The President On Your University Experience...

By Emma Lancaster, President, 43rd Students' Representative Council

Welcome to the great establishment of Higher Education learning at UTS,

Congratulations to those of you that made the right choice by choosing to study here at UTS. My welcome also extends to a select group of  you that wished you went to Sydney but didn’t get the marks so decided to settle, even to the handful of you  who chose your university based pure and simply on geographical location, UTS was the only uni that would accommodate your sheer laziness that prohibited you from  catching the bus to either UNSW or USYD.

So, you have signed up for your three- to- five year degree at UTS, and you will learn to love UTS from its interestingly outdated 60’s style décor right down to the overpriced soy chai latte you will sip at outlets around campus.  UTS will be your life for the next couple of years so it is important that you get involved, get active and get more than your degree with experiences and skills that will equip you for the Big Bad World come graduation. Your time at UTS will help form who you are as a person and hopefully create a thirst for knowledge and promote a culture of life long learning that will help you contribute not only to your working life but your community and society.

The state of Higher Education is not what it used to be, these past 11 years have seen Higher Education continue to be under funded Tertiary Education was clearly not a priority of the Howard government as more money trickled into defence than health and education combined. This has created a huge strain within the industry as more academics as forced into casualisation and are working with insufficient resources and support.

Both Local and International students are paying so much these days to attend a public University but are they getting their bang for their buck? Students have seen a constant increase to HECS (which is the big “IOU” you owe to the government when you graduate) Student debt is currently the highest it has ever been in Australia. The introduction of full fee places has made Australian Universities a less accessible and equitable places, emphasising how much money you or your parents can pay to send you to uni as opposed to your academic merits that should gain you entry. We have seen an increase in tutor, student ratio as well as the devastating effects of Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) that has decimated campus culture seen closures of essential services on campus due to ever under-funding of student organisations which has impacted on your student voice (which you can read more about in this issue of Vertigo)

This is why it is now more vital than ever to get active, get involved and support your Students’ Association as it supports you!

You have commenced your Universities years at an optimistic period in Australian history, due to the recent election of the Rudd Labor government- for the first time in over a decade there is hope again. In the first term of this government we have seen Rudd ratify Kyoto, and apologise to the Indigenous communities of Australia, and hopefully in the near future provide de facto equality for same- sex couples, rip up AWAs, save our Student Unions, start to rebuild our health system and deliver the promised “Education Revolution”.

Your Students’ Association is actually older than the University. It is a completely independent and democratic organisation run by students for students. UTS Students’ Association is the universal representative organisation of approximately 30,000 students at all campuses of the University of Technology, Sydney.  In our 43-year history we have a proud tradition of facilitating progressive campaigns and activism, making real gains for students and providing essential and meaningful services to the UTS community.

The Students’ Association is here to make your student life an easier and more fulfilling experience. We offer free Academic Advocacy and Advice, if you find yourself encountering difficulties in your studies, Peer Tutoring to help you keep on top of your work, Collectives and Clubs,  Vertigo the only Student Newspaper, Students’ Association Books where you can buy and sell your second-hand books as well as the UTS Food Co-Op which provides students’ and the community fresh, organic fruit and vegetables.

To get involved or join drop by your Students’ Association today

Level three, tower building Broadway or sign up online at www.sa.uts.edu.au