THE GRADUATE UNION
March 2025
7:00-9:30pm Bridge Night 6-8:30pm Welcome Summer BBQ
7:00-9:30pm Bridge Night
7:30-8:30am Special Barista Beverage 10am-12pm Women’s Forum 7:00-9:30pm Bridge Night Labour
7:00-9:30pm Bridge Night 12-2pm March Luncheon
April Luncheon
Wednesday, 2nd April
Dr Vera Korasidis
About
Time: 12:00pm for 12:30pm start
Online login: 1:10pm for 1:15pm
Dr. Korasidis is a field-based geologist who investigates interactions between Earth, life, climate, and environments over geological time. Vera focusses on species evolutionary responses to environmental and climatic change which is critical for assessing how current and future climate change will impact Earth’s biodiversity.
This seminar will focus on reconstructing terrestrial environments following rapid climate change events based on Vera’s deep time and modern experimental work. She will compare changing global floral distributions to predictions derived from climate models run at high spatial resolutions. This recent work reveals the rapid expansion poleward of tropical and temperate climates during previous greenhouse periods such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). She will also present new palynological and geochemical evidence for rapid warming and drying during the PETM and the subsequent return to wetter floodplains and cooler climates. The results of her concurrent experimental research on plant chemical response to elevated pCO2 is currently being developed as a new proxy for understanding carbon in ancient atmospheres during climate warming events.
GRADUATE HOUSE
Prices: To Book: RSVP by:
Members $42, non-members $47, Residents $15
Virtual: Members $10, non-members $15
Call: 03 9347 3428
Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Wednesday 26th March
Organisations’ Patronage
We thank the following organisations for booking at Graduate House in January and February 2024
Advancement, Communications and Marketing
Asialink Arts and Culture
ASME Victorian Chapter
Australian Psychological Society
Carlton Parkville Probus
Carlton Rotary
Cell Therapies Pty Ltd
Chancellery
Chancellery (Research and Enterprise)
Department of Infrastructure Engineering
Department of Management and Marketing, FBE
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music
First Super
Goethe Institute
Graduate Student Association
Languages and Literacies Education Academic Group, MGSE
London Business School Alumni
Melba Group
Mental Health First Aid MHFA
Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller
Incorportated
Parkville Conference of St Vincent de Paul
Per Capita Inc.
Peter Doughty
Quiet Revolution Group
RACI
Research Innovation & Commercialisation
Retired Veterinarians Group
School of Mathematics and Statistics
School of Social and Political Sciences
Soroptimists International of Melbourne Inc.
Stroke Association of Victoria
Super Benefits Administration Pty Ltd
The Crabtree Foundation (Aust Chapter)
The University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association
WEHI
GRADUATE HOUSE SUMMER WELCOME BBQ
Menu
Chicken Tandoori
Lamb chops
Gourmet sausages
Veggie combo burger patties
Coleslaw
Garden Salad
Pavlova
Fruit Salad
Friday, 7 th M arch 6:00 pm O nwards
The Graduate House Summer Welcome BBQ is held at the start of the new academic year to welcome new residents and returning residents. Members and their guests are welcome to join us!
See you at the courtyard and the dining room of Graduate House!
Resident Members FREE
Non-resident Members $17
Non-Members $22
RSVP by Friday, 28th February
Email: membership@graduatehouse.com.au
Phone: (03) 9347 3428, or come to the Reception desk.
The Women's Faculty Club at UC Berkeley, California
Founded in 1919, the Women's Faculty Club offers a space for the UC Berkeley community to gather, participate, host, savour fine food and enjoy a comfortable stay right in the heart of the university campus.
The club was first created to offer a practical solution to the lack of spaces for female faculty in campus premises, as it offered no places for women to get together to discuss with peers, hold meetings or even have meals, as the existing clubs at that time were exclusively male.
In this scenario, women created a club of their own on university land, designing a big project that would offer not only meals and spaces for assembly and recreation but also residences. The building, designed by the architect John Galen Howard, harbors the club to this day and is now open not only to women, but to the whole university community.
Accommodation facilities
The club currently offers twenty-five hotel rooms to their Club members or their guests. There are eighteen single occupancy rooms (Deluxe Doubles), four Queens, two Junior Queens and two Twin suites. All rooms have private baths, telephones and views of the gardens.
While staying at the Club, guests can enjoy a curated dining experience with locally sourced seasonal product from organic farms, safe harbour certified fish, Mary’s free range Non-GMO California chicken, artisan breads and eggs from cage-free hens.
Meetings and events
Members may reserve the Club for special events, receptions and dinners, as the Women’s Faculty Club offers a varied range of outdoor and indoor venues, such as the patio, the Hubert L. Dreyfus deck, the Carol Soc. Library and the Lucy Ward Stebbins lounge among other excellent options. The Club offers an extensive menu to accompany every event, catering for every palate in the most refined way.
Article repurposed from Hyperlocal News' Inner City News
February 2025, Edition #45
CARLTON RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Don’t blame us… we’re just the voters!
WORDS
BY MARTIN BRENNAN – VICE PRESIDENT OF CARLTON RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
The dust won’t settle on the City of Melbourne election until there is a review of the electoral provisions of the City of Melbourne Act and a limit placed on campaign funding together with real time disclosure of the amount and source of the funds.
The successful Reece Team, despite spending almost $1 million on its campaign, does not have a majority on the council so promises will need to be negotiated with some, unlikely to be delivered.
The unsuccessful teams spent around $1.5 million and resulted in the election of candidates who were members of seven unsuccessful teams. Their policies are already in the "too hard' or "not to be mentioned" basket.
Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece and his team now carry the potential conflict of interest baggage as a consequence of some of their campaign donors having property interests in the City of Melbourne. We won’t have long to wait before they’ll have to declare a conflict of interest and vacate the council chamber. Watch this chamber space!
There is no doubt given the media commentary during the election campaign that the electoral provisions and campaign funding embarrassed not only us voters but also Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor team candidates.
Post the election the call for a review of the electoral provisions that has delivered a compromised council is louder.
The Carlton Residents’ Association (CRA) will call for a review of the City of Melbourne Act and lobby the council to adopt a deliberative democracy approach and establish a People's Assembly to undertake the process.
Deliberative democracy is increasingly adopted by cities as a participatory response to the need to deal with complex and ingrained issues that impact on their governance.
The City of Melbourne has experience in deliberative democracy most recently with a People's Panel on affordable housing.
Deliberative processes are a requirement of the Local Government Act and the council’s “Community Engagement Policy”.
The People's Assembly comprising around 50 participants would be drawn from the city’s resident and business community and its role would be to review the current Act and develop a set of recommendations that address the failings of the current electoral provisions.
Voters are burdened with the two to one franchise in favour of non-resident property owners and businesses, postal voting only, no wards and the election of the popular election of the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor that inhibits the role and scrutiny of the remaining nine councillors.
Move to electronic voting for the 2025 Graduate Union election cycle
Greetings Members,
Council resolved in November 2024 to move our annual voting process from a paper-based ballot system sent to Members and returned to the GU via mail, to an online voting system facilitated by a reputable third party provider and managed through email and an online voting portal. The company which will facilitate the electronic ballot is Big Pulse. You can find information about Big Pulse and how they manage security in their website (www.bigpulsevoting.com).
The reason for making this change is as follows:
1. Community expectations around an online voting experience
2. Difficulty in working with members based outside of Australia
3. Increasing costs associated with mailing out ballots
To be able to send you the electronic ballot, we need your current email address. Of our 1200 members, there are about 200 members for whom we have never been provided with an email address. Those members have been contacted via mail to provide their email address. We ask all members to inform us if your email address has changed. You can do this by calling Reception on +61 3 9347 3428 during business hours, or by emailing admingh@graduatehouse.com.au with your email address.
Council hopes that this initiative will make voting easier for you and make the recording and tallying of votes easier and quicker for our Returning Officer. The initiative is expected to reduce costs by approximately $1,400 per year. We will also provide clear instructions on how to cast your vote online when we email the link to the voting portal.
We are aware that there are some members who may not have an email address or access to a computer. We will offer the following assistance for a transition period over the next two election cycles:
• We will provide a polling booth at Graduate House during advertised sessions in the lead up to the ballot closure
• We will provide a paper ballot form for those members who request a paper ballot.
Daniel Clark General Manager
THE GRADUATE UNION - COUNCIL Notice of Election
Nominations are hereby called for the election of three (3) Council members to hold office for three years from the date of the annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, 29th May 2025. Any other vacancy occurring prior to the close of nominations will be included within this election. The terms of current Council members are set out in the tables below The elected members who are retiring in May 2024 and eligible for re-election are indicated by the asterisk*.
An Election Kit, available by application to the Returning Officer, contains the following essential information for any member who seeks election to Council:
1. the Nomination Form;
2. The Graduate Union Nomination and Election to Council Regulation;
3. forms for completion by the nominee to inform Members of their qualifications, experience and skills for governance;
4. declarations to be signed; and
5. other relevant information.
Members should note the following key dates in 2025:
- Opening of Call for Nominations 3rd February
- Close of Nominations 6th March
- (if ballot is required) Election Material is to be submitted 13th March
- Close of Voting 22nd May
The Election Kit is available from The Graduate Union offices or website, or by application to the Returning Officer at the postal or email addresses below: PO Box 2157, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 sluntz@abovequota.com.au
The closing date and time for Nominations is 6th March 2025, 4.00PM.
The completed Nomination Form and other forms provided in the Election Kit should be lodged by post to the Returning Officer’s address above or by email (signed, scanned and as an attachment) to sluntz@abovequota.com.au or placed in the ballot box at the offices of The Graduate Union.
The completed Nomination Form is to be received by the Returning Officer by the stated closing date and time.
Stephen Luntz
Returning Officer Date: 20/01/2025
Elected Council members as at 31st January 2025
Until May 2025
Mr Vincent Mirabelli*
Mr Lawrence Grima
Dr Max Stephens
Until May 2026
Ms Molina Asthana
Mr Martin Comte
Ms Natalie Gray
Appointed Council members as at 31st January 2025
Until May 2025
Mr Russell Maisner
Mr Virgina Ross
Until May 2027
Ms Jane Tisdall
Mr Michael Lynch
The Margaret Watson Centenary Travelling Fellowship
The Margaret Watson Centenary Travelling Fellowship is in memory of Margaret Watson, and is to recognise and celebrate the achievements of young female graduates.
This year’s award of $3,000 will mark the 110th anniversary of Margaret Watson graduating in Arts at the University in 1915 and will be awarded to a female resident of Graduate House who is enrolled for postgraduate studies in the Arts or Education, with a particular interest in the Classics or Humanities.
The Travelling Fellowship is intended to provide assistance for the recipient to travel to a conference or for field work (e.g., to visit libraries) to assist with their postgraduate studies in these fields.
Applications are now invited from eligible residents with a closing date of April 1st. For more information, please visit the Graduate Union website and follow this path in the navigation bar at the top of the page: Graduate Accommodation - College Life - Awards and Opportunities.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit the following documents in an email to the Graduate Union General Manager, Daniel Clark (daniel.clark@graduatehouse.com.au):
• A one-page outline including: why you’re applying, how the Fellowship award will benefit your studies and a plan for how the funds will be spent
• A CV and Resume
• 1-2 referees that could provide statement in support of your application.
End Of Year Fundraising Appeal
The focus for the Graduate Union 2024 End of Year Appeal is to advance the profile of the Graduate Union by engaging our membership through the Eminent Visiting Scholar and mentoring programs. Your gifts and donations to this End of Year Appeal are vital in supporting graduates with a commitment to lifelong education and a passion for the exchange of ideas.
Thanks to those who have contributed so generously to the Graduate Union in 2024. Your donations have helped us to run a mentoring program involving Graduate House residents and volunteers from the wider GU community. A large bequest from the estate of Graham and Yvonne McCredie will start our Eminent Visiting Scholars in Residence program next year (see November GU newsletter page 14). Another donation (anonymous) made possible the design competition for the Graduate Union Lapel Pin (see October Newsletter p. 14). With the generous support of the Watson family, the Margaret Watson travelling scholarship will be reinstated in 2025.
Next year will be an important year for the Graduate Union. Soon, there will be a major announcement regarding the Stage 1 building project. Discussions are also underway with some potential donors to support the Eminent Visiting Scholars program. The mentoring program, which we successfully introduced this year, will be operational again. Our 2024 End of Year Appeal will ensure that these two programs continue in coming years, and that our Advancement efforts can be expanded.
Advancement is based not only on philanthropy, bequests, and donations. It’s also based on people who give their time to promoting the Graduate Union. You will see on the reverse side that we are inviting members to volunteer their time as well as their donations to this important venture.
In completing the form on the reverse, please be assured that your support, however large or small, will be important to our future growth and not only in enhancing our profile for prospective members, but also in ensuring that we are able to engage with and offer more to our diverse national and international members.
You are also invited to contribute to our ongoing
• 110th Anniversary Appeal to improve common areas (celebrating the founding of our organisation in 1911).
• 60th Jubilee Appeal to improve accommodation (celebrating the opening of Graduate House to provide graduate accommodation).
My Contact Information
Title: Firstname : Surname:
Phone number: Mobile:
Email:
Address: (number, street name or Post Office box, suburb, state, postcode and country)
My Contribution
Other (please specify amount) $AUD
(All contributions of $2 or more are tax deductible)
Sometimes prospective donors may wish to discuss opportunities with the Chair of Council Natalie Gray (chairperson@graduatehouse.com. au) and/or the General Manager Daniel Clark (Daniel.clarke@graduatehouse.com.au) about how their donations or bequests can best be targeted to serve the future needs of the Graduate Union.
I would like to give a major donation/bequest and receive information about the Association’s giving opportunities.
I would like to volunteer my time in 2025 to the GU philanthropy program.
Acknowledgement
I wish to be named as a supporter. I wish to be an anonymous supporter.
In choosing to be named as a supporter, you are happy to be acknowledged (by first name and surname) for your donation in our publications.
Contact Us
donation over
To email your completed form: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
To make a donation online: https://www.graduatehouse.com.au/give-here/end-of-year-fundraising-appeal/
Payment Options
Account Name: The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc. Bank: National Australia Bank BSB: 083 170
Account Number: 515 612 137
Swift Code: NATAAU3303M Description: 2024AnnualAppeal
I would like to give regularly through my selected payment option
Commencing: / /
Please contact us for alternative giving frequencies
Join the Graduate House Student Group WhatsApp Commmunity
Join the WhatsApp Group to be updated on regular events:
• Sports
• Movie Nights
• Creative Therapies
• Board Game and Video Game Hangouts
• Ice Skating
• Bowling
• Picnics
• Holiday Celebrations
Scan QR Code via WhatsApp to Join
Build Connections, Attend Cultural Exchange and Social Events, Stay Informed and Engaged
Who are we
The Graduate Union and The Graduate House are unique. We are an association of graduates, a graduate residential college and a graduate meeting place. It was established over 100 years ago as a graduate membership association with The University of Melbourne. Over 50 years ago we became a residential college specifically for university graduates.
THE GRADUATE UNION
of The University of Melbourne Inc.
220 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia
Telephone: +61 (0)3 9347 3428
Australian Business Number: 55 610 664 963
Incorporated Association Registration Number: A0023234B