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NUS
NUS is the peak representative body for Australian undergraduate university students. We seek to protect and advance the rights and interests of undergraduate students by working with campus-based student organisations, running actions and campaigns, and making sure the voices of students are heard by parliamentarians.
New Campaign Campaigns
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Powered by SSAF, Run by StudentsWhen properly funded, student unions can be both staunch advocates for young people and providers of essential services that many students depend on. As food insecurity continues to grow among young people, student unions can oversee subsidised canteens and free breakfasts. They can provide legal services, physical and mental health clinics, and support services. Since student unions are democratically run by students, they are also best placed to manage clubs and societies. They know university is about more than the classroom, and can deliver the student experience many of us have missed due to the pandemic. At the same time, student unions can continue their tradition of being an important political space, organising grassroots campaigns for things like climate justice, LGBT rights and free education. However, active and dynamic student unions are impossible without the proper funding, and across Australia, universities have been systematically underfunding student spaces for years. In 2006, the Howard Government outlawed Universal Student Unionism (USU), where students were required to join their student union and pay a membership fee. This change decimated funding for student unions and caused many student organisations to fold. In 2012, the Federal Labor Government introduced the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) to mitigate the damage to student unions. SSAF is like USU in that students are forced to pay the fee, however importantly, this money no longer goes directly to student-controlled organisations. Instead, the university charges it and has no obligation to fund student unions. Today the vast majority of funding for student unions comes from SSAF revenue, however, universities have made it clear that they are fully prepared to reduce or fully withdraw funding on a whim. Without financial independence, their ability to fight for student interests is systematically undermined. Under threat of reduced funding, our organisations are told that a stable relationship between the student union and the university is vital. As in, don’t make trouble, don’t cause scenes, don’t do anything to ruin our relationship with management because we can’t afford it. This system is an easy fix - the current legislation can be amended to mandate that all SSAF funds be directed to democratic student unions. Students pay these fees. So students, not university management, should decide what they are spent on.615 of 800 SignaturesCreated by NUS Education Department
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ScoMo's gotta go!Young people will inherit a dying planet because of government inaction on climate change. At the same time, investment in tertiary education is lower than it is in Trump's America, leaving students with increasing fees and debt. Young people also face an increasingly insecure and casualised workforce when we graduate. And our generation is the first to be worse off than our parents, with the cost of living and housing prices becoming untenable. Students on income support live way below the poverty line, and workplace exploitation of young people is rife. Scott Morrison's Liberal government has no vision for the future of young people. That's why we're telling Scott Morrison we'll be voting him and the Liberals out on May 18. NUS will be throwing parties in Sydney and Melbourne, and demonstrations in other cities across the country to call on young people to use their voice, and show ScoMo our power and young people and students come the election. Join us here: bit.ly/scomoparty539 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Desiree Cai, NUS President -
Join The Fight - Demand Disability Rights1. Fully-Funded National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS since its rollout has faced many issues such as over-the-phone planning through NDIS staff with limited training and expertise in the area leading to poor quality plans; no or reduced funding support under the NDIS for transport support, housing and employment assistance, advocacy services, guide dog assistance, and speech therapy among other things; the price setting of disability services at prices that are too low to cover the cost of the services - meaning disability service providers are either having to cover the cost, cancel the service, or make their clients pay up front - as well as struggle under limited resources for staff training and expansion (leading to concerns about privatisation); and there not being enough NDIS staff per NDIS participant which is leading to delays in approved plans. The Government needs to fix NDIS now and give people and students with disabilities the care they need. 2. Fully-Resourced Campus Counselling and Disability Services The NUS Wellbeing Report found that two thirds of young people rated their mental health as only fair or poor, while 35% reported that suicidality impacted on their ability to study. Despite this, campus counselling services are frequently under-funded and under-resourced, with long wait times, poor experiences with campus counselling services and the general stigma of seeking help impacting services. Some universities still do not have access plans for physical or mental health, or they are under-marketed or promoted on campus. Universities need to treat counselling and disability services as important aspects of their duty of care to students and fund them adequately. 3. Accessible campus facilities and academic curriculum Campuses need to become more accessible for students - this includes but is not limited to wheelchair accessibility, as well as sensory sensitive classrooms and spaces, and events. Further, some universities still do not offer special consideration for mental illness, adequate exemptions for missing study, accessible material for those who have to miss physical classes, or academic material that is sensory-sensitive, made for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who are blind or visually impaired. Universities need to be fully-funded so they can be accessible for everyone. 4. Funding Mental Healthcare and removing the Medicare cap Mental Healthcare is chronically underfunded in Australia, and the Federal Government only offers 10 sessions per year under its Medicare Mental Healthcare plan. This is not sufficient for people and locks them out of the mental healthcare system if they need more than 10 sessions per year. Nobody should have to choose between their financial wellbeing or their mental health. The Government needs to take mental healthcare more seriously, by adequately funding it and removing the 10 session per-year cap through expanding Medicare assistance.35 of 100 SignaturesCreated by NUS Disabilities
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SUPPORT STUDENT SAFETY, STOP THE WAR ON WOMENIn 2015, the NUS Women’s Department ran the 'Talk About It’ survey, which found that over 72% of women at university experience some form of sexual harassment, assault or violence while studying, over 14% saying that they had experienced rape or attempted rape, and over 15% saying that they been physically hurt by another individual. In the survey, students were also asked whether they reported the incident, and the majority said that they didn’t because they did not know about it, or because they didn’t think it was worth it; and perhaps even more alarmingly, three quarters of those that did report the incident to their university or to the police, said that little or nothing was done about it. “I was ignored, told I was simply drunk and it wasn't worth investigating” (University of NSW, 20 year old) In order to address these alarming rates of violence against women at university, the National Union of Students (NUS) has been working with a number of stakeholders including the team that has rolled out screenings of the well known documentary, The Hunting Ground across Australian university campuses, as well as The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), who have worked with Universities Australia (UA) to roll out a national survey which aims to gain an understanding of the prevalence of sexual assault at universities and develop recommendations to strengthen university responses. However, while all 39 Australian universities have committed to rolling out the survey, and working to make university campuses safer; they have not committed to making concrete changes to support students who are survivors of sexual violence, or to prevent incidents from occurring. In order to improve women’s safety at university, we are calling on all universities to implement the following, and use the survey results to improve support services for survivors. -adequate lighting, 24/7 security, and safe spaces for women -stand alone zero tolerance policies on sexual harassment, assault and violence, with clear repercussions for perpetrators -accessible and clear reporting processes, with effective remedies for survivors -sexual assault counsellors on every campus -mandatory consent training for all staff and students Sign the Petition. Demand Action!127 of 200 SignaturesCreated by NUS Women
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Change the Age: Lower the Age of Independence from 22 to 18The Centrelink Age of Independence for Youth Allowance sits at 22. Young Australians can drink, smoke and drive at the age of 18 but are not considered independent. Even students moving out of home to attend university can be denied access to income support based on a parent or partner's income. For students in the higher education sector, the global pandemic has meant that students are more vulnerable and poorer than ever before. Students are the victims of the casualised workforce, penalty rate cuts and the shutdown of industries predominantly worked in by young people due to COVID-19. With funding provided by Universities drying up and the Federal Government income support being reconsidered, anyone can see the impending impact on young people. . The health crisis isn’t over and the economic crisis certainly isn’t over. We should be ensuring that Australia’s future is well protected by investing in young people to be able to live and study and not sending them through the cracks of our welfare system to potential lifetimes of poverty. We need to fund our future. A liveable wage is essential so students are not skipping meals, going without medication, sleeping rough or couch surfing. Recognising that young people are independents from the age of 18 and the current age of independence makes life incredibly difficult in unstable households and for queer youth. The Government must act to ensure that means testing is genuine and that we keep students out of poverty. Arabella Wauchope National Union of Students (NUS) Welfare Officer Zoe Ranganathan NUS President12,246 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by National Union of Students (Australia)
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Women unite! Fight back against the Liberals!Women at university are worse off under a Liberal government. Health The Liberal Government has scrapped bulk-billing incentives for pathology services and diagnostic imaging. This means that women may have to pay up-front $30 for a Pap smear, blood or urine test, and from January 2017 as much as $173 for x-ray or ultrasound imaging. Women regularly rely upon these tests for the prevention or early detection of pregnancy, obstetric complications, cancers, STIs and UTIs The Liberal Government freeze on indexation of the rebate for GP consultations under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) until 2020 has already seen hundreds of practitioners around the country cease to offer bulk billing as they are forced to transfer increased costs onto patients. Most women students can not afford these increased costs of healthcare, and are forced to forgo necessary doctors visits, diagnostic testing and treatment. This poses critical risks for women’s health. Without early diagnosis and treatment, risk of poorer prognosis is high and the burden of disease, personal and financial costs on patients are increased. Education- cuts to funding The 2016-2017 budget revealed that Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals want to decrease funding to tertiary institutions by 20% as well as lower the tax repayment threshold by 10%. It was also strongly indicated that the Liberals will bring back fee deregulation. Universities are unlikely to put their hands in their own pockets to make up for funding cuts, choosing rather to cut vital student support services than risk jeopardising ‘important’ business projects Cuts to higher education will mean that women who are already disproportionately affected but a lack of funding will take longer to pay off their HECS debt and face a greater pay gap in the workforce. Cuts to services Severe lack of funding available for women’s services on university campuses. When the federal government make cuts to the higher education sector, often basic services relied on by women are the first to go. Universities across Australia do not prioritise the welfare of students, this consequently has a greater effect on women due to structural barriers which make it difficult women to go to university and study. As revealed in the results of the 2016 ‘Talk about it’ survey women students are likely to face harassment and sexual violence on university campuses. Due to a number of factors, including inadequate help services, women are strongly deterred from seeking help from university. Women should be able to balance university life as well as home life, and should not be forced to choose between the two. Services focused on assisting students who are also mothers have been neglected for too long. Many universities are lacking parent rooms, for mothers to comfortably breastfeed. Underfunded services have a detrimental effect on those who use them most, women are already limited by a culture of misogyny on campus and an initial lack of policies and services to protect them. Due to the lack of services and policies, many universities do not adequately address incidents of harassment on campus, making university an unsafe place for women. Universities receive funding from the student services and amenities fee annually, a small portion of which is usually allocated to the student union on campus. The rest of the SSAF is allocated to funding university projects, a funding increase to women's services could be done through this avenue. When the Liberal government make cuts to higher education universities will make cuts to student services. The Solution In order to address the stark difficulties of women accessing higher education the NUS women's department is running an O week and semester one campaign which will encourage women to support, promote and attend the National Day of Action on March 22nd. This NUS women’s department campaign will aim to put pressure on universities to start addressing the specific concerns of women, through more funding to services that women access. The campaign will produce a petition and towards the end of the semester the NUS Women’s Department will be submitting a government submission. The campaign will Lobby federal parliamentary representatives for accessible health care and education for women in the lead up to the federal budget. Lobby universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Encourage and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action Focus on supporting women in higher education in the face of an aggressive conservative federal government. Highlight the challenges that women face in higher education specifically around education and health. Produce a petition pushing universities to commit more funding to student services Produce a government submission detailing the need to adequately fund the higher education sector, and how funding cuts hurt women the most, particularly women from marginalised backgrounds. Get Involved Promote and sign the NUS Womens petition! Sign up to the email list to receive updates on the campaign! Attend and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing federal MPs to commit to not supporting cuts to higher education and health. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Like the NUS Women’s Department page for updates Change your cover photo, like and share posts about the campaign.304 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Abby Stapleton -
#FixCentrelinkNow - It's TimeFixing the mess that is Centrelink will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society, giving them the best leg-up to start and in many cases, rebuild, their lives. It’s time to: SCRAP THE CENTRELINK AUTOMATED SYSTEM The automated system is flawed. The system is a debt recovery scheme that cross-references employment data through the ATO and Centrelink, which has created large room for error and is falsely attributing debt to vulnerable Australians. Although Labor has called for a national audit of the system, we believe enough is enough and it needs to be scrapped. The recovery of legitimate debt is important and should be done by paid staff at the Department of Human Services, not a machine! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-accused-of-welfare-fraud-say-centrelink-is-wrong/8127550 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/centrelink-faces-sustained-criticism-over-its-new-automated-debt-recovery-system-20170102-gtkpq8.html STOP THE CENTRELINK PAY DELAYS In 2016 it was reported that up to 90,000 new applicants were left waiting months for income support, resulting in many being unable to afford necessities like rent and food. Centrelink is designed to be a safety-net, and leaving thousands with support at the start of the year needs to end. According to data collected by our Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 32% of students on Centrelink have experienced delayed payments, forcing them to borrow money from family, friends and in some cases, take out loans to make ends meet. Last year, when the delays were reported in the media, it was also reported that this had gone on for several years due to a lack of staff at the Department of Human Services, enough is enough! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-waiting-four-months-centrelink-payments-delayed/7346960 http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-backlog-to-be-solved-in-two-weeks/7360760 LOWER THE CENTRELINK AGE OF INDEPENDENCE TO 18 The Centrelink Age of Independence for Youth Allowance sits at 22, making income support inaccessible to the majority of university students, particularly those starting their degrees who may have moved out of home to attend university. According to data collected by the 2016 Student Wellbeing Survey, 62% of respondents were unable to receive financial assistance from Centrelink due to the Age of Independence being set at 22. Regardless of living out of home, many students are still assessed on the basis of their parent’s income because they are under the age of 22. Young people who decide to attend university do so in the hope of educating themselves for future careers, they are the future of this country and deserve to be financially supported regardless of their age! DITCH CASHLESS WELFARE CARDS Cash welfare cards are not a new policy from the Federal Government, they have been used for years to police the spending of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on income support. The scheme is already in use, acting as a form of compulsory income management that is policing the expenditure of those in receipt of Centrelink, blocking them from spending their payments at particular stores. If introduced for students, cashless welfare cards will not effectively stop addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling, but will instead police the behaviours of vulnerable people! Links to relevant articles: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-alan-tudge-flag-national-rollout-of-cashless-welfare-card-met-by-protests-at-cashless-debit-card-trial-20161030-gsdytb.html https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/ration-days-again-cashless-welfare-card-ignites-shame STOP CALL CHARGES AND IMPROVE CALL WAITING TIMES Due to funding cuts to the Department of Human Services, call-waiting times are longer than ever, which only exacerbates call charges as calls to Centrelink are charged at timed rates. According to data collected by the Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 57% of students in receipt of Centrelink have been left waiting on the phone for excessively long periods of time. Students trying to do the right thing by reporting changes in their circumstances or seeking assistance are being priced out of chasing up Centrelink and are left to the whims of an automated system! Links to relevant articles: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/centrelink-call-waiting-racks-up-costs-for-poor/news-story/e0a01674c64da6dc605c58d45a139005 AND ALLOW MORE DISCRETION IN CENTRELINK POLICIES For many students on income support, the policies Centrelink is governed by often make their lives much more difficult if something goes wrong. If there is a personal or medical situation and a student needs to shift from full-time to part-time study, their payments can be lowered and in many cases cut entirely. This lack of flexibility can exacerbate an already difficult situation, putting further unnecessary pressure on individuals. We must not criminalise unemployment or mental health and the lack of flexibility with Centrelink does just that! - If you believe it’s time to #FixCentrelinkNow, sign our petition to demand the Australian Government reform the system that is putting already vulnerable Australians into more unstable times and condemn Social Services Minister Christian Porter for attacking our lowest income earners whilst the Federal Government allows corporate giants go tax free! Contact: NUS National Welfare Officer, Jill Molloy Email: [email protected] Phone: 0423 507 0101,204 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by National Union of Students (Australia)
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SUPPORT STUDENTS - SUPPORT THE SSAFAcross the country, students are increasingly facing struggles which impact on their ability to participate in and succeed at university including: -financial difficulties -health problems and -familial responsibilities. These struggles are even more pronounced for disadvantaged students including women students, lgbtiqa students, aboriginal and torres strait islander students, ethno-culturally diverse students, students with disabilities and students from regional and rural areas. At most universities, student organisations help to address these issue through the provision of a range of student services including student counseling, financial support, and autonomous departments which provide an independent voice for students. However, while these services are essential, they are almost entirely reliant on the funding their receive through the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF); which is often not sufficient or ongoing This is largely due to the fact that loopholes in the SSAF legislation allow universities to bypass recognising the most pressing needs of students in their SSAF distribution. While the federal SSAF legislation dictates that Universities are required to consult with student organisations about the distribution of their SSAF revenue; many Universities do so in a way that is superficial, and does not ensure the adequate resourcing of essential student services. Further more the SSAF is at risk under the current Liberal government, which has had a longstanding opposition to its existence. In order to ensure that all students receive the support they need at university, it is essential that the SSAF is supported, and that student representatives are given more control over student affairs.577 of 600 SignaturesCreated by The National Union of Students (NUS)
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COVID-19: Students Demand Government ResponseThe COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the social inequality many young people have experienced for too long. While the world tries to manage an unfolding pandemic, this crisis has led to insecurity in housing, income, and study without action from our government. This crisis will affect all aspects of the lives of students and young people. Casual workers, most of whom are students, have no guarantee that they will get paid if their workplace is to shut down or they must self-isolate. Working people need to know they don’t have to make the decision between going to work sick, or self-isolating and not being able to pay their bills. At Universities, our campuses are closing and moving online, while ongoing fears about fees and future of study, especially for international students, remain unaddressed. So many questions remain unanswered, but what we know is that if this continues, bills will stack up, evictions will occur, and income support payments will be lost. In its silence, our government is finalising a generation of inequality for today’s young people. As they move towards announcing their second stimulus package, young workers and students are begging for support. The Morrison government is yet to respond to our concerns. Instead, focusing on lining the pockets of business and giving out one off welfare payments that will fail to bring students out of poverty. Students and young people cannot continue to be left behind. This statement is endorsed by dozens of student representatives from around the country, representing hundreds of thousands of students whose livelihoods and futures are under threat. We are demanding action. The government must finally take leadership during this crisis and support the Australians who have been forgotten. Workers, students, and young people need action to protect their income, housing, and study. To fail at this now will hurt this nation for years to come.320 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Zoe Ranganathan, NUS President -
#RAISETHERATE of New StartThe National Union of Students is calling on the Federal Government to increase commonwealth income support programs such as Newstart. It’s been 24 years since any government has increased the payments for newstart. Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot, there were only 3 rental properties in the country that were affordable for students under Newstart. Under Youth Allowance there are only 2 affordable rental properties. The NUS and Anglicare Student Housing Survey in 2017 reported that: - 82% of working students said that the amount of time they spend at work hurts their studies. - 85% of students do not believe that Centrelink provides them with enough to live and study Former Prime Minister John Howard has even admitted the freeze on NewStart has gone on too long. We are joining with organisations such as the Everybody's home campaign and ACOSS to raise the rate of Newstart and fix youth homelessness and poverty.112 of 200 SignaturesCreated by National Union of Students (Australia)