President’s Report – Week 6, Sem 1, 2016
The mid-semester break is over and it’s already week 6! Uni might feel like it’s getting a bit serious now, so it’s probably a good time to remind everyone that our Casework service can help out with a range of academic issues, including academic rights, appeals, special consideration arrangements, course discontinuations, academic dishonesty and misconduct, show cause, and exclusion issues. Fisher Library also has courses for students to learn to better manage study habits, including sessions catered for international students. Whatever you might need help with, the most important thing to remember is not to leave it until the last minute. Make sure you know your rights!
Given the time of year, it’s also salient to remember that university is about more than just assessments and exams (and also about more than just eating delicious pide at Hermann’s as well). There is so much happening in Australia right now that affects our education, including two announcements over the break: one by the Federal Government that they want to start collecting HECS debts from students who are deceased (yes, this is a thing), and a recommendation from the Grattan Institute to lower the HECS repayment threshold from around $54,000 to $42,000.
Whilst these issues might seem far-removed from where you are now, particularly if you’re just beginning your university education, they are policies which could have a major impact on you one day. They could certainly have an impact on your friends and family. Regardless of what you know or how you feel about higher education, you should be interested in how they play out. This week, the National Union of Students will be holding rallies and speak outs on campuses around the country as part of the National Day of Action, talking about what these policies mean for students and the university sector. If you care about your education and the education of future generations, and if you believe that education should be seen not as a commodity but as a right, then you need to be outside Fisher Library at 1pm this Wednesday. If nothing else, it’s a break from the textbooks! See you there!
Chloe Smith