Hey everyone,

Just letting you all know about an event coming up, hosted by ECU Student Guild Board of Equity, Diversity and Sustainability

ECU Student Guild, in collaboration with the Ms. Brown’s Women’s Collective are hosting a self-protection workshop for female and female-identifying students and staff to learn basic self-defense and self-protection techniques.

In Australia, one in four women will experience assault or abuse at some point in their lives. This workshop focuses on empowering women and teaching them the skills that will assist them in identifying and avoiding potentially harmful situations – mediation techniques, voice work and basic self-defense maneuvers that are easy to learn and can be easily taught to other women.

The workshop will be taught by Sara Hjalmarsson – an ECU student with experience in both teaching and practicing conflict management and self-protection techniques, having been trained as a security guard and with over eight years of experience in martial arts and effectively diffusing conflict situations.

The event is free to attend, and all women are welcome.

4- 7pm, Friday September 18th

ECU Mt. Lawley Campus Sport and Fitness Centre (Building 21)

Cnr Learoyd & Woodsome Streets Mt. Lawley

PLEASE RSVP BY WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER SO WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH BOOKLETS TO GO AROUND!

Contact Kitty on 0414846153 or equity@ecuguild.org.au

This Month the Federal Government is reconsidering the Student Amenities Legislation, which seeks to reintroduce a compulsory Amenities and Services Fee at Universities. The difference this time is that the fee will be deferrable like HECS, and will go to Universities instead of directly to Student Guilds. While we’d prefer to see this money go directly to democratically elected student bodies such as the Student Guild, there is no doubt this legislation could return the finances needed to provide adequate support services, affordable amenities and a campus life at Edith Cowan University.

The ECU Student Guild’s Education Collective have uploaded a quick and easy lobbying guide to there campaign website. It takes less than 5 minutes to do one item from the list, you don’t need to be a whizz on legislation, and it will contribute to the future of ECU Student Guild and the student support services and amenities at ECU.

Check it out:  http://www.speakingforourselves.wordpress.com/

Dennis Shanahan, Political editor | *March 27, 2009*
Article from:  The Australian

*THE federal Government’s plans for a $7 billion revamp of higher education
have been recast in the face of economic reality, with the increased funding
now expected to be staggered over several years.*

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25248991-601,00.html

By Anne Johnsen, Education Vice President

The first two weeks of March has been exciting and excruciating, when it comes to tertiary education. Suggestions have been thrown out there following the Bradley review, and things are finally starting to stir up, hopefully leading to repelling VSU.

The Australian Government has decided they want more people in universities. No, actually, they want more poor people in universities, they want 20 per cent of enrolments filled by students from lesser off backgrounds by 2020. According to Education Minister Julia Gillard, this is equivalent to about 55 000 students.

“For the past decade, equity has not been a priority and it shows particularly when it comes to Australians from remote, Indigenous, regional and low socioeconomic backgrounds” she said to ABC.

The Governments response to the Bradley review’s recommendations is to expand access to student allowances. The Government has also commited to ensure that by 2025, 40 per cent of those between 25-34 would have a degree.

That was the good news, moving on to the bad:

As a result of the Bradley Review, Ms. Gillard proposed in the first week of March to introduce demand-driven funding scheme, which means that the courses that are more popular get more funding.

What happens the year no-one wants to study nursing? Or the year teaching courses experience a downfall in popularity? Do we take people in from the streets to teach children? Are our nurses gonna be even more overworked and underpaid? This proposition will make university funding more unstable, as it will be run by the whimsical forces in the market, which will change every year when graduates enter the workforce.

Not to mention what this will do to small courses that are essential for preserving the current quality of our lifestyle, which wont attract a lot of students. They will quickly vanish due to low demand.

Thursday March 5th, there was a rally at the University of Western Australia arranged by the National Union of Students, where amongst others our own Guild president, Shane Cucow gave a speech on how this will impact on our universities, and future students.  Shane raised several valid points in his speech:

“At Edith Cowan University we believe strongly in the need for and importance of our regional campuses. When we move from a system of quality competition to economic competition, we encourage our students to centre their study in one area where the University has a centralization of resources” said Shane.

He added:

“We dont want to see our Universities pouring their funding into marketing and gimmicks to get students to attend, we want our funding to go to course quality.”

Last but not least, lets applaud the Greens who have proclaimed they want to repel the current and flawed Voluntary Student Unionism law. Which, if you didnt know it already – will result in much more funding for the ECU Guild, making us able to do even more for you on campus.

Extract from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/771573/govt-to-slash-immigration-intake

By Susanna Dunkerley

Slashing the skilled migration intake is a short-sighted political move that could cost local jobs and lead to greater skills shortages, an academic says.

In response to rising unemployment, the government will cut the skilled migrant intake by nearly 20,000 to 115,000 this financial year…

By Shane Cucow – Also Published G spot Vol 2

When it comes to student organisations, activism and the National Union of Students, I am often angered by the way student representation is viewed in Australia. It is a long developed stereotype that all student reps, including those in the ECU Student Guild, are in it for their careers, for their political opportunities, or to push their ideological agenda onto students. The sad thing about this stereotype is that in many cases, it is true.

ECU’s own Post Graduate’s Association recently folded. For a number of years so called “student representatives” used the organisation to advance their own careers. The students involved elected themselves to the Association’s executive at meetings of their closest friends, and claimed to represent all postgraduate students (without bothering to give the students the option of choosing to become a member). The end result was that postgraduate student protection and representation was put at risk, all because somebody wanted to take a free ride.

Because of students such as these, students who have the right idea about student representation have to battle student disinterest and distrust in order to engage campus culture and properly represent students at University. The reputation that Guild reps are “in it for the money” and “just a bunch of politicians” becomes a massive barrier to student engagement. Of course, fighting this isn’t helped when you have factional student groups going around chanting that they screw students and bum around “because the Union gives [them] jobs”.

In some ways, we are blessed that student factions almost destroyed the Student Guild at ECU. Factions such as NLS (Labor Left), Unity (Labor Right), ALSF (Liberal) and Socialist Alternative have died out at ECU. Student politicians who are trying to push their ideological perspectives no longer harass our students. Nor are our student organisations run by hacks trying to further their political careers.

It is however interesting to note that the factions disappeared the moment their numbers and skills at manipulation could have done some good in negotiating a better outcome for ECU students. When the Guild was almost liquidated at the end of 2007, not a single student hack was to be seen to protect the organisation they so exploited.

The ECU Student Guild and other similar student organisations have been around since the beginning of our universities. They were originally created to protect, advocate and negotiate on behalf of University students. With the support of students they developed the strength and capacity to run campus taverns, café’s, shops and support services to assist students in their studies. They developed and facilitated events, activities and clubs / societies, and built campus communities that are unmatched by any other institution. Student organisations were built by students, for students, and were formidable forces in ensuring students were protected, represented and engaged throughout their University experience.

These days, any student can see how much we’ve lost at ECU. Outsourced campus outlets have higher prices than students can reasonably afford. Activities and events are greatly reduced because our student organisations no longer have the funds to pay for the equipment, staff and resources needed to host them on campus. Support services such as the ECU Student Guild’s Education & Welfare Officers are now part-time, and access to free legal advice, cheap amenities and student space has been lost. Howard Government’s VSU legislation had a lot to do with the loss of service at all Australian Universities, but student organisations such as those at Curtin and UWA survive strong. It is the hacks, who spent more time pursuing their careers and pushing their ideologies than properly managing and planning for the ECU Student Guild, that put us in the position we are in today. It is the dedicated Student Representatives that are rebuilding our Guild now, to serve and advocate for students and campus life.

It is disappointing and frustrating to see this hack trend at so many campuses today. While we are seeing new independent student associations standing up all over Australia for the interests of their students, so many are still controlled by ideological factions. The divisive and corrupt manner in which the factions attack and persecute each other, and work to exclude the opinions and votes of people outside their faction, is disgusting and appalling. I experienced the hackery first hand when I attended the annual NUS National Conference. Factions have complete control over our National Union of Students. The student politicians silence student representation. In response ECU students did not pay affiliation fees to the national union for 2009, because the fees would only be used to misrepresent and exploit students in the same ways we had seen over the course of the year in 2008.

So what is the difference between a student representative and a student politician? Why are today’s Guild’s reps better than those who so damaged the Guild and student representation so few years ago?

The perspective under which I have operated for the last year, and the direction in which we have worked to rebuild the Student Guild, is that student representatives should leave their political ideologies at the door. Representatives are elected by students to be a means of communication and representation in the University, Government and community. More importantly, being elected to a position does not give you a right to push your ideologies and claim it is relevant to your University’s students. It does not give you the right to use the resources paid for by your members to further a political career, or a political campaign that has no direct relevance to the student experience at your University.

To be a representative (as opposed to a politician) means that you consult with those you represent. An election is not enough – student reps should run surveys, feedback forums, audits and engagement with students to determine what their needs and issues are at University. Campaigns should be about issues that directly impact on students. All other campaigns and events should be run by student groups or equity, diversity or sustainability collectives supported equally under the organisation.

I don’t care whether you’re liberal, labor, socialist or independent – as a student representative you are there to facilitate communication, representation and resources for the students on your campus.

I’m extremely proud of the work of ECU student representatives have put into rebuilding our campus life, and I sincerely hope that the days of student politicians are gone. However, it may well be that they’re not, and so I’d like to give some advice to all students. Get involved in your campus organization. Work with or become a rep and make sure we can get the best outcomes and community on campus. With your hard work, and your vested interest in who gets elected, the days of exploitation and careerism will never return.

By K. Hawkins – Also Published in G Spot Vol 2 Iss 1

So I’ve been commissioned to write another article. Happy Days! Time to get my rant on! Time to spread the word to the unwashed masses – to incite revolution and shine light into the darkness of ignorance to illuminate…dark…things…

Or not.

Truth is that after three years as an activist I’m still uncertain. Not about my beliefs – those I’m pretty solid with. What I’m uncertain about is the way that I go about it.

Activism is about getting your message out. It’s about letting people know that something is going on that needs to be changed;  It’s about providing an alternative to apathy, about getting them on your side and getting them passionate about what you’re passionate about. Activism is about asking for help – it’s about convincing people to give up their time and resources so that maybe, just maybe eventually something can eventually happen that might just make the world a better place.

Sometimes all you have is a few seconds to convince someone that your cause is worth their time and effort. So, your means of communication is vital.

Which is why I cringe inwardly when I see poorly organised protests, badly worded or researched articles and inarticulate or poorly informed speakers. It isn’t that I don’t appreciate their good intentions – activism is bloody hard work let me tell you; it’s intensely draining and more than a little frustrating, especially when it feels like you’re the only one in the world who knows, cares or can be bothered doing anything. But, unfortunately your campaign’s success does not depend upon what an honourable and decent person you are. The good opinion of the general public is what you need to succeed – and it will not happen unless you know how to present yourself and your cause.

Let’s face it. We soapbox- dwelling, slogan-chanting, banner-touting, shouty types can get pretty annoying at times. Even I know that. Who hasn’t quickened their pace to avoid getting hassled by the clipboard-wielding, dreadlocked hippies who use bright, perky conversation starters to try to lure you into their fiendish world of whale saving, tree-hugging, bra-burning, rainbow – emblazoned, pamphlet-tossing shenanigans?

Don’t get me wrong – the world needs dreadlocked hippies and flyer flingers. I might find their methods irritating, but they’re still doing good work that needs to be done; and as fake as I may find their cheery smiles to be on occasion – they have my begrudging respect for taking a stand.

Trouble is, people don’t want to be bothered, don’t want to be put out and certainly don’t want the guilt trip of knowing that they could do something. This is annoying because I like to think that most people are fairly good at heart, and would be concerned if only you approached them in the right way (naïve??? No. Just determined and very optimistic). Unfortunately, this initial, irritating first impression is often the only experience that someone may have had with a particular issue or campaign – so it’s not surprising that people will form negative connotations based solely on the actions of one small group. I am constantly exasperated by the antics of a few specific well-meaning yet overly aggressive, narrow-minded and very militant activist organisations because they have no concept of or respect for anyone else’s opinions – their behaviour reflects this and thus sets a bad example for all other advocates of their cause. Hence my cringing. When you openly campaign for something, you are a poster child for every other activist who shares your concerns, which is why it is crucial that you behave in a considerate and respectful manner. As an activist you have a responsibility towards your cause, your colleagues and your comrades. Conduct makes all the difference between an advocate and a petulant, rebellious child.

By nature I am quite a self-conscious person, so when I am running a campaign I always worry about how other people will perceive what I am doing. I am not afraid of harassment or abuse – what does concern me however is that people will get the wrong impression, that somehow my actions will tarnish the reputation of all other Queer/Feminist/Student activists if I screw things up. Image is very important to me – good favour of the public once lost, unfortunately can never be regained.

And this is where the hard part comes in .Balancing your beliefs with the need to promote them. Sell out versus sink. But what if your beliefs are directly inverse to those of the vox populi? Do you water down your politics? You could always attach yourself to a powerful, respected organisation like a political party in the hopes of eventually working your way up. But would you be willing to preach ideals not your own in order to achieve what you want?

If there’s one thing worse than poorly organised activists – it’s insincere ones. We see it every day in politics – people pimping a squeaky clean, caring image, quoting the right catch phrases and smiling for the camera when in fact their only interest is their bank balance and their resumé. (NUS National Office? I’m looking squarely at you). Integrity is fifty percent of activism, so if you don’t genuinely believe in what you’re fighting for, chances are you’d be doing yourself and your organisation a favour by quitting the moment you realise that your heart is no longer in it. If the activists aren’t serious about what they’re doing – then how can the public be expected to be? The moment they smell a phoney – game’s up. Insincerity trivialises the issue at hand and betrays the trust of the people.

Which brings me back to my original question – how do you get the masses on your side without compromising your message?

The answer is simple. Being reasonable.

That doesn’t mean compromising or watering down what you believe in. It’s about making people realise that you are as human as they, about communicating with them in terms that they understand and on their own level. People do not want to feel patronised or overwhelmed, so your tone and attitude is everything. Being an activist does not mean intimidating, indoctrinating or harassing people, it is about providing them with information and an idea – and empowering them to arrive at their own conclusion. Activism is education – new facts, new concepts, new actions, and it cannot be a one-way street.

If you engage people instead of harassing and bombarding them, you’re far more likely to gain an ally.

Getting your ideas out requires having respect and being tactful while sticking to your guns and not abandoning your principles. It isn’t about converting people – it’s about presenting a new point of view.

Activism is primarily about ideas, and as an advocate for whatever idea you are promoting you will at some point be obliged to defend those ideas and justify your arguments. This usually insinuates a good deal of debate – which can often get heated. However, because we put so much of ourselves into our beliefs – it is very easy to take it personally when they are questioned and sometimes outright condemned. Here we find the peripeteia between a civilised and respectful debate, and an all-out, mudslinging battle of personalities.

In this line of work there needs to be a certain point where you check your ego at the door and realise that there may be a few holes in your theories and that your arguments may well be flawed.

Ideas should not be solid, inflexible things – they need to change with the times and adapt to new situations, ever changing and developing to accommodate new ideas and perceptions. This is why, when standing up for what you believe in, it is essential to remember that a dose of humility is often necessary. A good activist is one that can separate themselves from their argument and see things from other perspectives, who can occasionally admit defeat and remain open to new concepts – even if they contradict their own ideas. Having something that you believed in disproven or tarnished always hurts (I speak from experience) but it is something that you have to prepare for, and it cannot be taken personally. There is no shame in rethinking your arguments when necessary – being stubborn and close-minded never got anyone anywhere.

Activism is about other people – it is about looking outward, investigating, communicating and establishing  networks with whoever you can. Considering and re-considering; engaging, educating and empowering. (I’m really doing well with the alliteration today..).

Sometimes I would love to pack up my rainbow-coloured swag and go and live in a cave somewhere where I and my Queer, feminist, multicultural, greenie student activist chums could drink cheap wine and listen to Ani DiFranco all day. It would be nice to live in a bubble – but simple fact is that we can’t ignore the rest of the world. Yes. I know  at times the general public can be apathetic, ignorant and an infuriating mob of drones, but much as we hate to admit it – we will not get far without people to help us.

So, to my fellow banner-painting, blog-writing, seditious darling little upstarts I say: Keep up the good work, but keep your temper.

To everyone else – next time you pass a dirty hippie in the street, give them a chance. God forbid you might actually learn something.

Guild Bear - Fighting Student Poverty

Student poverty is becoming one of the most serious issues of our generation. With Australian Universities more poorly funded than ever before, forcing them to charge more in fees to cover costs, students have a consistently higher cost of education than previous generations. Add this to a lack of equitable student income support, and its no surprise that more students at University now live regularly below the poverty line.

Students at University now have to face limited work opportunities, low welfare support with heavy restrictions, rising food, petrol and accommodation costs, and a looming HECS debt which means it can be up to a decade before they can engage in our economy in any constructive level. According to the Universities Australia Report Australian University Student Finances 2006, approximately one in eight students go without food during the week.

At Edith Cowan University, we have a high rate of low socio-economic students as a result of our University’s commitment to education for all. However, our students regularly have to pay between $10-$20 a day for food at the expensive campus outlets. With the massive cutbacks to student amenities and support services as a result of the Howard Government’s amenities and services legislation, students have little alternative but to pay it or starve.

ECU is forced to make its courses more flexible than ever before to work around a student’s need to work, and this is impacting on the quality of their education. Students regularly skip lectures and tutorials to attend work, and have less time for engagement and research. Also if a student works more than 10 hours a week, they get their Centrelink payments cut, making it impossible to support themselves adequately.

The recommendations of the Bradley report, if adopted, will make student income support more accessible to people studying at University – an important step given the many students who are ineligible because of Centrelink harsh restrictions. By raising the parental income test threshold and indexation, and altering the taper rate per dependant child, more students will be able to access sorely needed payments. By increasing the personal income threshold, students will be able to work more hours without putting their Centrelink payment’s at risk. Finally, a reduction in the age of independence from 25 to 22 will entitle more students to receive the full benefit.

However, these recommendations alone only serve to make payments more accessible to students studying at University. The Henderson Poverty Line for a single person in the workforce, inclusive of housing, was $380.28 per week in the June 2008 quarter. Meanwhile, the maximum Youth Allowance payment was $426.87 per fortnight for a student considered to be independent, living in shared accommodation and receiving rent assistance. This means the maximum payment a student can reasonably expect will still be less than half of the Henderson poverty line.

The recommendation to increase the personal income threshold will enable students to earn more without decreasing their payments, however this is only going to put the quality of their education further at risk. Students will be forced to make a choice – they can choose to live in poverty and have a high quality degree, or they can choose to sacrifice study for work, getting a poorer quality education that takes twice as long as a result.

In 2008 the ECU Student Guild ran a strong campaign to lobby the government for increases to student income support, and adequate funding to student support services and amenities. The recommendations of Minister Ellis’s review of VSU to reintroduce a student amenities levy is a clear success for this campaign, however our struggling student support organisations may see none of this funding. The Bradley Review’s recommendations for more accessible student income support and improved funding to higher education provide some hope for the future.

Throughout the campaign, the ECU Student Guild ran free student breakfasts, and during the exam period gave out free bread, tea and coffee for students. Over 300 students accessed the service each week, which was available for a few hours each morning. While this only helped only a fraction of our students survive, it was a well-needed support.

For students in debt or extreme financial crisis, the ECU Student Guild also provides interest fee financial assistance of up to $500 for needs like rent, utilities bills, books, materials and food vouchers for those who cannot afford to eat. While heavily accessed, the Student Guild loses significant amounts from students who cannot afford the repayments.

Finally, in early 2008 ECU Student Guild launched a second hand computer renovation program, with students volunteering their time to renovate old computers to give to students at a low cost.

In 2009 the ECU Student Guild will be stepping up its support for students in poverty by providing free tea, coffee and breakfast foods in the Guild Hubs for all students. Additionally, each week the Guild will give out free bread donated by local bakeries to students. We will be working to introduce recycling rooms on campus, where students and community members can donate old files, books, furniture and equipment for those who cannot afford to buy it themselves.

We will continue to campaign and lobby the Australian Government for a real increase in student income support this year, a cost that the Government will need to meet. Unless we invest in our students and their ability to survive the higher education system, we will lose the leaders, innovators and executives that our world is relying on to recover our economy and to reform our unsustainable practices.

The biggest barrier to our ability to support and assist students comes down to the Guild’s lack of funding and support. Since the introduction of the VSU legislation in 2005, the ECU Student Guild has been reduced to a third of its operating capacity, and no longer runs cheap campus commercial outlets and other support services for students. Students can no longer access free legal advice, equity grants or full time welfare support, now needed more than ever. Many student support organisations across Australia have collapsed, leaving their students without anyone to represent or support them. If student support organisations don’t see any of the funds from Minister Ellis’s recommended changes, this state of affairs can only be expected to continue.

Welcome to the new ECU Student Blog – Making a Difference.

This will be student owned space in 2009, for student to post on whatever is of interest and whatever is topical at ECU or in the community. If there’s something you would like published, send an email to the coordinator at scape08@ecuguild.org.au

For more info on the Student Guild and the initiatives of ECU Students check out the website at www.ecuguild.org.au