Explainer: USyd Senate Elections
Ellie Stephenson unpacks USyd’s most powerful governing body.
Next Monday, USyd students will be sent an electronic ballot to elect our representatives on the University of Sydney Senate. An undergraduate and a postgraduate representative will be chosen to sit on the University’s governing body for two years. Although Senate elections often receive less attention than the more boisterous SRC and USU elections, they are pretty high stakes: the Senate is the University’s highest decision-making body. So here’s an explainer about the Senate to get you up to speed.
What is the Senate?
The Senate has fifteen members: the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, the Chair of the Academic Board, seven external members - usually high profile alumni, three elected staff members, and two student representatives - one undergraduate and one postgraduate. It is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the University, deciding upon its budget and strategic directions, establishing university policy and appointing the Vice-Chancellor.
The body is notoriously secretive: with minimal student and staff representation, decisions can be made with little accountability or consultation. Technically, the student representatives are meant to report back to and consult with students, but this hasn’t necessarily been the case in years past.
Why does this Senate election matter?
The tertiary education sector will be facing significant challenges over the next few years: the effects of COVID-19 and government funding changes will continue to cause massive changes for universities. The USyd Senate will be instrumental in determining how the University adapts to these changes. University management has been criticised this year for policies like course and staff cuts - student advocates on Senate are key in representing student voices to management.
Senate elections only happen every two years, which means the representatives chosen will spend a pivotal time in the position.
Who are the current students in the Senate?
The undergraduate Senate Fellow is Francis Tamer, a Computer Science student who is notable for his Presidency of the Catholic Society and his stance against marriage equality in 2017. After his election in 2018, he framed himself as a proud conservative and a campaigner for free speech. He has been noticeably uncommunicative with his constituents, never appearing at or reporting to an SRC meeting.
Elizabeth Miller represents postgraduate students in the Senate. A Juris Doctor student, she committed to calling for more investment and funding into research. Her run responded to a dearth of female representatives on Senate in preceding years.
How do I vote?
Voting will be open from 9am on 12 October to 4pm on 26 October - it’s online, so students will be emailed a link. You can find a list of the students who have nominated themselves here. Keep an eye on Pulp for further information and reporting on the candidates.