Board reports: July 2022

The reports of the 2022-2023 USU Board Executive for the month of July.

Image credit: USU

President – Cole Scott-Curwood

I’m energised and grateful to be serving as USU President. My role is to support the Board in collectively deciding on USU strategy and planning. We do this by looking at things holistically, representing our ~35,000 members, and guiding the dedicated USU staff.

Having a background in STEM clubs, I came to the Board passionate about the Clubs & Societies Program. So far, we’ve increased club funding by creating a discretionary grants pool and have been providing free training to club executives. The comprehensive training was made possible through the first collaboration between the USU, SUPRA, SRC, SUSF, and the University. The USU is committed to supporting our ~260 clubs and societies, and their executives, so they can provide for their members.

Our Union has so much breadth and depth because we aim to make campus life better by providing existing and new events, initiatives, and services. This semester we’ll be reviving Battle of the Bands, taking a reimagined PULP to print, and inaugurating the Someday Soon music festival. We’ll continue to be ambitious while accounting for challenges like the third Omicron wave, rising inflation, and extreme wet weather.

Following in the wake of Prue and the outgoing board directors, I’m excited for the year ahead. Please don’t hesitate to reach out: president@usu.edu.au

Vice President – Telita Goile

Much has been happening in the background of this semester break. Throughout the cold, damp weather and consequent sniffly days, USU staff have been planning an energised and vibrant second-half of the year for our members. At the same time, Cole, David, Isla, and myself were elected into executive positions on the USU Board. 

As Vice President, I want to work alongside the Board to ensure that we continually centre the needs of our members and represent the values of our broader student community. It’s a hard time to be a student: education cuts, Old Testament-style natural disasters, and increased financial hardship leave us with an inescapable sense of precarity. As such, it’s important for the USU to continue providing opportunities for student culture to flourish within this shifting context. 

I’m keen to focus on accessibility during my term as VP. In what ways can we broaden our understanding of campus life? What can we do to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our members? Speaking as a (newly graduated) student, it’s important for us to hold ourselves accountable to each other — a practice that I will extend to the USU Board and beyond. 

See you at Welcome Week!

Honourary Treasurer – David Zhu

I'm looking forward to a productive term as the new Executive works to replicate an incredible Semester One.

We are perhaps enjoying our best financial health in recent history, yet we must be cautious of the gathering clouds on the horizon. Rising operational costs, driven by inflationary pressures arising from supply chain constraints, as well as lower-than-hoped-for sales, suggest a more challenging outlook than what our numbers prima facie indicate. That's not to mention concerning global macroeconomic conditions, with rising interest rates and the looming possibility of a recession.

While we cannot commit to any financial course of action — we must cross the bridges as we come to them — I can confidently say for now that these conditions highlight a need for prudent financial management. Though our community can and should expect continued levels of appropriate financial support, it is not the case that we have a king's ransom's worth of surplus cash lying around.

Cole and I have also met with our auditors, and the Board’s commitment to a thorough review of our investments is being realised. 

Finally, I must acknowledge a good friend and mentor —  thank you Ben, big shoes to fill.

Honourary Secretary – Isla Mowbray

Hello PULP readers and fellow USydians!

I’m your Honorary Secretary for 2022 and I couldn’t be more excited for what the USU has in store over the following year. Here’s a quick summary of events that you should definitely be keeping an eye out for!

Battle of the Bands competition — come to Manning Bar to watch student bands perform. It’s going to be an incredibly fun event so make sure to invite all your friends.

Someday Soon music festival! Even though I’m writing this mid July you will most likely be reading it in August at which point tickets will be on sale for the USU’s first ever musical festival, so make sure to get those tickets.

Finally, we will have also launched our Club Communities. If you’re a club executive you can join these focus groups to raise relevant club matters with the USU.

If you ever want to reach out to discuss anything USU related or have any questions please shoot through an email to i.mowbray@usu.edu.au

I hope your Semester Two has kicked off to a great start and I’m looking forward to seeing you around campus!