News Archive

By Cameron Barnes

100 ^th UWA Student Guild President

It is with a feeling of both sadness and relief that I write this column as one of my last acts as the 100 ^th Guild President.

Thanks to a generous grant from the University, our Centenary year has been an incredibly exciting affair, with events including a time capsule, a gala, a museum exhibition, a centenary publication and ‘the big 100'.

I kicked off the year with a Future Directions paper containing 22 ambitious proposals for the Guild.  This included stronger representation for postgraduate and international students, an expansion of core welfare services and greater inclusion of colleges, Indigenous students and students who don't drink alcohol.  In an attempt to gain some perspective I gave up alcohol for three months.

In addition to the ‘big picture' strategies we also created the Guild 100 , an ambitious set of 100 goals for the 100 ^th Guild Council ranging from improving food on campus to strengthening engagement with Albany students.

Importantly for the University, our new direction involved strategic alignment with the UWA Operational Priorities Plan.  This will result in shared goals and interests so that we can truly create a world top-50 student experience.  I like to tell people the story of how in 1931 students came to the University's rescue and finished digging the Reflection Pond.  This year we have put that partnership into action again on issues like sustainability, service learning and health promotions.

This year has also been a significant year of education advocacy for the Student Guild.  We have worked closely on the Education Futures project and conducted a widespread survey of students across faculties to identify ‘best practice' education.  We have also fought to receive SURF scores to better help us identify units requiring more attention, whether it be resources or support.  Finally, we have worked with the National Union of Students to protest against cuts to higher education.

However, the Guild has also faced its fair share of setbacks and challenges over the course of the year.  Most notable of these was the publication of unacceptable material in this year's Prosh paper.  We responded to the incident with mandatory cultural awareness training, apologies from editors and directors and a full independent review which has resulted in significant changes to the editorial process.

I also used the unfortunate circumstances around Prosh as a catalyst for change within the UWA student community.  The WA Student Aboriginal Corporation (WASAC) truly inspired me in the way they stepped up, running a new Marnda Week to promote Aboriginal culture and doubling their efforts to work with the Guild to support Indigenous students.  The creation of a new Guild representative position on the WASAC Committee (which will hold a vote on Guild Council) is an exciting opportunity for Indigenous student leaders to have a greater say in the running of the Guild.

Finally, it is worth noting that the centenary year of the Guild has seen some truly inspiring student leaders come to the fore.  Guild Environment Officer Dan Stone has revolutionised the way we think about sustainability and won national awards for the Guild Sustainability Plan.  Laura Smith as Societies Council President has overseen one of the largest expansions ever in the number of clubs on campus. The Cruickshank-Routley Memorial Award Prize was given to Josh Bamford for an outstanding seven years of service.

In the end, I have learned more than I ever could have imagined and look forward to seeing the work of the 101 ^st Guild President Tom Henderson.

When I leave UWA, I will leave as not just an individual student, but a member of a vibrant community of which I am proud to have been a part of.