RECAP: February USU Board Meeting

Pulp reports on your student representatives at work.

The University of Sydney Union (USU) had their first Board meeting of the year this afternoon. Pulp went along to find out what your elected Board members, who receive a stipend of around $4000 a year and help to control the USU’s multi-million dollar programs, are up to. 

Board President Connor Wherrett, declared the meeting open at 1:06pm. Board Directors Oscar Bai and Eve Wang attended via teleconference. The meeting quickly approved the previous minutes, declared no conflicts of interest and moved in camera within 5 minutes, which meant all non-Directors had to leave the room. 

USU meetings are known for being secretive, with the time spent in camera used to deal with sensitive financial information (we assume). We languished in the corridor outside the meeting room for about an hour before we were let back in. Pip Patterson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Education, came in to discuss the University’s student experience strategy. 

Connor Wherrett began the discussion by talking about the USU’s vision for student experience, saying that the organisation wants to be “independent but in-step with the University”. He emphasised the relationship between campus life and students’ mental health, arguing that students who are part of clubs and societies feel less isolated and have better social, educational and wellbeing outcomes. According to Wherrett, “The USU is essentially in the business of preventative medicine”.

Senate Appointed Director Marie Leech, who is not a student but represents the University Senate on Board, discussed how she had seen the University pivot rapidly towards student experience over the course of her association with USyd. Pip Pattison echoed this, noting that the primarily academic focus of the University has shifted in recent years to deal with the social isolation experienced by many students and to give them the choice to participate in university life. She explained that the University is pursuing a new operation model for student support, ranging from issues of health and wellbeing to academic advice, in an attempt to consolidate the existing support structures for students.

The discussion turned to the difficulties created by COVID-19 (coronavirus) for University finances. The Immediate Past President, Liliana Tai, asked about how this might affect Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) funding, which is used to resource student organisations like the USU and the SRC. Pattison explained that SSAF is directly related to the number of students attending university, so it is likely to take a hit, but that the base funding for each organisation would remain the same. The contestable pool of funding which the organisations can compete to receive will decrease, but Pattison reassured the Board that the University is reluctant to under-fund important student organisations. 

Alexis Roitman, the CEO of the USU, asked about how the upcoming departure of Vice Chancellor Michael Spence might affect student experience outcomes. Pattison replied that while Spence is “very supportive” of campus life and student wellbeing, Chancellor Belinda Hutchinson and the University Senate are also committed to the issues and will think about these strategic directions when selecting the next Vice Chancellor.

Board Director Cady Brown talked about the significant personal impact that student experiences had on her life at university. She explained how, not knowing anyone at USyd, she had felt very isolated in her first year but campus activities had given her social connections and improved her wellbeing. She told us that without these programs, she “would not be sitting here today”. Her fellow Director Irene Ma echoed their importance and suggested that the University and the USU shared their priorities on student wellbeing.

The discussion finished with Wherrett expressing the USU’s eagerness to help the University deal with the COVID-19 crisis, mentioning that the USU is considering a second Welcome Week for students affected by the travel ban. 

The meeting then moved back in camera and we returned to the corridor. That’s all from this month’s meeting -- we’ll return on the 27th of March to hold your elected representative to account next month. Hopefully SRC’s a little more eventful!