Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association

The University of Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association (known as WUSA, and its governing body the WUSA Council) is the peak undergraduate student representative organisation at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales.

WUSA
Full nameUniversity of Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association
Founded1960s
AffiliationNational Union of Students (Australia)
Office locationNorthfields Avenue, University of Wollongong
Country Australia
Websitewww.facebook.com/uowwusa

Background

WUSA is the UOW Student Union and as such claims to fight for student interests on campus and in the broader community, aiming to keep both the University administration and Australian governments accountable on student-related issues. WUSA also provides advocacy and welfare services for students on campus.[1]

As of 2017, the UOW Allsorts Queer Collective is the only collective in existence and they are run independently of WUSA.

WUSA was affiliated to the National Union of Students (Australia) and has participated in national campaigns including the fight against upfront course fees, Voluntary Student Unionism, and the struggle to reinstate free Higher Education in Australia. WUSA has also called upon the national body and other student organisations to support its local causes in the past.

The sister student organisation for WUSA is the Newcastle University Students' Association.

In 2016, WUSA held a referendum to end affiliation with the National Union of Students.[2] The campaign to disaffiliate, led by a group called WEXIT 2016, saw the motion passed. However, only 27 votes were cast in total causing significant controversy.[3] WUSA reaffiliated with the NUS in 2019.

In the years since WUSA has actively participated in a number of campaigns, including leading the opposition to the controversial degree in Western Civilization.[4][5][6]

Current Council Members

President- Taani Hendriks (NLS)

General Secretary- Imogen Draisma (Unity)

Treasurer- Elizabeth Caddy (NLS)

Education Officer and Assistant Secretary- Dylon Tomasi (SA)

Disabilities Officer- Alexander Hall (NLS)

Tertangala Coordinator- Kal Slater (Unity)

Welfare Coordinator- Jamie Caulfield (SA)

Women's Representative- Katherine Minns (Unity)

Environment Representative- Claire Dunning (SA)

Ethno-Cultural Representative- Ramanan Mathisuthanan (Unity)

International Students Representative- Avantika Binani (Ind)

General Representatives (5)- Aish Cowgill (Ind), Kaia Cox (SA), Liam Douglas (Unity), Jye Langley (NLS), Darcy Turner (SA)

NUS Delegates (7) - Liam Douglas (Unity), Jasmine Duff (SA), Claire Dunning (SA), Alexander Hall (NLS), Juan Petrozzino (NLS), Nick Rogers (NLS), Dylon Tomasi (SA)[7]


Key: Unity= Student Unity NLS= National Labor Students SALT= Socialist Alternative, Lib= Liberal Students; student wing of the Liberal Party, Ind= Independent

Presidents

1994 - Peter Knox

1995 - Jo Kowalczyk

1996 - Laura Wilson

1997 - Carol Berry

1998 - Erin Cahill

1999 - Kane Gleeson

2000 - Nadine Torney

2001 - John Finlayson

2002 - Amanda Craig

2003 - Michael Szafraniec

2004 - Michael Szafraniec (removed from office at an extraordinary general meeting following allegations of corruption)/Ben Jones (from May 2004)

2005 - Ben Coughlin

2006 - Jess Moore

2007 - Elizabeth Larbalestier

2010 - Chris Monnox

2011 - Eloise Young

2012 - Peter Hughes

2013 - Samantha Dixon

2014 - Mitchell Bresser

2015 - Peter Munford

2016 - Samuel Tedeschi

2017 - Jasper Brewer

2018 - Tim Piert (Resigned 16/05/2018), Mia Watson (acting)

2019 - Chloe Rafferty (Resigned 11/08/2019), Madison Lord (acting)

2020 - Alexander Hall [8]

2021 - Taani Hendriks

See also

References
  1. "About Us". wusa.uow.edu.au. WUSA. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. "Will WUSA Part Ways With The NUS".
  3. "Provisional Results Indicate WUSA Splitting From The NUS".
  4. https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/fight-against-racist-ramsay-centre-continues
  5. https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5932071/protests-on-campus-as-uow-ramsay-centre-fire-still-burning/
  6. https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6036182/student-rep-locked-out-as-uow-council-decides-on-ramsay-deal/
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20201207014502if_/https://documents.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@gld/documents/doc/uow266916.pdf
  8. http://www.tertangala.net/wusa-2020-whos-who/
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