UMSU

With a living history that extends over 130 years, at the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) we are committed to providing quality experiences on campus that create a community for students, staff and visitors from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

As a non-profit organisation run by students, for students, we provide valuable funding that keeps the arts, representation, advocacy, live music and cultural services alive on campus and will improve your time at uni immeasurably.

It’s about getting more out of your time at uni. It’s about immersing yourself in a wealth of cultural facilities and events whilst having access to quality support services. It’s about making sure that students have advocacy and representation on campus. It’s all about the battle to keep student voices in the big picture whilst making your time at uni fun and enjoyable.

New Campaign Campaigns

  • Greater Financial Support for Students
    We are worried about students who are struggling to pay for rent, food and bills, and when Centrelink payments are reduced in October this will only get worse. We are worried about international students and their families who are struggling to pay course fees, and the obvious impacts this will have. Students are suffering and the University’s response to this has been silence. The University needs to act – and it needs to act now.
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  • University of Melbourne: Protect our WAMs — this is not business as usual.
    We need to show the University that our voices are important. Sign the petition, and join the fight.
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  • Zero Tolerance for Zero Action: Affirmative Consent
    After the passing of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Sexual Offences and other Matters) 2022 Bill on 31/08/2022, affirmative consent is now law in Victoria. This amendment means that everyone has the responsibility to get active consent before engaging in sexual activity. This may include (but is not limited to) saying “yes,” as well as physical gestures like nodding and/or reciprocating removing someone’s clothes. To put it simply, there must be a “clear and enthusiastic go-ahead." The new legislation also firmly guards people from other forms of violence such as stealthing (non-consensual removal of barrier protection such as a condom) and image-based abuse (which can include, but is not limited to: deepfakes, taking, sharing or threatening to share sexual images or videos without consent). This change in law marks a crucial step in creating survivor-centered legislation, which shifts the responsibility away from survivor to perpetrator. The University of Melbourne’s Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Policy and their definition of consent lags behind state law. Additionally, the policy does not acknowledge stealthing as a form of violence and does not comprehensively cover the emerging issue of online image-based abuse. There is no room for victim-blaming at the University of Melbourne. Therefore, UMSU calls on the University to immediately change its policy in line with new state legislation. By doing this, it will shift the focus and burden of responsibility from the victim-survivors actions to those of the perpetrator. This change is vital to ensure we are committing to a victim-centred approach that puts justice and safety first. Support Resources: If this letter brings up any concerns for you, please reach out to the following supports: Sexual Assault Crisis Support Line (24/7): 1800 806 292 1800 Respect (24/7): 1800 737 732 UMSU Sexual Harm and Response Coordinators The UMSU Sexual Harm and Response Coordinators provide support with making complaints to the University, reporting to the police, and appropriate referrals to therapeutic services. Contact them via their webpage: https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/support/survivors/ University of Melbourne, Safer Community Program Provides advice and support to University of Melbourne students who have been affected by sexual violence and harassment: https://safercommunity.unimelb.edu.au/
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  • Divest Now, UniMelb!
    The University must act now. It is abhorrent that in preparing students for their future, they are complicit in the destruction of our future. We demand that: 1. That the University ceases any new investments in fossil fuels, 2. That the University commits to divesting its existing investments from fossil fuels within 5 years, and 3. The University instead invests in companies that have committed to mitigating their impact on climate change.
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  • Zero Tolerance for Zero Action
    We demand the University take action to develop a university-wide action plan that is victim centred and trauma informed: 1. Create a stand-alone sexual assault and harassment policy (including stalking and relationship violence), that is mandated across all UoM departments and affiliates, including residential colleges. This policy should be developed in conjunction with those with lived experience and subject matter experts. It should focus on reporting as a process, rather than a singular decision. 2. Move all reporting and therapeutic services, including anonymous reporting, away from University administrative premises into a stand-alone ‘Health and Wellbeing Centre’. All reporting and therapeutic services should reflect the diversity of the University community. 3. Publish clear guidelines, in multiple languages, about reporting, complaint, investigation, and adjudication processes. 4. Publish clear information about the breadth and diversity of sexual and relationship harms, to promote reporting from as many groups and communities within UoM as possible. 5. Publish annual figures (appropriately anonymised) for reporting, complaint, and adjudication, to promote transparency in decision-making and development of a genuine ‘zero tolerance’ approach. 6. Develop an independent investigative process, including appropriately trained staff, available to all departments and affiliates of UoM. 7. Maintain one investigative process for all complaints, whether student or staff. This should include all graduate students and those on placement with external agencies. 8. Develop alternative justice and resolution processes, with appropriately trained and supported staff, made available across UoM and affiliates. 9. Develop appropriate educational resources, alongside students, to define UoM culture and expectations, and assist students in developing positive relationships. 10. Develop a liaison committee, including representatives from key community agencies and services.
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  • Student Safety over University Reputation
    We need to show that their action is not okay, that their continual prioritisation of reputation is not okay, sign our petition to show your support! Support Resources: Centre Against Sexual Assault House http://www.casahouse.com.au/ Phone 24 Hour hotline: 03 9635 3610 1800 Respect: https://www.1800respect.org.au/ Phone: 1800 737 732, Interpreter: 13 14 50 UMSU Sexual Harm and Response Coordinator; Dr. Patrick Tidmarsh: [email protected] Unimelb Safer Communities: https://safercommunity.unimelb.edu.au/ Phone: 9035 8675 Additionally, UMSU has made up the following webpage which has some similar resources but is catered for students facing relationship violence during the lockdown: https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/support/covid-resources/positive-relationships-and-safety-at-home/
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  • Full divestment from fossil fuel and weapons manufacturing companies!
    It's important we show the University that we don't want them supporting these destructive industries. They don't care about our futures and are actively responsible for endangering them. The University of Melbourne can't be sustainable when it continues to fund the destruction of our planet. Full divestment would send a powerful message to these companies that they are no longer welcome on our campuses and that it's time to start investing in a sustainable future.
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  • No Cuts! - Ditch the Unimelb EA Variation
    A pay cut is a slap in the face to staff who have doubled or tripled their workloads to deliver online learning and services to students. The changes to redundancy packages, however, are disturbing. Job losses would become easier and cheaper to make, incentivising the University to lay off more staff. With workers already laid off in student services, libraries, schools and galleries, we cannot afford more cuts. As more of these redundancies take place, our quality of education will lessen. This would mean fewer students, less funding, and the devaluation of University of Melbourne degrees. Those who need University support the most, and benefit the most from tertiary education, would be hit the hardest. Worst of all, hundreds of thousands of workers could be left without a livelihood, all because the university refuses to dig a little deeper. With your help these jobs can be saved, but only by encouraging staff to vote No. Students and staff are counting on your support.
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  • UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE – LISTEN TO STUDENTS!
    UMSU has endorsed the system put in place at Adelaide University where students can see their results and then elect to have a passing grade converted to a non-graded pass which will not count for their WAM. Fails will become withdrawals – again not included in WAM calculations, and results pending can be used when components of courses are postponed to subsequent teaching period. This means that students have a safety net to prevent fails due to extreme circumstances, while maintaining the option of counting good results to their WAM.
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