Assistant General Secretary
Throughout March, I continued my work on social media, with posts supporting the push back against cuts alongside updates to the website. I supported the upcoming NDA, not only by attending the banner paint but also creating material. I also served as the returning officer for the enviro collective and kept financial records up to date.
I created a series of graphics for an Instagram carousel and story explaining the situation around UTS’s planned cuts alongside Mia’s petition which went up after the last SRC meeting. Alongside this I’ve been preparing to include my “Meet your collectives” as video’s featured on each collective’s page to serve as a permanent interactive introduction to the collectives for students to view.
Otherwise, I spent time attending the NDA planning meeting and banner paint in support of the ongoing effort to the protest. I also created material specifically for engineering students in order to attempt to engage a different segment of the student population with the protests.
I also continued general work in keeping financial records of the funding passed at the SRC meetings, which I will be doing an analysis of for future SRC meetings so that we can better asses the funding required for different events and other regular SRC expenses.
In terms of assisting collectives with their internal elections I assisted Sina for the Enviro collective’s election as the returning officer and I have met with Vaishnavi about running the Postgrad collective’s internal elections. I will also be serving as the returning officer for the Postgrad Collective as the returning officer for over the next month.
Education Officer
Know Your Rights Campaign
The script for the 'Know Your Rights' campaign has been finalised and reviewed by caseworkers Lisa, Jennifer, and Christina. Planning has commenced, and the campaign rollout is scheduled to begin at the end of next week, aiming for release the following week. This timing aligns well with the week before STUVAC, ensuring maximum student engagement.
Access and Inclusion Plan
Reflecting on my previous term as Disabilities Officer, I was involved in the accessibility plan and will be attending the Access and Inclusion Plan Co-design Session 2 nextmonth. This session will provide insights into the progress made, and I encourage SRC members to join, as student voices are particularly valued in this committee compared to others.
Special Consideration Policy Reform
One of my key long-term priorities is reforming the Special Consideration policy. We have established a working group for this initiative, and I have drafted initial proposals for discussion and development, which is taking place tomorrow.
Budget Cuts
In response to recent budget cuts, we attended the NTEU protest and created graphics for our social media platforms to amplify awareness. Additionally, our social media accounts are now active. I am collaborating with a contact who has compiled a list of compulsory subjects from the DAB and FASS faculties. This will enable targeted lecture bashing, as many students remain unaware of the impact of these cuts on their courses.
National Day of Action Strike
We participated in the National Day of Action strike, standing in solidarity against ongoing genocide in Palestine. As part of this effort, I have created graphics to raise awareness, ensuring that students remain informed and engaged in these pressing issues.
Intersectionality and Education
A post has been published on our social media discussing the intersectionality between Gazans' education and collective struggles. This highlights the broader systemic barriers faced by marginalised communities and emphasises the importance of educational access and equity.
Next Steps
• Finalise filming dates for the 'Know Your Rights' campaign rollout
• Continue research on how better I can execute STUVAC study giveaways
• Attend the Access and Inclusion Plan Co-design Session 2
• Further develop proposals within the Special Consideration working group
• Organise lecture bashing sessions to inform students about budget cut impacts
• Continue social media advocacy on how to further advocate for Palestine and
HOW TO: manage all forms of hate from antisemitism, Islamophobia to
xenophobia that is uprising.
Welfare Officer
This month has been a productive one for the Welfare Collective, with significant progress made behind the scenes.
Securing a Permanent Space for Food Services
We met with UTS space developers to discuss securing a permanent location for our food services. While the meeting was constructive, we were again offered two unsuitable spaces. One was the Blue Bird Pantry space, which we firmly rejected as unrealistic. Placing food services there would restrict student access to microwaves during peak periods, directly undermining its intended function. The second option was in the former food court near UTS Underground, which we deemed too hidden and lacking visibility.
We were then presented with an alternative space within the Concourse. While this is not the retail space we originally aimed for—since UTS plans to lease that to a commercial seller—it is still a viable option. We are open to exploring how this space can be developed to meet the needs of students.
Student Council Liaison Group Meeting
Mia and I attended the Student Council Liaison Group meeting to push forward our two previously tabled papers. The discussion was largely positive, though frustratingly, UTS Housing once again claimed they were unaware of key student concerns—particularly regarding fee increases and the revocation of licence agreements. Given that UTS Housing is the only student accommodation option available, it is unacceptable that students have no structured avenue to voice their concerns.
Moving forward, Mia and I are working towards securing a dedicated meeting with Housing management to address these issues properly. I also want to acknowledge Mia’s contributions, especially in meeting with Housing representatives when I was unavailable. This campaign would not be possible without her dedication, and I hope we can maintain this momentum in April.
Looking Ahead
Both of these key campaigns—securing food service space and addressing housing concerns—are slow-moving but essential. Our goal is to achieve tangible progress on both before the end of the year, and we will continue pushing for meaningful action from the University.
International Officer
March was an eventful month with significant developments in student advocacy, safety initiatives, and policy discussions. Below is a summary of the key activities and achievements
for this month.
1. International Student Voice Conference – 5 March 2025
I attended the International Student Voice Conference at the University of Sydney, where student leaders, academics, and policymakers discussed international student advocacy, representation, and support. The discussions focused on affordable housing, employment rights, mental health, and transport concessions. I contributed by sharing UTS initiatives and engaged in meaningful discussions to improve international student welfare. This event was an excellent platform to network, exchange ideas, and collaborate with key stakeholders.
2. Fire Safety Workshop Planning – 19 March 2025
In collaboration with Lauren Murty, I scheduled a fire safety workshop for international students. The session, to be conducted in May, will be an important initiative to educate students on fire hazards, safety precautions, and emergency response.
3. Interview with Australian Human Rights Commission – 20 March 2025
I participated in an interview with the Australian Human Rights Commission to discuss racism faced by international students and how students are often treated as cash cows and exploited in various sectors. This discussion provided a crucial platform to voice the challenges faced by international students and advocate for stronger protections and policies.
4. Meeting with Australian Human Rights Commission – 27 March 2025
I will be participating in a meeting with the Australian Human Rights Commission as part of their study on racism in Australian universities. The research focuses on the experiences of Asian and international students and staff, with the aim of developing actionable policy recommendations. The team, convened by Think Change Resolve, is conducting focus groups for this project. We are working closely with The Ethics Centre to ensure a safe and respectful discussion environment, while managing data with care and sensitivity.
5. Meeting with Postgraduate Officer – 29 March 2025
I have scheduled a meeting with the Postgraduate Officer to discuss plans for the upcoming international students' trip during STUVAC (Study Vacation). This initiative aims to provide students with an opportunity to explore, relax, and foster community engagement before exams.
6. NSW International Students Representative Committee Registration – 18 March 2025
Throughout February and March, I worked towards registering the NSW International Students Representative Committee as an official organization. On 18 March 2025, we successfully achieved registration—a major milestone for international students in NSW. This is a significant step in ensuring better representation, advocacy, and support for international students across the state.
Conclusion
March 2025 was marked by strong advocacy efforts, collaborations, and policy discussions.The successful registration of the NSW International Students Representative Committee stands out as a key achievement, alongside meaningful engagements with human rights organizations, policymakers, and student leaders. Moving forward, our focus remains on enhancing student welfare, increasing awareness, and fostering a more inclusive university environment.
Postgraduate Officer
Progress:
1. Organised the first Networking event of Postgraduate Collective.
2. Connected with over 50 postgraduate students to understand their experiences and to help them with their concerns.
3. Attended the meeting at Consulate General of India to represent the students’ association alongside other university representatives to put forward the concerns of students.
4. Started planning and organising resources for the upcoming career workshop for postgraduate students, in collaboration with UTS careers and UTS alumni.
Upcoming Plans:
1. Organise career workshop for postgraduate students to give them the opportunity of interacting with industry professionals.
2. Organise a one-on-one interaction with career coach for postgraduate students to get resume help.
3. Organise a second networking event for postgraduate students which would be more focused towards professional interaction and building a professional community.
4. Start the process for convenor elections for the Postgraduate collective.
Women’s Officer
Coffee and Chat event
On the 2nd of March, I held a Coffee and Chat event for WoCo at Two Chaps in Marrickville. Unfortunately I had a lot of people drop out. However it was lovely to get to meet the one person that attended and she is keen to get a lot of her friends involved in STEM at UTS involved.
WXSTEM and WoCo IWD Picnic
On the 9th of March, WXSTEM and WoCo held a picnic for IWD at the Botanical Gardens. It was a lovely day out and it was great to make new friends. I am hopeful that the women from WXSTEM will come to more WoCo events.
Mic and Muse
The collaboration between PSS and WoCo is FINALLY happening! On the 28th of March from 6pm-9pm we will be holding an open mic night where people will be sharing stories about inspirational women in their lives.
Walk for Endometriosis
On the 30th of March, WoCo will be doing a Walk for Endometriosis and will be encouraging donations to be made towards Endometriosis Australia. We will be doing the Barrenjoey Lighthouse walk. I will also be promoting the event with informative posts around Endometriosis.
Period Products Survey
This is something I intend to focus on for April. I hope to get the promotion set up and distributed both online and in person.
Disabilities Officer
March has been a productive month for the Disabilities Collective, with finally holding a quorate meeting and regular coffee catchups. We have been receiving regular website signups due to the posters around campus and regular coffee catchups at Cornerstone Cafe. In preparation for the National Day of Action for Palestine, the Disabilities Collective compiled a range of accessibility information and a route map for the protest, allowing students with disabilities to better access activism on campus. The disabilities Collective will continue to do this for further actions.
I have also worked with the President and the Collective on the Sunflower Scheme Campaign. We have put up a motion for the March SRC meeting to be discussed by the SRC on affiliating with the sunflower scheme. A goal of the Disabilities Collective for 2025 was to partner the UTSSA with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. The UTS Disabilities Collective recognises the need for the UTSSA to partner with the scheme, to raise awareness for hidden disabilities, to improve outcomes for disabled students and to ensure that the UTSSA is holding UTS to the same standard of disability inclusion as other universities.
I have also continued to send out monthly newsletters to update members on the upcoming events, campaigns and meetings of the Disabilities Collective, and the feedback from these has been great.
Queer Officer
Last Monday 24th we elected our queer convenor for the collective as-well as our two social medica officers. I wanted to congratulate El, Maxie and Matthrew for their victory. The previous meeting on Monday 17th we discussed thing we wanted to dowith the collective. Some of those included events and renovation works within the collective.
There will also be a national day of action for Trans Visibility day on Sunday 30ths 2pm, Pride Square, Newtown.
Environment Officer Report
I have been involved in quite a few things this month, mostly actioning what I was planning to do last month and planning out new projects for next month.
Community gardening:
We have started to regularly do the gardening every two weeks now. I had to overcome a few challenges to get to this point but the mains ones were having a system for rotating volunteers because the garden only has capacity for five at a time and making sure appropriate preparation is made for different weather conditions.
We have also started picking up coffee grounds from Cornerstone Cafe and they have been really good to work with so far. Because of this success, I want to look into other food waste that we can use for compost on campus in the future beyond just coffee grounds.
Clean Up Australia:
The Enviro Collective attended Clean Up Australia day 2025. Besides the obvious benefits of the volunteer work, this was a great opportunity to meet and build relationships with other groups on campus such as UTS Red Cross and the Hiking Society.
Meetings:
The enviro collective had two successful meetings this month. I am very happy to see that members are interested in getting positions in the collective and running events.
AI operations board:
I attended the first meeting of the year this month. As UTS begins to roll out new technology such as AI chatbots into courses, I will try my best to advocate for students.