UWA STUDENT GUILD MID-YEAR REPORT 2014
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CONTENTS Executive Reports President’s Report. . .......................................... Page 5 Managing Director ’s Report . . .......................... Page 6 Finance & Budget Reports.............................. Page 7
Committee Reports Catering & Tavern Committee.. ....................... Page 11 Corporate Services Committee...................... Page 12 Governance Committee................................... Page 14 Strategic Resources Committee . . ................... Page 15 Student Services Committee.......................... Page 16 Volunteering & Community Engagement . . .... Page 18 Welfare & Advocacy Committee.................... Page 19
Department Reports Education Council............................................ Page 22 Public Affairs Council...................................... Page 22 Societies Council.............................................. Page 24 ATSIS / WASAC . . ............................................... Page 24 Albany Students Department......................... Page 25 International Students’ Service...................... Page 25 Environment Department................................ Page 26 Postgraduate Students Association.............. Page 29 Queer Department.. .......................................... Page 29 Residential Students’ Department. . ............... Page 30 Welfare Department. . ....................................... Page 30 Women’s Department...................................... Page 33 Sports Representative..................................... Page 33
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PRESIDENTS REPORT by Tom Henderson
If someone asked me to describe the role of Guild President,
$34,101. This result has been from the improved staff efficiency
I would say it’s a consistently exhilarating and amazing
and the lowering of operational costs to the increase in catering
experience. The first half of this year has been dedicated to two
and tenancy operations, while also seeking out more external
major goals - developing a strong professional organisation and
revenue opportunities. As we move further through 2014, we
maintaining a positive operating bottom line, all while keeping
hope to have more external revenue opportunities in
front line services and the student experience at the heart of this
the pipeline.
wonderful organization. In addition to being the Chief Executive of the Guild on an strategic level, the Guild President acts as the voice of students to the University. This year I have been actively involved ensuring the student voice is heard at range of University decision making bodies, most notably the University Senate, Academic Council, the Teaching & Learning Committee, and the Facilities Development Committee, as well as any other committee that will take my unbridled enthusiasm. Professional Guild The expectations of the Guild from both the student body and the University has dramatically increased from that of previous years. No longer was it appropriate for the Guild to be seen as an organization struggling to remain relevant while providing
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR I MADE IT MY OBJECTIVE TO BRING THE GUILD BUDGET DOWN TO ONE THAT COULD SUPPORT ITSELF AND AS SUCH WE HAVE MANAGED TO SURPASS THE PROJECTED “CASH FROM OPERATIONS” BUDGET SURPLUS OF $101
a baseline level of services each year. Rather it must provide a cohesive professional body meeting and exceeding the
Front line services
expectations of those within and external to the University. Apart from representation of students to the University, the The move to the South Wing and renovation of the Guild
Guild’s main role is to provide front line services such as catering
Volunteering and Student Centre has seen the improvement
and most importantly support and assistance services. We
in faculties for both staff and student and, along with the
have made a conscientious attempt to increase the quality and
addition of some fantastic new employees, we have an improved
effectiveness of each of these areas. After taking feedback
environment of high quality and efficient service delivery while
from both students and the University, we have improved the
maintaining a fun and personable Guild that has the ability to
appearance and range of items available at our catering outlets
change and move with the demands of students.
and student assistance case load has been increasing throughout the year with the highest number of students seeking assistance
Maintaining a positive bottom line
to date.
Along with the aim of increasing the professionalism of the
Student Experience
Guild, it was imperative that we become an organization that could support itself financially. While the Guild has received
At the beginning of the year we set out with the aim to create a
more income since the implementation of SSAF, the amount
on campus experience like no other. We’ve brought you Peking
of services provided has also increased substantially. At the
Duck and one of the biggest music concerts we have seen
beginning of the year I made it my objective to bring the budget
during Returners’ Week, supported and approved more diverse
down to one that could support itself. As such we have managed
and engaging club events, yoga on lawn every week, more
to not only surpass the projected “cash from operations” budget
themed weeks than ever before - the list goes on. I can’t wait
surplus of $101 (no coincidence there) but by the middle of the
to see what huge amount of things the 101st Guild council team
year have a full year projected “cash from operations” budget of
have planned for the second half of 2014.
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MANAGING DIRECTOR REPORT by Wayne Howells
The Managing Director is employed directly by Guild Council
Driving the Catering Strategy on behalf of Guild Council
and works closely with the President, Guild Executive, Directors and the University. The role includes the staff team
This strategy was developed in the middle of 2013 after
leadership and supporting the Student leaders by making
conducting a catering review where we did a lot of listening,
recommendations, providing advice and implementing the
to students, the university and guild staff, an independent
Guild Council policies and projects.
consultant and independent analysis from the national campus service providers association.
This year the Guild has experienced the positive outcomes of several long term planning initiatives. Planning guidance
The Strategy embraces the delivery of short and long term
has been provided by the Staff Organisation Review, Guild
catering initiatives and improvements. The 2014 year to date
Village Facilities Masterplan, Catering Strategy, Guild Futures
trends emerging from the implementation of the strategy are
Directions paper and the addition of the Operations Priority
very encouraging. The increased operating cashflows have
Plan.
enabled immediate re-investment in the improvement of catering outlet facilities with refurbishments completed at Reid
It is apparent that students want to see regular new initiatives
and Guild Village cafĂŠ in the first half of 2014. This followed the
to improve services. The staff team recognise this and work
2013 launch of the new Dentistry kiosk and refurbishment in the
closely with student representatives to help implement these
Refectory and Tavern.
initiatives. Other activities include: To complement this dynamic roll out of short term initiatives
Continuing the variety of mobile catering vendors
it is vital that the longer term planning also continues. Our
extending trading hours at selected cafes during exam periods
student leaders have embraced this approach and positive
improving the tavern food and “cash out� services
outcomes have or are emerging from all of the planning
Supporting sustainability policies such as Keep Cups and dine-in
documents mentioned above.
options
Overseeing the Guild Village Facilities Masterplan on behalf
Managing the Guild staff team on behalf of Guild Council
of Guild Council As per the staff Organisational Review the Guild staff team are The Masterplanning process has delivered its first major
now part of three divisions (Catering, Student Services and
project. The Guild Consolidation Project was completed, under
Corporate Services).
budget, in May 2014.The project focussed on improved student service delivery by consolidating the existing five physical
The enclosed reports from these divisions outline the positive
customer service delivery points of the Guild down to just two.
activities that have been achieved or are underway.
The Guild Village precinct is undergoing a progressive
The special mix of skills, experience and energy within the full
transformation under the planning guidance of the Masterplan
team of Student Representatives and professional staff makes
and Catering Strategy. Already we have seen a significant spike
the Guild a dynamic organisation, well positioned to deliver
in precinct activity levels in the last two years as we continue
services to students.
to develop facilities and improve operations in Guild Village. We are well positioned to understand and deliver services to Importantly the completion of the Consolidation project has
our clients (the student body) as all of the elected Guild student
enabled the development of the concept for the next major
representative team are also within our client group. Not many
project, the Guild Student Central Hub. The concept has been
organisations carry the advantage of having a comprehensive
developed by a group of committed student representatives
direct client perspective embedded in each member of their
in the Project Design Group. Part A of this four part project
leadership team. Our challenge is to optimise the benefit from
includes the establishment of a student collaborative zone
this structure.
accessible by over 125 student clubs/societies and other student run affiliates. Guild Council have approved the
I would like to acknowledge all the ongoing positive efforts
concept and the budget estimate. The project is currently
made by staff and student representatives in the Guild
in detailed design phase and is targeted for construction in
workplace. The strong staff/student representative partnership
2015, contingent on proceeding through the remaining project
naturally enhances overall Guild performance.
approval checkpoints.
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FINANCES & BUDGET REPORT by Vishal Shah & Daniel Jo
The Guild budget is prepared in consultation with all Managers,
NOT ALL OF OUR OPERATING INCOME COMES FROM
Directors, Student Representatives and the Guild Council. The
THE SSAF
Guild Council approves the budget based on recommendations from the Strategic Resources Committee.
The Guild receives roughly 27% of its income from the Catering Division, Tavern, Secondhand Bookshop and various commercial
The Guild budget balances the resources required to provide
tenancies.
student services, run the organization, provide sufficient capital funds for future improvements and maintain a prudent level of cash reserves.
2014 SOURCES OF NET OPERATING INCOME (2013 COMPARISON BELOW) Student Services &
The Guild does not carry any debt within its balance sheet; instead operating using a combination of Student Services & Amenities Fees (SSAF) income, commercial income and income from its investments. These cash reserves, held within the University’s investment pool, are valued at $4.7M
Amenities
Second Hand Bookshop - 0%
Funding (SSAF) and Associate
Tavern - 2%
Membership 73% Not all -of our operatiNg iNcome comes from the ssaf Property - 13%
The Guild receives roughly 30% of its income from the Catering
In 2014, the Guild budget estimates a cash surplus of $34,101 from its operations. Adding the conservative non-operating budgeted income from the investment pool, we estimate net
Division, the Tavern, its various Commercial tenants and the Secondhand Bookshop.
Catering Division - 12%
2013 SOURCES OF NET OPERATING INCOME
cash before Capital Expenditure to be at $275,000.* In comparison, the 2013 outlook had budgeted cash deficit
Student
from operations of ($193,000); and net cash before capital
Services &
expenditure to be $330,000.
Amenities
Tavern - 4%
Funding
Based on the successful 2013 projects, the net capital
Second Hand
(SSAF) - 70%
Bookshop - 1% Catering Division - 10%
expenditure for 2014 is budgeted at $344,000 and includes major projects such as Catering outlet refurbishments, Guild
Property - 15%
Student Central Hub projects, Guild Village, Tavern and other student services improvements. The core aim for each project is to introduce or improve services to students.
2014 SSAF DISTRIBUTION SSAF is a University applied fee; not all of it goes to the Guild.
The following charts outline the percentage break down of the
UWA Student
operating income and expenditure and the distribution of the
Services - 28%
to allocate to student
Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
projects) - 10% UWA Administration
*Based on Mid-year Budget Review
NOT ALL OF OUR OPERATING INCOME COMES FROM THE SSAF. THE GUILD RECEIVES ROUGHLY 27% OF ITS INCOME FROM THE CATERING DIVISION, TAVERN, SECONDHAND BOOKSHOP AND VARIOUS COMMERCIAL TENANCIES.
Capital Fund (UWA Senate
Fee - 3%
UWA Sports Association - 29%
Guild - 30%
2014 BUDGETED GUILD EXPENDITURE The Guild provides a variety of services and support to students. Sub Councils
Student Assist - 9%
and Guild Departments- 9% Student Representation
Student Services - 22%
- 23% Volunteer Centre - 4% IT Services - 4% Financial Services - 13%
Administration Services - 16%
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SOURCES AND APPLICATION OF FUNDS AND CASHFLOW SUMMARY (2014 AND 2013 MID-YEAR BUDGET)
BUDGET REVIEW JUNE 14
BUDGET JAN 2014
BUDGET REVIEW JUNE 13
1,680,000
1,681,000
1,508,300
Property (net return)
310,000
315,700
296,453
Tenancy income in Guild Village
Catering Division (net return)
275,000
250,000
136,000
Includes all catering outlets and external contractors
4,452
3,395
0
45,000
70,000
70,000
2,314,452
2,320,095
2,010,753
Student Representation
(622,307)
(615,802)
(588,855)
Council, Presidential, Elections, Fac Soc Grants, Affiliations, Pelican Magazine
Sub Councils and Guild Departments
(238,976)
(233,155)
(232,760)
Ed, Pac, Soc Sub Councils and all Student Departments
Student Assist
(257,308)
(330,100)
(328,903)
Academic, welfare and financial support to UWA Students
Student Services
(598,765)
(616,626)
(543,799)
Events, Memberships $ Student Centre, Design & Creative
Volunteer Centre
(105,000)
(105,000)
(101,522)
Volunteeer Centre is run with support from Volunteering WA
Administration Services
(450,496)
(455,496)
(374,995)
Directors, Project Management, Human Resources
Financial Services
(364,400)
(299,400)
(346,168)
Financial Services to support clubs, societies, council and administration
(115,899)
(137,215)
(134,688)
IT Services to support clubs, societies, council and administration
Total Expenditure
(2,753,151)
(2,792,794)
(2,651,690)
SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FROM OPERATING ITEMS
(438,699)
(472,699)
(640,937)
241,244
241,244
523,253
(197,455)
(231,455)
(117,684)
CATEGORIES Student Services & Amenities Funding (SSAF) and Associate Membership
Second Hand Bookshop (net return) Tavern (net return) Total Operating Income
Information Technology Services
Non-Operating Income - Mainly UWA Pool Investments REPORTED ACCOUNTING SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)
SSAF Income is negotiated with UWA
Bookshop results exclude Texchange Guild operated Tavern
Conservative income based on investment fluctuations
CASHFLOW SUMMARY Accounting Surplus (Deficit)
(197,455)
(231,455)
(117,684)
Add Back Depreciation (non-cash)
472,800
472,800
447,493
Deduct Non-Operating Income
(241,244)
(241,244)
(523,253)
34,101
101
(193,444)
241,244
241,244
523,253
275,345
241,345
329,809
(343,980)
(350,980)
(1,117,970)
(68,635)
(109,635)
(788,161)
Jun-14
Dec-12
Unaudited*
Audited
Current Assets
1,085,289
937,082
Non-Current Assets
4,728,710
4,590,657
Cash and Investments
5,813,999
5,527,739
Current & Non-Current Liabilities
(1,128,574)
(1,756,773)
Total Liabilities
(1,128,574)
(1,756,773)
Net available Cash & Investments
4,685,425
3,770,966
CASH SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FROM OPERATING ITEMS Add back Non-Operating Income CASH SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) BEFORE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE Capital Expenditure NET CASH SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)
UWA STUDENT GUILD - STATEMENT OF AVAILABLE NET CASH & INVESTMENTS
*2013 Audited Financial Statements are not complete at the time of publishing
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Depreication is included in the expenditure segment; but needs to be added back to work out Net Cashflow UWA Pool Investments
UWA Pool Investments
Capital Projects are not part of day to day operations
Cash and Trade Receivables Investments
Trade and other payables; Leave Provisions
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2.0 COMMITTEE REPORTS
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CATERING & TAVERN COMMITTEE
by Daniel Jo (Chair of Catering and Tavern Committee) and Ken Saverimutto (Catering Director)
Unaudited trading results for 2013 - Catering
than 2012. It is well documented we lost the account
Description
2013
2012
of UWA-AIM Alliance and that alliance has since been
Net Surplus
$100,286
$111,882
dissolved.
Member Discounts $580,385
$561,480
$680,671
$673,322
Net Contribution/ Value
•
improved financial returns and is providing an important component in the Guild Catering Strategy. •
2013
2012
Net Surplus
$61,826
$33,646
Major events include the autumn and spring UWA graduation ceremonies, about 16 in total. These events,
Unaudited trading results for 2013 - Tavern Description
UFC has refined its focus on core operating areas,
the Senate Dinner, Convocation dinners and the Guild Ball continue to be some of UFC’s flagship events. Key achievements in 2014 The partial refurbishment of Reid Library Café to improve
Catering – The 2014 Net Surplus budget (of $250K) is more
compliance, customer service and aesthetics was completed
than double the actuals for 2012 and 2013. At the mid-year
in April 2014, with virtually no disruption to trade and
point for 2014, the unaudited actual net surplus is trending
resulted in increased sales.
well ahead of budget. The operations have tracked well.
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underpinned the half yearly trend.
A similar programme has been completed in July for the Guild Village Café
All the KPI boxes have been ticked. Additional sales have •
In the Refectory we introduced soft serve yoghurt, burritos and revamped the flagging Butty’s Burger with our own Full Monty Burger.
Tavern – The unaudited 2014 results are trending down. The 2014 special events like St Patrick’s Day, End of Semester
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extended during mid year exam periods and attracted
Show and other events are confirming a societal or cultural
solid trading figures.
change in lower consumption of alcoholic beverages. As a meeting place, the Tavern has continued to draw students
The trading hours at Science and Reid Café were
•
The coffee improvement campaign has included:
and the constantly updated food menu has seen improved
upgraded machines, a new supplier, a new selection of
sales.
Fair Trade Organic beans, new design branded coffee cups, increased discount for Keep Cups expanded
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Changes in 2013 impacting on 2014
barista training/certification and enhanced coffee waste
After the 2013 Review and release of the Catering
recycling. These measures have supported a solid sales
Strategy the Catering team implemented structural
growth in 2014.
changes. The re-engineered business processes are
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all cafes.
and results. •
Outlets and function sales are ahead of budget and
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•
•
Continued mobile vending programme including new providers.
about 10% higher than year to date last year from continued product and delivery of service changes.
Improved food labelling and provision of special dietary foods such as Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Halal foods in
able to cope with the regenerated trade with success
•
Tavern – Cash out facilities were introduced limited to debit cards supporting responsible service of alcohol.
The 2012 approved tavern bar refurbishment commenced in late 2013 and was completed in time for
•
Monthly beer specials and jugs of Pimms.
Opening Day of 2014.
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Premium ciders on tap.
The enhanced food menus, specials and food/
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Pro-actively changing beverage and food menus.
beverage combos in the tavern continue with increased popularity. In 2013 the pager system was introduced for the food service. Guild Functions trading in 2013 •
University Functions Caterers (UFC) the banner under which we do our functions trade had a quieter year
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CORPORATE SERVICES COMMITTEE by Cameron Fitzgerald and Tony Goodman Corporate Services Committee is responsible for the areas of
Guild Finance office performs all financial and payroll functions
Finance, Accounting, Information Communication Technology
for the Guild and University Child Care Club.
(ICT), Record Keeping, Archiving, Facilities Management and Administration. It has been a very active year to date with
Highlights:
several initiatives and projects well underway. The key goal for
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Launched a new website with a completely redeveloped
this year is to ensure proper processes are in place in every
front-end to fit in with our digital platform strategy and to
department and these are reviewed and updated periodically.
better align with microsites such as Committee Resources,
The committee has successfully liaised with other Guild
Events Dashboard, Texchange and Student Assist
committees to launch projects such as the WiFi blackspot
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log, updating and rebuilding the Guild’s digital platforms
Completely redesigned and developed the Guild’s e-newsletter – Guild Weekly - and online news site to
and undertaking an extensive review of ICT needs of the
increase accessibility and ease navigation
organisation.
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SEMESTER TWO SEES A PLANNED INTRODUCTION OF A NEW AND IMPROVED GUILD WEBSITE MEMBER’S SECTION.
•
Increased follow ups and collection of Student Assist loans through Finance processes cloud storage
•
Membership Developed a Guild Careers proposal
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Implemented new training module system and transition policies for more effective transition between councils
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Launched PayPal and online sales for Guild Associate
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Guild Finance team will be reviewing its processes in semester two in order to deliver a better level of control and transparency
Reviewing the Guild’s ICT strategy and resources ,such
New service desk operation to log and track ICT issues and maintenance
•
Dedicated Archivist position for the maintenance of Guild
to departments, management and students. The finance team
records, in charge of archiving materials in line with the
is on schedule to deliver its annual audit to the University. The
WA State Records Act
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GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE by Owen Myles
The role of Governance Committee is to support the efforts of the Guild Council, specifically in regard to the development and review of Guild policy, rules and regulations. With a brand new set of Guild Regulations (approved by the University Senate in December 2013) to work with, this year’s Governance Committee has had a very particular set of new challenges to work on to bring the Guild into line with these
THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE HAS INTERPRETED GUILD REGULATIONS: 4
new regulations. One particular power of the Governance Committee is the power to interpret the Guild Regulations on behalf of the Guild. So far in 2014, the Governance Committee has enacted this power 4 times, fixing both minor issues (such
THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS CURRENTLY IN FORCE IN THE STATUTE BOOK: 17
as typographical errors) and major ones (such as the voting rights of members of Guild Council). These interpretations have been included in the Statute Book to allow future Guild Councils to act in a clear and consistent manner. The Guild Statute Book contains a copy of every regulation, rule and by-law of the Guild, and, under the Guild Regulations, the physical statute book is the definitive version
THE NUMBER OF POLICIES, RULES AND REGULATIONS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE: 6
of our rules. Unfortunately, in years past, the physical copy of the book has been relatively ignored due to the rise of the digital age. It is because of this that in 2013 the Centenary
into line with the new Guild Regulations while providing
Committee commissioned a new Statute Book, and in 2014
greater flexibility to the Societies Council committee.
the new Statute Book became fully compliant with the Guild
Additionally the Education Council proposed a change to
Regulations, a feat which has not been achieved in recent
their rules, which inserted a valuable protection, ensuring
memory.
that the Education Action Network Co-ordinator was directly answerable to the Education Council.
The largest task of this year’s Governance Committee has been a review of the Guild Election Regulations. The
With the introduction of the new Guild Regulations, the
review has taken into account recommendations from both
Welfare Department was established (previously we had
student representatives and the Western Australian Electoral
just had a Welfare Officer), and therefore rules for the
Commission. The 2013 Guild Election saw a brand new set of
Department needed to be established. The rules were
election regulations and therefore 2014 was an opportune
drafted by Welfare Officer and Governance Committee
time to review how the 2013 election went and what could
member Max Riley and have since been passed by the
be improved. The draft changes have now been finalised and
Guild Council.
are awaiting approval by the Guild Council and eventually, the University Senate.
The rest of 2014 will be big for the Governance Committee and will include conducting an annual review of the Guild’s
Other than the Guild Regulations, the Governance Committee
governance and accountability measures, the production
has been focused on updating the rules and policies of the
of Key Performance Indicators for our affiliation to the
Guild to better reflect the environment that we operate in.
National Union of Students and helping to bring in the
As part of this, the Governance Committee was involved in
first ever online election in Guild history for the 2014 UWA
a review of changes to the Rules of the Societies Council,
Student Guild Postgraduate Students Association election.
drafted by committee member Sam Shenton. This lead to combining a number of documents with the goal of clarifying and simplifying the rules and at the same time bringing them
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STRATEGIC RESOURCES COMMITTEE by Tom Henderson & Wayne Howells The Strategic Resources Committee reports directly to Guild
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CATERING REVIEW AND NEW CATERING STRATEGY HAVE DELIVERED A BUDGETED CASHFLOW IMPROVEMENT IN EXCESS OF $100,000 COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS.
Council and is responsible for overseeing Guild budgets, property management and commercial operations. Budget This year Guild Executive set an overall target to achieve a budget including at least a breakeven on Cashflow from Operations. To achieve this target the Strategic Resources Committee developed a challenging budget for self-generated income increases, and prudent but realistic expenditure control. The original approved budget determined a positive Cashflow from Operations of $101. The mid-year budget review in June
architects) provides shared facilities for more than 125
2014 determined a revised and increased figure of $34,101 for
Guild affiliated clubs and a range of other Guild affiliates
Cashflow from Operations.
with student involvement. It is planned to be a national benchmark for student facilities. Whilst several steps and
The main driver of this impressive upward trend in net cashflow
approvals remain to activate this project, the essential
is the improved performance of the Guild Catering Division and
funding sources (currently estimated at $1.5M) have been
tight expenditure control across all sections of the Guild.
confirmed for Part A. Planning to progress the other parts (B, C and D) of the total project are underway, including a
The implementation of the Catering Review and new Catering Strategy have delivered a budgeted cashflow improvement in excess of $100,000 compared to prior years.
search for further funding support. •
Strategy, refurbishments have been completed at Reid Café (April 2014) and Guild Village Café (July 2014).
Property Management A very active capital expenditure program supported by planning guidance in the Guild Village Facilities Masterplan and the Guild Catering Strategy delivered these key outcomes: •
Commercial Operations •
Boost outlets within Guild Village. In July 2014 the Guild
Village in May 2014. A project that consolidated the
received University planning endorsement for the concept
previous five customer service contact points for the Guild
and design of two outlets, and that they can be leased to
down to two. The project relocated the Volunteer Hub
Subway and Boost. The Guild has negotiated commercial
into a prominent ground floor location co-located with the
arrangements with both providers. On 27 August the Guild
refurbished Guild Student Centre. On the first floor of the
Council approved a business case to construct the two
South Wing a consolidated administration and services
new catering trading outlets in the Guild Village Student
precinct has been developed. The $1.42M cost of the project
Refectory. It is contingent on obtaining any remaining
was largely supported by the successful funding application
statutory planning approvals and the final lease documents.
from the Better Universities Renewal Fund (to the amount
This is a commercial venture with forecast positive
of $1M), with the balance funded by the Guild. The
cashflows and it will deliver a broader variety of catering
completion of this project has paved the way to implement Student Central Hub project. •
services to students on campus. •
Following the Catering Review in 2013, this will complete
stage for the Guild Student Central Hub Project (Part
reviews of the Guild’s retail commercial operations. The first
A). Part A of this 4 part project, aims to establish a Wing in Guild Village (above the Student Centre). This contemporary design developed by our student led Project Design Group (with the support of Hames Sharley
Tavern and Secondhand Bookshop Review. The Guild has commenced a review of these two commercial operations.
Design and Planning processes are at an advanced
student collaborative zone on the first floor of the Central
Subway and Boost outlets. As part of the Catering Strategy, the Guild has sought to establish Subway and
Completion of the Guild Consolidation Project in Guild
the next major project from the Masterplan - the Guild
Catering Outlet Refurbishments. In line with the Catering
priority review is for the Tavern. •
Vending stations. In 2014 the Guild has established new vending stations in key points in Guild Village, which provide services to students and staff after outlets have closed.
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STUDENT SERVICES COMMITTEE by Sam Shipley & Tony Goodman Student Service Committee is responsible for Events, Student
continued to have a high volume of caseload, continuing
Assist, Creative, Memberships, Research, Clubs and Societies.
the upward trend in the number of cases. More than 280
The committee has been proactive in its approach to delivering
students have been assisted in the first half of 2014, with
key events for students, developing an active social media
additional support provided through ordinary loans and meal
engagement strategy, and promotion of clubs and society culture
vouchers.
on campus. A key focus has been the promotion of welfare and
•
Student Assist has developed a professional vision on
support services through the Student Assist team who works
how the department should progress. Three new staff
closely with the Welfare and Advocacy Committee.
members have joined the team - all professionally qualified social workers - and this has allowed for an informed and
Marketing, Events, Sponsorship and Guild Student Centre
knowledge based approach to be adopted with each case.
•
Events: The Guild Events Department have facilitated 268
There has been a significant development in staff training,
events to date in 2014, with the planning for events in
with every team member being trained in the academic,
semester two already underway. Successful specific Guild
welfare and financial aspects of student assist.. This enables
events have included O-Day Festival, which featured over
staff members provide a holistic approach to the support
210 stalls and 7,000 attendees, Returners Week including
they provide students and to uphold further accountability of
the Returners’ Festival, and St Patrick’s Day. A key focus this
caseload.
year has been on increasing the number of inclusive events,
THE BEGINNING OF 2014 ALSO SAW THE LAUNCH OF A NEW BRAND FOR THE UWA STUDENT GUILD
introducing activities such as Snow globes into End of Semester Show One and Club Carnival. •
Marketing, Sponsorship and Advertising: The beginning of 2014 also saw the launch of a new brand for the UWA Student Guild, unifying all areas under one logo and identity, with the tagline of “Experience Student Culture”. A new marketing strategy is being formulated and will be delivered
•
in semester two with an emphasis on the Student Lifecycle
Research:
and how the Guild supports and plays a part in every
•
The Research officer has undertaken key research actions
student’s life on and off campus.
and surveys. The Guild research program feeds into the
Guild Student Centre: As the central hub of the Guild Village,
marketing and organisational strategy. It also provides useful
the Student Centre has over 100 visitors a day requiring
information back to the University on student views.
information on the Guild, its affiliated clubs, the surrounding tenants and the University.
Guild Volunteering: •
This year Guild Volunteering has moved from strength
Communications:
to strength in creating a culture of volunteering for UWA
•
Facebook remains the Guild’s strongest social media
students. This is our first year operating in our new, vibrant
presence, with engagement on Instagram increasing. A team
ground floor location, student engagement has increased
of students and staff have been working on improving the
significantly with walk-ins increasing five-fold. Online
design and functionality of the Guild website, launched at the
engagement has also increased with the website receiving
end of semester one.
more opportunity views in the first half of 2014 than it did in all of 2013. We have also recognised over 8,000 hours of
Creative & Design:
volunteering on students’ supplementary transcripts and
•
Support is provided to student and staff departments, clubs
are working with UWA to promote service learning. A major
and faculty societies. This includes graphic design services,
initiative for Guild Volunteering has been the development
editorial assistance and coordinating the printing of all Guild
of opportunities for student leadership, which commenced
publications, including the Diary, Pelican Magazine and
early this year with our Intern Program. The first ‘In
handbooks. This year’s edition of the Guild Diary proved
Conversations’ event, where leaders in the non-profit sector
overwhelmingly popular with the multicoloured “Fruit Tingle”
give public talks on their experiences, was a success and
cover running out of stock before the semester one mid-
more have been planned for the second half of 2014. Guild
semester break.
Volunteering couldn’t exist without the continued support of the University, Volunteering WA, the Department of Sport
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Student Assist:
and Recreation, Student Services, and of course, all our
•
wonderful volunteers!
During the first half of the year the Student Assist Office has
SEMESTER 1 STATISTICS SCIENCE AND REID CAFES TRADING HOURS WERE EXTENDED DURING MID-YEAR EXAM PERIODS
THE REF NOW SUPPLIES THE POPULAR ‘FULL MONTY BURGER’
DISCOUNTS FOR USING KEEP CUPS WERE INCREASED TO 30 CENTS
OUR FACEBOOK HAS OVER 12000 FANS, WITH INSTAGRAM GROWING TO OVER 700 FOLLOWERS
A NEW WEBSITE FOR THE GUILD WAS DEVELOPED, WITH A RECORD 12,000 VISITORS UPON LAUNCH
A BRAND NEW G-NEWS (NOW GUILD WEEKLY) WAS LAUNCHED IN SEMESTER 2
STUDENT ASSIST HAS SEEN 129 ACADEMIC CASES SINCE JAN 2014, 74 FINANCIAL CASES, 61 EMERGENCY LOANS AND 17 GRANTS.
WIFI SURVEY AND LOG HAS RECEIVED OVER 180 ENTRIES. A WIFI BLACK SPOT MAP HAS BEEN CREATED.
ALL PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA ISSUU, WITH AN ULTIMATE REACH OF 19,000 PEOPLE
COMPARING TO 2013, SEMESTER 1 SECONDHAND BOOKSHOP SALES IN 2014 HAVE INCREASED BY 13%
1087 VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN (YTD)
828
OUR ORIENTATION SURVEY RECEIVED 828 RESPONDENTS
15,144 LISTED VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES VIEWED BY STUDENTS ON CAREERHUB
FREE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES HELD DURING SEMESTER 1
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VOLUNTEERING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE by Adnan Visram & Aden Date Guild Volunteering has entered a second significant phase with
University signing an Australia-first agreement to jointly promote
the last 12 months being defined by new partnerships, initiatives,
service learning and volunteering at UWA. Service learning
and a significant increase in the amount of student volunteerism
is the embedding of volunteering in to student’s coursework,
at UWA. 2014 has been particularly exciting, with more student
recognition of the reciprocal benefit of student volunteerism for
walk-ins and website hits in the first semester of 2014 than what
organisations and students alike.
we had in the entirety of 2013. As of July 2014, there are currently 19 service learning units at We were excited to launch our student internship program this
the University, that is, units that involve a significant amount
year: a logical development on our one-day intensive “Program
of community engagement as a core activity in the unit.
Director” training run in 2013. The internship saw us give 7
Guild Volunteering is central to one flagship broadening unit,
students the skills they need to create volunteer-involving
launching in 2015, that will allow students to do an internship
programs in conjunction with non-profits. Two programs have
with a non-profit for course credit.
launched already in partnership with Therapy Focus, a charity for children with disabilities, and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council.
Finally, you may have noticed that Guild Volunteering has moved to a new prominent ground floor location in 2014, lovingly
WE WERE EXCITED TO LAUNCH OUR STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THIS YEAR: A LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ON OUR ONE-DAY INTENSIVE “PROGRAM DIRECTOR” TRAINING RUN IN 2013. We entered into a partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation, who independently funded us to promote student volunteering in sport. Under the leadership of our newest staff member, Sophie Greer, we have seen students placed in hundreds of hours to community sport programs. We’ve developed new relationships with the University that have facilitated transcript recognition and service learning. Guild Volunteering now recognises the hours contributed by students from 21 different community organisations on a supplementary academic transcript that we anticipate will be available through student connect for anyone graduating at the end of 2014. This includes many on campus clubs and organisations such as Teach Learn Grow, Robogals, Engineers without Borders, University Hall, AIESEC’s “Go Volunteer” program, and Science Union’s partnership with the City of Melville Discovery Centre. In 2013 students had 4,000 hours logged on the system through Guild Volunteering, and we’re on track to double that this year. Transcript recognition is just one of several new things to come out of building closer ties with the University. Promoting student volunteering was made a central, listed experiential learning goal in the University’s Education Futures Vision Plan. The partnership continued to grow, with VWA, the Guild, and the
18
called “the fishbowl,” for obvious reasons! The new office, in conjunction with our new joint venture, puts volunteering at both the physical and organisational nexus of student life at UWA. The high level of support we are receiving from the Guild and University has gone to great lengths to help us achieve our mission of building a culture of volunteering on campus.
WELFARE & ADVOCACY COMMITTEE by Max Riley & Tony Goodman The Welfare committee has students’ interest and welfare
•
Exam Equipment Hire Project – working with various
at heart. It is focused on ensuring students’ needs are being
E&D student reps from Science, Blackstone and ECOMS
advocated, communicated and represented at all levels within
regarding exam equipment hire.
the University network. The committee works closely with all
•
Guild departments and in particular Guild Education Council.
Free Drinks for Drivers - proposal to have free soft drink for designated drivers at major Guild Tavern events.
•
Lighting Issues on Campus
Highlights
•
Review of the Demand Driven Funding System
•
Yoga - Free weekly classes on Oak Lawn
•
Committee mandated Ed Council President to compile
•
Tai Chi – four free sessions of Tai Chi with Taoist Tai Chi
•
report/response.
Australia
•
GFA 2014 Document Approved
De-Stress Event – collaborated with UWA PAW in
•
Review and approval of Guild Financial Assistance
collaboration to bring dogs, cats, goats, sheep, reptiles to
•
document for 2014 for Student Assist department.
campus, along with a discounted vegan/vegetarian BBQ
•
International Student Project
to provide students with a short break from the stress of
•
Health Department of WA – Provided stakeholder review,
assignments and exam preperations.
management and information for Health Department of
Welfare Week – hosted several events and activities
WA.
promoting welfare to the UWA student body including
•
International Student Health and Wellbeing Fact Sheets
health checks, ball pits, balloon animals, free food such
•
UWA HPU - With ISS Director provided recommendations
as pancakes and noodles, advice on budgeting and Falun
and review of development of Fact Sheets for
Gong lessons. •
Free Health Checks in Guild Village – in collaboration with The City of Subiaco and the REACH Program, we provided Free Health Checks for students in the Guild Village.
Projects •
WiFi Guild project – Initiated and launched - Obtaining information from students on WiFi issues on campus.
International Students online and print. •
Suicide Prevention Initiative
•
In collaboration with UWA School of Psychology and UWA HPU, developing stakeholder group. Coordination of relevant Guild clubs and FacSoc involvement.
•
UWA LDAG Committee
•
Participation – ongoing.
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3.0 OFFICE BEARER REPORTS
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EDUCATION COUNCIL by Elizabeth O’Shea The Education (ED) Council, which is chaired by the Education
by current students, for outstanding contributions to teaching
Council President and includes representatives from Faculty
and learning at UWA. We hope that student based recognition of
Societies and Guild Departments, provides a forum to address
excellent teaching and educational support is critical, and hope
education issues campus-wide. With the portfolio covering the
that this will encourage UWA and other staff to prioritise student
responsibilities of the ED Council itself, the Education Council
preferences for teaching practices.
Committee, and the Education Action Network (EAN), Semester The EAN, as the campaigns group of Ed Council, has been
One has been incredibly busy!
increasingly busy after the announcement of the Federal Budget, This year, ED Council has reached out to groups that were
which included a number of funding cuts and legislation changes
underrepresented in the past. By helping to re-establish the ALVA
that disproportionately target students. We ran and supported a
Students’ Society and increasing engagement with Education
number of staff-student forums, which allowed regular students
students, ED Council has expanded its impact and representation.
to ask questions of the UWA Executive about the stance that
The President of the Residential Students’ Department is now
UWA would take on issues like higher education fee deregulation,
a voting member of ED Council, and the ED Council President
increased student fees, and increased student debt.
provided education advocacy training to college resident assistants, making sure college students don’t slip through the
Finally, the release of SURF results at the start of Semester One
cracks!
has been a huge success that was the direct result of student representatives lobbying the University since 2013, and we hope
The ED Council Committee produced a Fresher Handbook, to
to see more of a focus on student perceptions of teaching quality
give new students important information about studying at UWA
in the future.
and getting the most out of their time on campus. After the success of this handbook, we are excited to produce a “Know
After this incredibly busy semester the Ed Council, Committee
Your Rights Guide” in Semester Two – explaining UWA policy
and EAN are set for another advocacy-packed semester!
and students rights in an accessible way. The Committee also awarded ‘Students’ Choice Awards’ to UWA staff, as nominated
PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL by Honny Palayukan The Public Affairs Council (PAC) is dedicated to providing
supported by Teach For Australia. We ended the week by giving
students with a university immersed in a rich cultural presence
back to the local community having donated revenue made from
and strong community out-reach.
ticket sales to local youth based charity organisations.
Our primary focus has been to encourage the 60 affiliated clubs
Faith Week was also reinvigorated this year with a collaboration
to focus on collaboration. The PAC Council has provided a strong
being chaired by Dana Abu-Geras (Treasurer). Clubs hosted
network of support for like-minded clubs to get together a
information stalls that generated opportunities for students
produce bigger, better and more engaging events
ask questions and engage in open and safe dialogue about
around campus.
religion in the modern world. By inviting key figures from Perth’s religious circles, we managed to host a stimulating panel
Semester one was inundated with activities. We’ve introduced a
discussion discussing the importance of faith in the twenty
string of new outdoor events collectively known as the Summer
first century.
Nights Festival that featured an anime film screening, SLAM Poetry night (in collaboration with Perth Poetry Society) and
These themed week events didn’t just stop at Oak Lawn. We
a music set on the green. This was an event that engaged with
provided off-campus students at QEII and ALVA an opportunity
different disciplines of the Arts and showcased great locally
to engage in PAC events by bringing stalls and club reps
produced talent.
to them.
This year, we saw the expansion of the Social Justice
We have plenty more PACked in for Semester two, so on behalf
Collaboration, which was chaired by Alex Hamilton (VP) and
of the Public Affairs Council, thank you for your engagement and
Sophie Stewart (OCM). Ticketed evening events complimented
we look forward to PACking in some more awesome
the vibrant stalls clubs hosted on Oak Lawn. Along with
on-campus experiences.
the efforts of all clubs involved, the Collaboration was also
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SOCIETIES COUNCIL by Maddie Mulholland The Societies Council’s main focus in 2014 has been to
Checklists; provide clubs with more equipment for hire; and
support clubs better through streamlined and improved
introduce Social Media and Marketing support.
procedures, offering new opportunities to increase club visibility, and improving club facilities. We have also
The Societies Council have been driving the Club Facilities
encouraged clubs to focus on inclusive events.
Masterplan, a large project which will see the Guild central wing first floor become a “Club Hub” with access to meeting rooms,
Our key achievements in Semester One 2014 include
storage spaces, and other facilities to assist with the running of
increasing club funding to support a larger number of
clubs. Located directly adjacent to Oak Lawn, this should be a
affiliated clubs; working to finalise the new Club Committees
very valuable space to support our active club culture. We have
Resource Page (a one-stop-shop for all information clubs
sought feedback from club representatives in designing this
need in their functioning); bringing the Societies Council
space, and completion is due for mid-2015.
Rules into currency; introducing a Semester One Club Carnival and Semester One President’s Summit; providing
The Societies Council has also continued with traditional
more training opportunities for executive members, including
projects, including PROSH Olympics, tenancy facility
online resource training by Google UWA; improving finance
management, allocating mailboxes and storage spaces, running
procedures; seeking feedback through structured surveys
SOC meetings, providing clubs with advice and assistance
to improve our services and events; introducing a new
in their functioning, and maintaining good relationships with
O-Day T-shirt Prize Pack; and cleaning up Societies Council
university service providers.
affiliations by disaffiliating defunct and inactive clubs. We have worked with the Guild Events and Creative Teams
Thank you to the dedicated SOC Committee: VP – Kaila Stevens,
to streamline the Event Management Plans and create
Treasurer – Rowan Ashwin, Secretary – Samuel Shenton, and OCMS – Dennis Jatmatama, Kimberly Mehta and Jonathan Israel.
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ALBANY STUDENTS DEPARTMENT by Heide Rowe The Albany department of the UWA Student Guild aims to represent the approximately 130 students studying at the Albany Centre, the Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, and the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia. So far in 2014, the Albany committee has run a number of events including a welcome BBQ in the park and pizza and games night. Guild representatives as well as the Prosh team also visited Albany to help students sell the annual Prosh paper in town. The committee was also able to refurbish the common room, giving it a fresh look and feel, as well as keeping it stocked with coffee and tea for all students to use. The student common room at the Albany centre, a traditional hang out area, features tables chairs, a mini kitchen, table tennis and a pool table. To match the Crawley student offering of a free weekly yoga session, classes are now offered for Albany students, and the committee is looking to continue this program and examining the possibility to expand to include access to a local aquatic centre or similar.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SERVICE by Kenneth Woo The International Students’ Service is a Guild department that
•
UWA’s first DOTA 2 League
exists to be the peak representative body for all international
•
Recruitment Drive for Multicultural Week Committees
students in the University of Western Australia. It is our job to look after the interests and well being of all international
(MCW) •
Guild Carnival Recruitment Drive for MCW and ISS
students studying in UWA as well as represent the international student body in councils such as the Guild Council and the
ISS are currently working on:
Education Council of the UWA Student Guild. All international
•
Career Week (in conjunction with Student Services)
students are automatically members and represented by
•
Multicultural Week – a week of celebrating the diversity
the department and are encouraged to join up as general
within the UWA community, culminating in the much
committee members to get involved in international student
anticipated Spring Feast event held in the Oak Lawn and
issues. The department also acts as an umbrella organization for smaller international clubs and student associations,
Guild Village. •
UWA’s second DOTA 2 League
providing support and advice when needed. A main focus of the Department for this year was throwing The department is also committed to organizing high quality
lesser events but higher quality ones as well as focusing on
events both for international students to experience Australian
efficiently spending the budget so as to ensure the Guild
culture as well as providing an avenue to engage with domestic
money is being spent wisely. For example, the bi-annual
students.
Lighthouse Magazine has been shifted to an online only publication with a small card printed to guide students to the
Highlights: •
links, freeing up a significant portion of our total budget.
Subsidized trip to Rottnest Island (Partly sponsored by the UWA International Centre)
25
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT by Bryn Howells for more panels
This year the Environment Department continued, and improved on, the great work from 2013 in the following keys areas.
•
Waste Management:
Communication and Engagement
•
•
• • •
We raised the Keep Cup discount to 30 cents along with
26
We co-hosted the largest Envirofest ever with ~700 staff
saving a total of 14000 cups from landfill since 2013
and students and ran our most successful volunteering
Reid Library café became dine in by default saving
semester ever in conjunction with Guild Volunteering and
unwanted plastic from landfill
SERAG at Pelican Point
~1.5tonnes of coffee grinds from Guild cafes are being reused by grounds staff every semester.
Procurement
We are also lobbying to purchase two bottleless vending
•
2014 saw the creation of the Guild Urban Orchard and
machines to enable students to reduce their plastic waste
Veggie Garden project in both the Ref and Guild Village
along with lobbying to implement recycling in all Guild
Courtyards with the goal of increasing our presence and
cafes. •
O-Day Festival was successfully carbon offset
A new recycling station was introduced to enable staff
using fresh local produce in cafes. •
We, along with UWA People for Animal Welfare (PAW)
and students to recycle batteries, mobile phones, printer
lobbied for the use Free Range eggs in the Guild’s fresh
cartridges and light bulbs
produce.
Energy and Climate Change
As always we continued support for environmental and
•
We lobbied for the solar panel project to be moved from
sustainability focused clubs on campus to ensure a campus
the medical centre roof to the Bayliss building to allow
culture of sustainability lives on through the students.
27
SEMESTER 1 STATISTICS FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS
SURF RESULTS WERE MADE PUBLIC IN SEMESTER 1
PSA RAISED $2500 IN PRIZE DONATIONS FOR THE ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL QUIZ NIGHT.
$2500
14000 CUPS SAVED FROM LANDFILL SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE KEEP CUP PROGRAM IN 2013
A CARBON OFFSET O-DAY SAVED APPROXIMATELY 20 TONNES OF CO2
A NEW O-DAY T-SHIRT PRIZE PACK WAS INTRODUCED
RSD BALL HELPED RAISE IN EXCESS OF $3000 FOR PROJECT INSPIRE.
LIGHTHOUSE MAGAZINE BECAME AN ONLINE PUBLICATION
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INTRODUCED SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING SUPPORT FOR CLUBS
17 STUDENTS FROM UWA ATTENDED NOWSA (NETWORK OF WOMEN’S STUDENTS AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE)
OVER 700 STAFF AND STUDENTS ATTEND THE BIGGEST ENVIROFEST EVER
FREE RANGE EGGS ARE NOW USED IN ALL GUILD CAFES
250
250 COLLEGIANS ATTENDED THE RSD BALL
FREE HEALTH CHECKS WERE PROVIDED THROUGH THE WELFARE DEPARTMENT IN SEMESTER 1
A WORKSHOP ON TRANS WOMEN IN FEMINISM WAS RUN COLLABORATIVELY BETWEEN THE QUEER DEPARTMENT AND THE WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT
POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION by David Raithel The PSA is responsible for the education advocacy for the
and the proposed cuts to the Research Training Scheme
postgraduate students. This is achieved primarily through the
(RTS), the PSA quickly responded within the University to
work of the PSA president, research coursework vice presidents
ensure HDR students would not be hurt by these cuts. We
and the PSA faulty representatives. The PSA is also focused on
are now confident that if the RTS cuts go through, UWA HDR
providing the social and networking opportunities to UWA’s
students will not have to pay the governments proposed
postgraduate students.
tuition fees. •
•
•
This year the PSA was able to increase the number of awards and grants we give out.
Highlights: Our faculty representatives have been attending faculty board meetings and meetings with Guild fac socs to ensure
The PSA hosted a family-friendly trip to the Perth Observatory
that postgraduate students interests are being represented
for a stargazing night early in the year. Despite the partial cloud
both within the individual faculties and within the Guild.
cover, the Observatories telescopes were still able to provide
Our Vice-President (Research) has been working on the
some excellent sights in the stars.We also raised $2500 in prize
PSA’s policy with regards to HDR student supervision. This is
donations for our always successful annual quiz night. Only one of
to ensure we can advocate for consistent, high-quality and
our questions had an incorrect answer (a new record)!
equitable supervision within the University. •
•
The PSA had a strong presence at UWA’s Office for
To complement our monthly social networking event, Connect,
Operational Excellence Functional Review workshops, where
we are now putting on a monthly morning tea, Engage, for the
we were able to voice many of the over-arching concerns of
early-rising students. Further our Off Campus Officer Anita has
postgraduate students.
organised a networking event for the postgrad students studying
With the release of the Federal Governments first budget
at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
QUEER DEPARTMENT by Laura Clappinson & Natalia Verne The UWA Student Guild Queer department has had a
event the Queer Department has had a part in for some time and
successful and exciting first semester. We have run a variety of
it went well. We have also been consulted by the UWA Careers
events and strengthened ties with Guild Departments, faculty
Centre, along with the Equity and Diversity Office, on a careers
societies and clubs.
week event aimed at LGBT students. Previously there has not been a lot of contact between these groups and so this is an
In the lead up to the start of semester one department officers
exciting and promising direction for closer ties.
represented UWA at the Cross Campus Queer Network stall at Pride Fair Day, one of our key events in engaging with our
The last 6 months has been full of firsts and we can’t wait to see
wider community. Our stall at the O-Day Festival gave us a
what the next brings.
great start to the year; the number of mailing list sign ups and people taking collecting our handbook far exceeded expectations. Planning ahead and advertising our regular social events such as movie and games nights gave us good numbers heading to the end of semester. In the last 6 months the department has also begun further developing and strengthening ties within the Guild and University to further support students. A workshop on transexual women in feminism was run collaboratively with the UWA Student Guild Women’s department. This event drew many UWA and nonUWA students and was very well received. The Arts Union worked very hard to present Eurovision
IN THE LEAD UP TO THE START OF SEMESTER ONE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS REPRESENTED UWA AT THE CROSS CAMPUS QUEER NETWORK STALL AT PRIDE FAIR DAY
Karaoke, our collaborative fundraising event. This is the largest
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RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS DEPARTMENT by Jordan Piggott In the first half of 2014, the Residential Students’ Department experienced another very successful semester of fostering inter-college spirit. Our events calendar kicked off with a festival on Matilda Bay for first year students of all five colleges. Freshers congregated on Matilda Bay for food, music, sports and the annual performance of each college’s “Fresher Dance”. We were once again happy to support the Inter-College Sport Committee in running the IC Swimming Carnival and the Tav
BY FAR THE BIGGEST EVENT ON OUR SOCIAL CALENDAR IS THE ANNUAL RSD CHARITY BALL, WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE 9TH OF MAY. THIS YEAR THE BALL HAD A “SECRET GARDEN” IN WINTHROP HALL.
Show that followed, aiming to promote the competitive spirit and thriving social scene that the College’s are rebound for.
of a College-based Cambodia mission called ‘Project Inspire’, started by St. Thomas Moore College. The ball was well-attended
Once again we hosted the famous Inter-College Lip-Dub
by over 250 Collegians who were treated to a 2 course meal,
competition, where each college creates a single-take music
open bar, charity auction and entertainment from UWA Dance
video to a selected criteria to be screened at the Wesfarmers
and a live DJ. Although figures are still being finalized, we
Lecture Theatre and judged by a panel that included the UWA
estimate to have raised in excess of $3000 for Project Inspire.
Student Guild and WASTV. Trinity took out it’s third Lip-Dub title, following their win last year.
We’re forever grateful for the support we receive at all of our events from the Red Frog Crew, College Committees and the
By far the biggest event on our social calendar is the annual
UWA Guild. It’s these groups that make it possible for events like
RSD Charity Ball, which took place on the 9th of May. This year
these to happen again every year.
the ball had a “Secret Garden” in Winthrop Hall, and was in aid
WELFARE DEPARTMENT by Max Riley The Welfare Department has had a busy semester, starting a lot of
making it easier for Guild members to access emergency credit. We
exciting new programs and expanding on our tried and tested events
increased Mental Health Grants to Clubs and Faculty Societies, which
like Health Promotion Day, Exam De-Stress Day and Welfare Week.
allowed four organisations to run great Mental Health initiatives for students. We also provided financial and logistical support to help
To start the year, we launched Tai Chi on campus, which successfully
run Petting Zoos, Information Stalls, Medicare Local Sign-Ups and
ran for the first half of semester and engaged over a hundred
free health checks. As Welfare Officer, I’ve also been in touch with
students. We’re looking to continue this project in second semester.
UWA Security advocating for improved lighting and security on
Like all Welfare Events, It was of course provided at no cost to Guild
campus. Welfare has also worked collaboratively with the Sports
Members.
Council and a number of mental health related clubs to improve awareness about Mental Health Issues on campus.
We also continued our Yoga sessions with our star Yoga instructor, Emmaline Turley. Through a combination of marketing and a change
Structurally, the Welfare Department increased its sized by a factor
to a more student-friendly times, yoga, attendance tripled from 2013,
of five student representatives. This will have important long term
and it has become cemented as a fixture in the Welfare Departments
benefits for the Welfare Department, by allowing more work to be
calendar of events.
done, and for the Department to better reflect the diversity and experiences of Guild members. We also increased our presence
Welfare Week was run during Week 10 of semester. This was the
on Social Media which will allow us to market our future events to
capstone of Welfare’s semester. We ran four themed days - Food,
ensure as many students know about them as possible.
De-Stress,, Health and Money. Each day had multiple events running, the result of collaborations with other Guild Departments, the Health
Next semester, we will continue to run a wide variety of events
Promotions Unit, Guild Student Assist, and multiple government and
and programs targeted at making it easier to be a UWA Student
community health organisations. Importantly, this coincided with
on campus. Stay tuned for more information. If you have any
actions across the country, run by the National Union of Students in
suggestions, concerns, compliments or just need someone to vent
protest to the announced Federal Budget.
to, please feel free to contact me at welfare@guild.uwa.edu.au. In the meantime, stay safe, stay happy, and if you’re having difficulties,
Behind the scenes, the Welfare Department successfully advocated for the Interest-Free Loan approval process to be streamlined, 30
remember that we are here to help you.
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WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT by Rebecca Doyle The Women’s Department’s main focus in 2014 has been
campaign on Oak Lawn. The money raised went towards
to reestablish an active Women’s Collective on campus to
paying for the registration of students to this years Network of
organise and educate women students on campus about issue
Women’s Students Australia (NOWSA). Further, Linda Burns
that affect them. Having weekly meetings in the Women’s
from Australian Super came to talk to students on campus about
Room has been crucial to building the collective, providing
the importance of super contributions.
students with input into how they would like to run campaigns When students have reached out to the department, we
and what events they would like to organise.
have listened by running events for women studying in male In Semester 1, the Women’s Department ran two campaigns:
dominated courses, including Computer Science and Software
International Women’s Day and #Iamworthmore, the Graduate
Engineering and Mathematics BBQs.
Gender Pay Gap campaign. International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, to mark the significance of women’s
We have also taken the opportunity to work with external
contributions and achievements worldwide. This year the
groups, including faculty societies, the Queer Department,
Department ran a bra tree, giving women the opportunity to
Muslim Youth WA and Women’s Council for Domestic and Family
donate old bra’s that are then donated to charity. The bras
Violence Services.
made quite the spectacle hung out across Oak Lawn. Further, we also had a Mini Lecture series with Winthrop Professor
Lastly, this year the NOWSA Conference took place in WA, at
Dr Grady Venville, Meredith Hammat from UnionsWA and Dr
ECU Joondalup, making it more accessible to UWA students
Anna Aly from Curtin University.
than ever before, 17 students from UWA will be attending.
For the Graduate Gender Pay Gap Campaign, the Department ran a reverse ‘Gender Pay Gap’ priced bake sale and poster
SPORTS REPRESENTATIVE by Michael Morrissey
The Inter-Faculty teams have battled incredible heat and
Guild Welfare department will kindly step in again and offer their
torrential rain over the course of semester one, all with the goal
services to make this final event for the year go out with a bang
claim victory over each and every faculty.
and very happy participants and players.
In semester 2 the Inter-Faculty season will feature once again
Other projects to be monitored over the remainder of 2014 and
a range of sports for UWA students to play and participate in
of particular note for the 2015 Sports Representative include
for free of charge. We will open the semester with two weeks
an initiative to start Inter-Faculty an hour earlier featuring a
of Soccer being played on the 6th of August and the 13th of
‘Learn to play’ session run by the coinciding club for that weeks
August. Faculties will be required to submit a male team and
sport. For example if the week’s sport was Volleyball, the UWA
female team for each week. After soccer commences, we will
Volleyball Club would run an hour long ‘learn to play’ session
be moving indoors for the final 5 weeks of the Inter-Fac 2014
an hour before Inter-Faculty would be scheduled to start. This
season. The reasoning behind this is to ensure that no events
initiative is being spear-headed by the Inter-Faculty Committee
are cancelled due to rain or other poor weather. First up will
Secretary Lara Connolly Bromfield and will have to be supported
be Volleyball on the 20th of August, followed by Table Tennis
by both the UWA Sports Association and the UWA Sports
on the 27th of August. After this, we will be having a mixed
Student Council.
Dodge-ball round on the 3rd of September, which will be an inaugural event in 2014 for the UWA Inter-Fac league. Like The
Next semester we look forward to restarting Inter-Faculty v
novelty athletics round, and the paddling round, UWA Sports
Inter-College sport. At the moment there are 4 sports planned
and Michael Morrissey are hopeful that these new sports will be
for the trial and these will be: Futsal on the 5th of September,
popular enough to run again in future years and keep Inter-Fac
Indoor Rowing and 3x3 Basketball on the 12th of September,
sport fresh and relevant. The next sport after Dodge-ball will
and Mixed Netball on the 24th of October. With these upcoming
be Badminton on the 10th of September, and the final sport of
initiatives and the successes of first semester Inter-Fac sport,
the year will be Basketball on the 17th of September due to its
the future looks bright for Inter-Faculty Sport as it continues to
ability to draw crowds and players. Hopefully Max Riley and the
grow rapidly across all of UWA.
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