LIVE: USU Board Meeting
Ellie Stephenson reports.
I’m Zooming from the last Regular USU Board meeting of 2020, meaning this is perhaps my last breakout room exile of the year. Yes, I have like 3500 words due tonight, but the joy of keeping your student representatives accountable beckons.
1:02pm - President Irene Ma starts the meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country.
There are a few conflicts of interest declared regarding the creation of a Postgraduate Arts Student Society and the selection of new auditors.
1:07pm - Question time
Last meeting some transparency measures were discussed. Are they on the agenda this month? If not, why? What are the concerns of the Board re passing these measures?
Irene Ma says that the Board established a governance committee meeting to create policies to encourage transparency. However, those measure are not on the agenda this meeting because they are “very time-consuming”.
She tells us that “We decided to defer that to next meeting” to allow enough time to discuss the USU’s finances in this meeting. Ah well, transparency can wait until next year!
Recently there was a controversy about a LifeChoices stall and counterprotest on campus. Has the Board received complaints or feedback about this incident? Are there any perspectives on how to deal with people feeling uncomfortable with controversial clubs on campus?
Ma tells us that A few directors were involved in the protest. She adds that there was discussion within the Board but “no official resolution”
I have another question but I’m cut off for some reason.
For reference, I was going to ask: Staff have had some concerns about the process of the selection for CEO, such as that people are only being informed of the process retrospectively and concern that the Board is not being transparent about the new CEO’s conditions of employments. Could you clarify the recruitment process?
1:10pm - Reports.
Jess Reed’s report as CEO is taken as read and passes without issue.
Rebecca Sahni’s IT report is taken as read. Nick Forbutt speaks about whether moving USU Board meetings to the middle of the month would help with managing the USU’s logistics. Nick Rigby asks about some savings the Department achieved, which Sahni says were the result of not having to buy software licenses and staff costs being lowered by JobKeeper. Marie Leech asks exactly how many staff the USU has - the answer is that around 150 staff are eligible for JobKeeper, but there are a large number of short-term or seasonal casuals. The USU has 83 permanent staff.
Jane Drummond has that the USU’s outlet sales are significantly lower than this month last year - only 21% of the figure in 2019.
Sahni’s report carries.
The USU Activities Report is delivered by Tania Moroko. The USU has hit 33000 members and is starting to plan for 2021. “From the programs side of things, there’s a lot of work that we’ve conducting regarding [collecting feedback from] clubs and societies, revues,” Moroko says.
Belinda Thomas asks about the USU’s ‘garden bar’ and whether it is being publicised. Moroko says it is an ongoing project the USU is working on, which includes “integrating an Indigenous garden space in Courtyard”.
Ben Hines asks whether there could be information on how the breakdown of regular vs Rewards members have changed over time. Moroko says that this time last year it was an “even 50/50 split” and is now 20% Rewards and 80% regular members. She notes that current Rewards members will receive free Rewards membership next year.
Moroko also discusses a new feature which will allow people to order and pay from a QR code on their table at USU outlets and order in advance via their USU app. She describes it as “Very exciting.”
Ma asks Moroko about how the Department is adapting to being on 80% capacity. Moroko says that all working days are covered.
Benny Shen’s Honorary Secretary’s Report discusses the clubs and societies program; he encourages the Board to value the importance of the program and adds a number of suggestions coming from clubs regarding communication with the USU. He also speaks about the planning period for Pulp next year, thanking this year’s Editors (thanks Benny).
Shen has consulted with past and current Editors to create a proposal for Pulp’s structure in 2021. This involves the creation of a Senior Editor position.
Belinda Thomas asks about the C&S annual dinner, which Shen says will probably not happen this year.
Cady Brown’s Honorary Treasurer’s Report says that “we have a really exciting 2021 to look forward to” as a result of the organisation’s improving financial position. She describes the USU’s SSAF application process as “positive” and adds “Shout out to the University for giving us money.”
Nick Forbutt’s Vice President’s Report notes that the COVID-19 Committee has lapsed. “We might need to rejoin the Committee at some stage but hopefully we don’t,” Forbutt says. He says that the USU’s Committees have been meeting fairly regularly and he’d like to see them meet over the holiday period.
Nick Rigby praises the COVID-19 Committee, describing it as a “dynamic decision.”
Irene Ma’s President’s Report draws attention to the recruitment of the next USU CEO. She says that “we have received over 70 interest calls” regarding the position and that the interviews for the role will occur in mid-December. The final decision will occur in January - hopefully, as it’s a “best-case” and “preliminary” timeline.
She thanks Dane Luo and Jess Reed for putting together the USU’s SSAF application.
Ben Hines speaks about the Director of Debates’ Report. “USyd has done incredibly well”, he says, noting the the USU made the grand finals of the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships and the Australasian Wom*n’s Debating Championships. “There’s been high engagement in debating despite being online this year”, he concludes.
There’s a lot of bureaucracy about when in the month USU meetings occur and who will do the USU’s 2020 audit. I’ll spare you the details.
2pm - Motion regarding approval of clubs and societies
There are suggestion to reject a Securities Analysis Society on the basis that it is too similar to other finance societies like FMAA. The application doesn’t explain how they’ll be different from other societies.
Ben Hines suggests that it does seem somewhat different from other societies connected with finance, however Benny Shen explains that has been taken into consideration.
Prudence Wilkins-Wheat confirms that the Society will receive feedback on its application and why it was rejected.
Only the Sydney University Golf Society’s application is rejected by the Board, with the Securities Society to be referred back to the Clubs and Societies Committee for further consideration.
2:07pm - Motion to extend deadlines for club and society AGMs.
This motion carries.
2:08pm - Appointment of ordinary members of Debates Committee.
The appointments carry. Prudence Wilkins-Wheat and Ben Hines abstain because they are friends with candidates.
2:10pm - Creation of a Postgraduate Arts Students Society.
This new society, which has been approved by FASS, is seeking a Welcome Week stall and to be approved as a USU society.
It’s approved.
2:11pm - Confidential business.
This businesses apparently involves questions about tenancy and staff contracts. But I can’t tell you any more because the meeting is being moved in camera. Time to get back to my assignments :(
Belinda has provided us with a flashy new graphic of the Board. Thanks Belinda!