I hope you had a great break over the winter.
Education issues are looming large this year. In first semester
students and staff were standing up for better education. The proposed
Rudd ‘Education Revolution’ has not started unfortunately, but unions
are starting a process for change.
The NTEU staff union joined other unis across Melbourne for a very
successful strike and rally in the city on 21 May. Many student
activists got involved in the picket lines.
Now, the Vice Chancellor has announced more than 200 more staff cuts,
which will only mean intolerable workloads for the staff on whom
students rely every day.
Students need staff to win better conditions and be treated well – not
overworked because of staff shortages and not underpaid because of
budget cuts. GSA has been looking into the problems of...
Each year postgrad office bearers are elected by and from the members of GSA Council. Each office bearer is responsible for a certain portfolio. The President is full time, but other office bearers work part time while also studying as postgrad students.
All office bearers and Councillors welcome input from postgrads, and are available to talk with students, give advice, and take your concerns to the relevant people. They can be contacted by phoning reception on 8344 8657 or by email as below.
The postgrad office bearers for 2009 are:
President
Paul Coats
Email: president@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
The President's role includes:
- ensuring the implementation of decisions made by Council, the Executive, General meetings and other governing bodies and procedures
- acting as spokesperson for GSA;
- coordinating liaison with external bodies;
- policy development and strategic planning within UMPA;
- providing to Graduate students on matters of concern to them;
- overseeing the management of UMPA;
- taking joint responsibility with the General Manager for GSA's involvement in the Graduate Centre; and
- acting as GSA's public officer and publisher
The President also represents Graduate students at a University level by participating in several University committees.
Vice-President
Tammi Jonas
Email:
Research Education Officer:
Maloti Ray
Email: research@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Office Bearer Profile: www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/researchofficer/
Research web page: http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/Research_students/index.shtml
The Research Education Officer:
- coordinates matters of academic concern and support services;
- provides related information to GSA members;
- recommends educational policy to the Council;
- convenes meetings of Graduate student representatives on University committees;
- participates in the orientation services for new Graduates; and
- coordinates representation of Graduates on University committees.
Coursework Education Officer:
Judy McVey
Email: coursework@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Web page: http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/courseworkofficer/index.shtml
The Coursework Education Officer:
- coordinates matters of academic concern and support services;
- provides related information to GSA members;
- recommends educational policy to the Council;
- convenes meetings of Graduate student representatives on University committees;
- participates in the orientation services for new Graduates; and
- coordinates representation of Graduates on University committees.
Activities Officer:
Tony Williams
Email: activities@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
The Activities Officer coordinates UMPA's social, cultural and academic support activities for Graduate students. This includes liaison with other University bodies involved in the Graduate Centre and with external bodies which take an active interest in such activities.
International Students Officer
Anwar Shah Email: international@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
The International Students Officer maintains a close involvement with the welfare of the University's international Graduate students. This includes:- promoting international students' interaction and involvement with GSA;
- recommending policy pertaining to international students to the Council;
- overseeing the planning and budgeting processes for international Graduate events.
Women's Officer
Rohani MohamadEmail: women@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Web page: http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/womensofficer/index.shtml
The Women's Officer promotes and supports the involvement of women within the University's Graduate environment, and recommend educational and research policies with regard to women students to the Council. The Women's Officer also:
- oversees all UMPA matters pertaining to education, welfare and cultural activities specific to women Graduates;
- keeps this group informed on current education and academic issues and services;
- oversees the planning and budgeting of the activities contained within this portfolio; and
- regularly meets with Graduate women to discuss issues.&
Publications Officer:
Louise O'Shea
Email: publications@umpa.unimelb.edu.au
The Publications Officer coordinates and oversees all UMPA's publications, both print and electronic media. This includes convening meetings of the Publications Committee, soliciting material for GSA publications, and ensuring that publication policy and content serve the interests of Graduate students. If you wish to contribute to one of GSA's publications, such as the biannual Plane Tree, email the Publications Officer with ideas or articles.
Queer Officers:
David Pejoski and Alli O'TooleEmail: queer (at) gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Web: Queer
The Queer Officers coordinate and oversees postgrad queer issues, policies and activities for GSA. They are contact points within GSA for queer postgrads, convene regular queer postgrad meetings, organise social events, lobby the University on queer issues, implements GSA's queer policy, and are responsible for keeping graduate students informed about queer issues.
GSA Coursework Officer – welcome to second semester
Posted in:
Coursework Education Officer
Women Graduate Students’ Gathering
Posted in:
Archive,
Womens Officer
The GSA Women's Officer wishes you all the best in preparing for your
assignments and end-of-term assessments, and invites you to join her and
other women graduate students for a relaxed gathering. Come along for some
tea/ coffee, cake and conversation!
Date: Thursday 18 June
Time: 10:30 to 11:30 am
Venue: Graduate Centre Café (behind GSA Reception)
RSVP to: women@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Women Graduate Students’ Gathering
Posted in:
Women,
Womens Officer
The GSA Women's Officer wishes you all the best in preparing for your
assignments and end-of-term assessments, and invites you to join her and
other women graduate students for a relaxed gathering. Come along for some
tea/ coffee, cake and conversation!
Date: Thursday 18 June
Time: 10:30 to 11:30 am
Venue: Graduate Centre Café (behind GSA Reception)
RSVP to: women@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Speakers Wanted for ‘Students of Sustainability’ Conference
Posted in:
Green,
Womens Officer
Registrations are now open for the ‘Students of Sustainability’ (SoS)
annual environment / social justice conference. This conference offers an
opportunity to participate in five days (with entertainment at night) of
skill-sharing, workshops, discussions, speakers and forums about creating a
more ecologically and socially sustainable world. The event usually attracts
400 to 500 people. For more information visit the web address below.
Date: 06 to 10 July
Venue: Monash University Clayton Campus
Cost: conference fees range from $150 to $300 depending on circumstances;
sponsorship is also available (check the website)
Register by 29 June at www.studentsofsustainability.org
The conference organisers are seeking participants with particular knowledge
and experience related to women. If you have special skills or knowledge in
the field of women’s rights, issues and concerns (or social justice in
general), please contact the organisers via the website.
"That's Melbourne" - GSA Research Education Officer in Forum
Posted in:
Research Education Officer
Recreating Melbourne's university quarter: making places
The university experience worldwide is characterised by a kind of temporary belonging for students. Organisations they interact with, buildings they live in, public places they socialise in, and their mobility through and beyond all these spaces, are central to their experience.
Educators agree that important learning for young adults occurs outside the classroom. If the practices of inner Melbourne universities and governments and the forms of housing and public places made available to students are regarded as arenas of social education, how might we plan and design for open, productive, temporary and often transnational communities on the northern edge of central Melbourne?
Panellists include:
The university experience worldwide is characterised by a kind of temporary belonging for students. Organisations they interact with, buildings they live in, public places they socialise in, and their mobility through and beyond all these spaces, are central to their experience.
Educators agree that important learning for young adults occurs outside the classroom. If the practices of inner Melbourne universities and governments and the forms of housing and public places made available to students are regarded as arenas of social education, how might we plan and design for open, productive, temporary and often transnational communities on the northern edge of central Melbourne?
Panellists include:
- Prof. Ruth Fincher, Geography, Uni. Melb.
- Prof. Paolo Tombesi, Architecture, Uni. Melb.
- Prof Paul Carter, Urban Design , Uni. Melb.
- Ms Maloti Ray, Education Research Officer, Graduate Student Association, Uni. Melb.
Melbourne universities strike for better education
Posted in:
Coursework Education Officer,
News
Rally on the steps of the SLV
|
It was part of a 24-hour statewide strike over wages and conditions that disrupted five universities - Deakin, Melbourne, Monash, RMIT and Swinburne universities. Latrobe were set to take action on 28 May.
As well, Hawthorn Learning joined the action and the University of Tasmania walked out in what was said to be the first strike there in 20 years.
About 250 marched down from the University of Melbourne.
Download attachment(s): [ Verity Burgmann speech at NTEU Rally ]
Class sizes: they’re just too big!
The message coming back from Masters coursework students at this University is that class sizes of more than 50 students are just too big for a seminar. Do you agree? Come and discuss strategies for reducing our class sizes and increasing the quality of education at this GSA public consultation forum around the topic, ‘Class sizes: they’re just too big!’
Date: Monday 27 April
Time: 5:30 for a 6 pm start
Venue: Gryphon Gallery, Graduate Centre (1888 Building)
The Law Against Students: Fair according to Lynne Kosky
Posted in:
Research Students,
Research Education Officer
On 18 September 2007, Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky introduced a Bill to the Legislative Assembly that sought to ban discrimination claims by international overseas students, over public transport fares.
[1]
(While the governments of
Victoria and the State refer to international students, Ms Kosky’s speech and bill uses the term “overseas students” to refer to the same students.) The Bill subsequently passed into the Transport Act.
[2]
The introduction of the Bill to the Committee and the second reading to the Legislative Assembly were based on convenient errors in her response to Committee and the Legislative Assembly, the latter of which claims compatibility with the Human Rights and Responsibilities Act.
Queer drinks
Posted in:
Queer,
Queer Officers
Event: Queer Drinks
"Welcome back for 2009"
What: Cocktail Party
Host: Dave & Alli
Start Time: 03 March at 17:00
End Time: 03 March at 19:00
Where: The Loft, top floor of Graduate Centre (1888 Building)
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=53336248057&aref=3975308
"Welcome back for 2009"
What: Cocktail Party
Host: Dave & Alli
Start Time: 03 March at 17:00
End Time: 03 March at 19:00
Where: The Loft, top floor of Graduate Centre (1888 Building)
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=53336248057&aref=3975308
Scholarly Works
Posted in:
Research Students,
Research Education Officer
Know who owns ideas. Some research students will find that their ideas are subject to policy on ownership. The Australian Government defines Intellectual Property (IP) as,
“… the property of your mind or intellect. In business terms, this also means your proprietary knowledge.”
The jurisprudence of Intellectual Property is a niche research field and the University specialist centre is the IP Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA), funded by IP Australia. IP will matter more in some research compared to others. Find out what is conventionally practiced in your faculty and how its researchers define scholarly works.
“… the property of your mind or intellect. In business terms, this also means your proprietary knowledge.”
The jurisprudence of Intellectual Property is a niche research field and the University specialist centre is the IP Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA), funded by IP Australia. IP will matter more in some research compared to others. Find out what is conventionally practiced in your faculty and how its researchers define scholarly works.