the lectures of these courses – and pay lecturers and tutors for the work they do”. This activism would also include “fighting for more Indigenous staff – as well as continued consultation with the staff the university has – to properly implement Indigenous knowledge across the university.”.
Finally, Harrison pledges to continue to campaign against degree, course and major cuts “as there’s no doubt ANU will try again.” This will include “creating stronger connections with department officers, college representatives, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and staff.”
Mickey Throssell
Mickey Throssell is running for Education Officer under the Student Left Alliance ticket. Throssell has previously been involved with campaigns concerning course cuts, AUKUS and staff working conditions.
Throssell’s campaign emphasises supporting students to “fight for OUR own education” as “this is not the role of elected officials”. They state that “activism needs to be a focus of ANUSA” and needs to “come from talking to students, building movements and creating bottom-up collective power”.
Student Left Alliance’s statement addresses “assaults on education”, including course and degree cuts and ANU’s proposed introduction of a compulsory minor. The introduction of this minor being compulsory to all ANU students will see “large lectures with 2000 to 3000 students, while the university would only need to employ a single lecturer”, leading to “overworked tutors and overcrowded classes”. The statement further refers to “the elimination of 467 jobs in 2020” alongside ANU’s recognition “that they will need more staff in order to teach AUKUS degrees”.
In the ANUSA Election Debate, Throssell spoke about “meeting people where they are at” and “continu[ing] to push for what’s right”, supporting students in “fight[ing] for themselves”.
Finally, Throssell’s campaign draws attention to student involvement in activism, with the position of Education Officer being a vessel to support students to do so.
Observer will continue to publish candidate policies and tickets. All students, postgraduates included, can vote in the upcoming election. Polls open at 9am on Monday September 25th (Monday Week 8) and close at 12pm on Thursday September 28th.
Graphics by Will Novak
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