Interview with NUS President Zoe Ranganathan – Transcript
Nathan
Today we’re here with the first ANU president of the National Union of Students, Zoe Ranganathan. How are you today, Zoe?
Zoe
I’m really well, thank you. How are you?
Nathan
I’m good, thank you.
Not all students know what the NUS is and what it does. Can you give us a brief summary of what the NUS does and why students should pay attention to it’s activities?
Zoe
Sure! The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for all higher education students across the country. So that’s pretty much everyone watching – all university, TAFE, short courses, anything in between. We represent just over a million students across the country and we advocate for their rights and their best interests, whether that be through advocating for lower fee courses or student housing. In the last few years, we’ve done things such as lower the age of independence to 21, which we are now pushing for again. We’ve run national surveys on sexual assault, and we go in and we try and fight government – that’s what we’re here to do with the budget this week. We also run protests and help out individual student unions as well.
Nathan
What are the specific goals and campaigns that you’re looking to achieve this year?
Zoe
This year is all about kick-starting the NUS back up again after a really, really tough year for students and making sure that the pandemic recovery includes the voices of students first and foremost.
First of all, it’s centred around international students – making sure that whenever the government does allow international arrivals a safe way back into the country that students are supported not just when they get here and then sort of left in the lurch, but they do have affordable housing; that there is quarantine centres that are fully funded to the international students at universities are so desperately needed so that international students aren’t having to pay exorbitant amounts for hotel quarantine, as well as things like food support, and housing.
What happens to students who have finished their housing contracts while they’ve been overseas? What happens then? It’s all about making sure that international students feel welcome and feel supported by the national union when they come back into the country. And we’ve been working very, very closely with lots of other international student groups, meeting with a lot of international students. Particularly at the moment with international students in India, we’re discussing how they can be supported through what is such an awful time for them, and particularly if they need to take course deferrals this time or extensions. Ensuring that due to the really serious COVID situation in India, universities are compassionate and respond in a more humane way.
Nathan
What would you say distinguishes a Ranganathan presidency from your predecessors?
Zoe
I wouldn’t say that there’s necessarily anything that I guess would specifically differ me other than that I am the first ANU president and I am very, very proud of that. I knew ANU is historically not as well represented in the NUS and so it’s great to have someone who isn’t from one of the major, major cities advocating for the rights of students and understanding of the voices of more small universities as well. I think this allows me to have a better overview, possibly due to my three years – four years now – that I spent at the ANU.
I’m the 34th president now. It’s really about continuing the 34 years that we’ve had of incredibly strong and cohesive, not just Presidents, but entire executive teams.
Nathan
This year, what would you say your most notable achievements have been of your presidency so far?
Zoe
One thing I’m really proud of this year is delivering a lot more comprehensive one-on-one support to student unions. Throughout this year, we have increased the amount of member engagement and contact through things like Zoom calls with women’s offices around the National Student Safety Survey, which will be happening next year and the end of this year (results released next year). I’m very proud of the campus president guides that I’ve written and published this year, as well as very strong academic research.
In terms of things like pre-budgetary submissions: I’ve appeared in Senate hearings that I have been noted in Hansard for. Up in the budget this week, I’ve been able to go around and get wins through lobbying different groups. Having other non-profits on side as well has been something that I’m incredibly proud of.
I would say the most notable, though, would be around the National Student Safety Survey. For the NUS and particularly myself, it’s an issue that’s very close to our hearts as, I guess, the only student group that is specifically the national voice for women who are facing violence on campus.
We know that one in three women will face sexual violence or harassment and assault over their time at university. It’s something that I faced myself as well. We have been able to push Universities Australia in order to make sure that the survey that was trialled at the ANU in April and will be happening in September later of this year is trauma-informed, is survivor-informed, and that every university has access to support services that are free with 24/7 available to all students. Also that the survey is open during a time where there’s no exams to make sure that results that we get are the most comprehensive that we can. Then if we have a true reflection of what’s going on on-campuses, we’re able to use that in the future to further fight universities and fight government on issues of sexual assault.
Nathan
You previously served as the ANUSA Disabilities Officer. Are you planning on proposing any reforms tailored to people with disabilities during your presidency?
Zoe
Yes, definitely. Disabilities issues are also something that’s very, very close to me. I was ANUSA Disabilities Officer last year through a very difficult time for students with disabilities, so I think that does allow me a better understanding of how to how to serve those students with disabilities. I’m working very closely with the Australian law, Australian Disability Law Commission Centre in Sydney at the moment to work on a series to work on two things:
- A series of workshops for students that’s being trialled at this year around student rights with disabilities. So the reasonable adjustments that you should be allowed under the law and things like that so that students are empowered with the information in order to fight back against universities that don’t allow them adjustments and things like that.
- The second half of the programme with the DLC is really taking a look at law faculties across the country, starting off with Sydney and then hopefully expanding that further into looking at where institutional discrimination is at universities against those with disabilities, how we can fight that and why this is occurring from course convenors in the first place. Is it a lack of awareness of students with disabilities? Is it that law faculties are inherently ablest? Is it in the fact that law faculties expect too much and are too inflexible? We really want to find out why and then I guess tackle it at the root of the issue, which is within law faculties by lawyers themselves who have gone through university as well.
Nathan
You’ve been at the recent federal budget, what is your reaction to this and how do you think it’s going to impact students going forward?
Zoe
I think this year’s federal budget is honestly quite shameful and quite disappointing, but I’m not surprised this government has shown again that it has an absolute contempt for students, for the tertiary education sector and for the future of young people. The fact that universities are currently struggling and that means students who are facing cost cuts and staff who are facing immense cuts across the country, haven’t been given a single cent to tackle the root of the issue. Instead, there’s been $53 million provided to private education providers in order to push their content further online – that is absolutely disgraceful.
I don’t think this government understands the fact that universities are so integral to long-term future of this country. And I don’t think this budget shows that they have a plan for young people in the future. It’s very much just a short cash, pre-election budget rather than one that shows any care for students or any care really for anyone that doesn’t share their ideology. So the NUS has put out a budgetary brief which will be sent around to all of our members that provides, I guess, a short a snapshot for students and is easily able to be read about what the budget means, and what the impacts are on them.
Nathan
What would you say in response to the cost cuts by ANU and various other Australian universities?
Zoe
In my opinion, of course cuts are never necessary if the objective of the university and the university council is to make sure that student well-being is at its centre. I think the immense cost cuts that we’ve seen at the ANU and across the country just show that really the priority for universities is about profit. They make their profit margin at the end of the year rather than the quality of education that they are delivering to students. It shows that universities really just are corporate institutions and are actively trying to become more so, rather than being concerned about the quality of education they’re providing.
I myself have struggled to find enough courses to finish my major this year and to graduate at the end of this year, and pretty much can’t because courses have been suspended and they haven’t been announced when they’re going to deliver them next. And I’m sure everyone has had had a situation that’s occurred. We’re seeing the same, if not worse, at other universities across the country.
I know Brian Schmidt has put out a statement pretty much against the budget, calling on more money for universities, which I agree. In some instance, the government does need to help universities and struggling students more. But what Brian failed to talk about is his own paycheque. How can he justify cutting hundreds of staff, hundreds of courses, when he’s still taking home more money than the prime minister does? It just doesn’t make sense. It’s in fact, hypocritical and shows a lack of care for the wellbeing and the reality of the student experience at ANU.
Nathan
The NUS described the recent $50 increase per fortnight to the student welfare payments as a demeaning increase and indicative of a renewed disregard for young people. What’s being done this year to ensure that the right can be more effectively raised?
Zoe
We’ve been campaigning with other organisations such as ACOSS for the right campaign, which has seen small but sustained increases whenever the government has come in and cut it. This year, in terms of welfare payments, our main campaign is around the age of independence, particularly as this is an area that the media hasn’t been talking about very often. This is something that can’t even be seen as ideological from this government – they really have no reason for the age of independence to be at 21.
The NUS has previously been successful in campaigning for the lowering of the age of independence from 23 to 21, and we hope that we can use that in order to do the same thing again – or at least put pressure on this government by other lobby groups, other political parties and student unions across the country, which is why we’re holding our protest tomorrow outside Parliament just before the budget reply in the hope that the Labour’s budget reply will include the change to the age of independence.
But if it doesn’t, we’ll be fighting even harder and really calling on both sides of government to take a long, hard look at themselves and really answer to us ‘why?’. If you can drive at 18, you can drink at 18, you can vote at 18, and this government, unfortunately, would allow you to go to war at 18. Why can’t you have the same amount of welfare payments as anyone else? I’ve heard countless stories from students who say that they’re not able to get a letter from their parents that say that they’re financially independent due to a tricky home situation. It perpetuates a cycle of financial abuse and emotional abuse from people that are in violent and dangerous home situations. And it creates an institutional issue of keeping students who already have tricky home situations further into poverty. It just really shows that this government doesn’t care about young people.
Nathan
You mentioned before that you’re hoping to lower the age of independence. How do you expect the federal government to react to this protest?
Zoe
The protest tomorrow is incredibly important, but I’m not crossing my fingers and holding my breath for the fact that a single event alone is going to be able to ‘change the age’ – which is what our campaign is called. This government has shown that it does not respond to democratic student voices. It doesn’t respond to the voices of young people, particularly when we express them in a way that does make a bit of noise, which is why we’re holding the protest on the walls of Parliament House tomorrow.
What we’re hoping to do tomorrow is to really show media, show all the students who can come along to that protest that the NUS is a place where their voices can be heard. And that we won’t stop there as well. We’ll be announcing how we’re continuing on the campaign after that. I’m very happy to say that we are aiming to get our petition, which now has over 11,000 signatures in the last three months tabled in parliament, so that the government is forced to listen and forced to have a response to it. Tabling a petition in parliament also means that the government will have to respond and explain specifically why they are unable to lower the age of independence from 21 to 18.
Nathan
International students had a really difficult time this year and last year. What is being done by the NUS to support these students, domestic and abroad, who have been left out of welfare and support programmes by the government?
Zoe
Yes, I think I spoke about this a bit earlier as well. International students have had it really tough this year and last year, and we know that. The NUS has a huge focus – I think a bigger focus than ever before – on international students and their welfare and making them know that the NUS is somewhere where their voices can be heard. I would say about 70 percent of my year this year has been with meeting with individual international student groups, working alongside our general secretary Haraam, who is an international student, and our international students officer Verrone as well. Working on plans for how we can make small incremental changes now that will impact the future well-being of international students. That means making sure that places like Swinburne University this year, for example, students, particularly those in India who have been unable to pay their tuition on time as they’ve sadly lost a parent or other guardian who is paying their fees, they’ve been cut off immediately from the student portal access. They’ve actually had the Department of Home Affairs called. So stopping things like that from happening are small ways that we can affect the individual lives of international students.
It may not be hugely public. It may not be, I guess, widely thankful. But it’s important change that we’re doing that we know makes the world of difference for students who are paying so much for an education that is diminishing in quality. Aside from that, in terms of workers’ rights for international students earlier this year, with the disgraceful attack on an international student at the Bubble Tea Shop in Adelaide, the NUS held a snap rally called overnight in front of that bubble tea shop where we protested with all the trade unions ourselves. It was people just calling for better workers’ rights for international students, which have sadly again been left out of this year’s budget.
We’re continuing that with working on the rights of transport workers, mostly delivery drivers. We’ve successfully been part of the campaign for many drivers to be seen as actual workers rather than just as contractors, which allows them workers’ rights, a standard minimum wage, and other workplace entitlements. We’re working on a programme this year in order to try and push other delivery driver companies not only for increased pay, but also increased safety as well. Ensuring that international students who get injured at work are still allowed the same entitlements, making sure that students who are being paid cash in hand actually know their rights and know where they can get help from their student unions – All of those small changes empower international students in order to be able to not only come here and study, but also stay in this country to hopefully have a better chance of getting a permanent residency as well. I also would welcome the chance to talk to anyone that needs help at this point.
Nathan
What is your personal opinion on the ANU being initially averse to the CRS/CRN Learning Adjustment System, only to recently announce its return in a limited capacity?
Zoe
I think this sort of backflip that we’ve seen from the ANU within the last week or so really shows the power of the student voice. I think it’s an incredibly, incredibly significant achievement for ANUSA to be able to deliver this and I hope it’s something that other student unions can look at and try and replicate. That’s what we’re here for – we’re here for trying to connect, say, a new school with people who are having the same problem in Queensland with the people who have the same problem over in Perth as well. We know that students are stronger together, and that’s what a nurse has been able to capitalise on in delivering CRS/CRN as well. I myself used CRS in May last year and found it incredibly useful during such a tough year. We can’t pretend that the pandemic is over. For the 30, 40 percent of international students, they need CRS/CRN in order to maintain the law, to maintain their visa requirements and things like that as well, so I think it’s a fantastic achievement.
Nathan
During SRC (Student Representative Council) 5 last year, the Vice President of ANUSA described the NUS as unsafe and hostile, adding that she’s not a fan of the NUS. What is your reaction to this and what is being done by the NUS to change such perceptions?
Zoe
I understand where the president is coming from. However, for a lot of students, the political world can be one that is very new and very confronting, particularly if you’re new to it, which is why the NUS has fundamentally changed at our national conference last year. The way that we operate, particularly in terms of making sure that we’re still democratically electing all of our student leaders, making sure that all delegates have full ability to come to national conference and vote and have their voices heard.
At the national conference last year, we passed a few changes and changed the way that our policy is voted on. Its moved from being individual policy-based: so say every single year we pass a policy on free education or something like that, now its policy platform. It’s a standing platform that carries on from year to year and then amendments are made to that platform. What that means for actual delegates and observers and student media as well is that you’re not going to have to sit in a conference. It’s going to be a lot shorter of a conference that is more accessible. And it means that you sit in somewhere – hopefully in a lecture theatre for two days. Policy discussion can be had as per normal, but we’re making adjustments to policy to improve it every single year rather than having the same debate over and over again, which I think is an incredibly productive change and one that I’m very, very proud to have supported and spoken at national conference last year.
I know the national conference is not the only time that students are able to engage with the NUS, which is why I’m very proud of the increased member engagement that I spoke about earlier, providing updates through our presidents network that we have with all of our campus leaders providing direct discussion. Briefings and media releases provided to all of our members is just another way that we are increasing accessibility. And also, addressing all of the campus presidents and saying very explicitly that the NUS is a union. If they need us, they can contact us. I’m making myself very available to all campus presidents throughout the year and I’m very happy that I have had a lot of direct contact not only with presidents at ANU, but also across the country as well this year.
Nathan
Over the years, various delegates have called for disacreditation. How do you feel about this and why is it important that students remain connected to the NUS?
Zoe
Accreditation is a debate and discussion that I’ve had pretty much every year that I’ve been at the ANU and quite passionately as well. I fundamentally believe that if you go back to the values of student unionism, what we have fought for for the last 34 years of existence and even before then is the fact that student voices are stronger together and the idea of collective action and solidarity in the student movement – that sort of collective action and power numbers – simply isn’t as strong if we don’t have key universities like the ANU as being part of our voice.
I’m a strong believer of change from within. I’m not saying that the NUS is perfect, but I would invite anyone that does have things that they’d like to see changed in the NUS to get in touch, contact me, have policy put up at national conference at the end of the year, speak to me throughout the year if we can pass something that national executive that would benefit students on campus. All of those changes are ways that we can very easily change the NUS from the inside without weakening the voices of all of us together.
Zoe
It’s a simple fact that in a sort of very corporate university climate at the moment, that the NUS does need money to be able to function well in order to pay wages for our staff. We have seen over the course of 34 years that when money has been decreased or disacreditations from key universities have happened, we have had to cut staff, we have had to cut hours, which means that we are less productive for our members, which means that they are less likely to pay full amounts. This it creates a real cyclical issue of not getting to the heart of the issue, which can be solved through policy and motions, rather through penalising and taking quite a neoliberal approach to the student union.
Nathan
Thanks for your time, Zoe, we appreciate it. Thanks for coming.
Zoe
Thank you so much.