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Melbourne University student unions provide representation for students and a wide range of services. Currently, student services at the University of Melbourne are provided by the university-managed company, MU Student Union Limited. A separate body called the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSUi) is responsible for student representation.

MU Student Union Limited

MU Student Union Limited is a company limited by guarantee that is wholly owned by the University of Melbourne that provides services to students at the University. It is the largest - in terms of staff and revenues - student organisation at the University, receiving millions of dollars in amenities and services fees. As of 2007, this source of funding will be replaced by the University.

Its Chief Executive Lowan Darien Sist is a former manager at Students at Macquarie. Other managers include Jason Ronald and Clive Pattison. Its directors include: Elizabeth Baré, Erin Brown, Ben Lochtenberg (Chair), Ian Marshman, David McDonald, Graeme Russell and Alex White.

University of Melbourne Student Union

The University of Melbourne Student Union Inc. is an incorporated assocation of students at Melbourne University, Australia. UMSU is the successor to the Melbourne University Student Union for student representation.

UMSU is a separate body from the MU Student Union Limited, which is governed by a Board, and administered day-to-day by a Chief Executive Officer. The Board consists of a majority of University appointments, with some elected student representation.

Culture

There is a long history of student activities at the University of Melbourne. Particularly noteworthy is Union House Theatre, out of which a large number of notable Australian celebrities have emerged, such as Cate Blanchett, Barry Humphries and Malcolm Livingstone; the Union Band Comp, which has kick-started the careers of several well-known Australian bands; and an annual comedy review which produced the Working Dog crew. Several Members of Parliament were active within MUSU, including Sir Robert Menzies (former Australian Prime Minister), Lindsay Tanner (Member for Melbourne) and Sophie Panopoulos (Member for Indi).

Services

The student union has been funded by compulsory fees since 1911, with the fees going towards essential student services, along the Cambridge and Oxford unions model. Since changes to the Federal Higher Education Act in 2003/04, amenities and services fees collected by Melbourne University have been changed at a rate of $49 per subject. Full-time students generally in 2006 $392 or around 5 weeks in rent in shared accomodation.

In 2005, around three-quarters of the student union's funds were directed the cost of employing staff. Some of these staff are employed to operate the Rowden White Library, the Computing Centre, the Student Union Advisory Service; subsidised legal, health and dental services; a campus information centre; and common areas in Union House. The remaining money went to clubs and societies, entertainment, and student grants for cultural and artistic events.

Of the $12 million budget of the student union, somewhat less than $1 million goes towards the funding of Union Departments, which includes funding Farrago, the Women's Department and the Queer Department. In 2005, this also includes funds set aside for possible payment for NUS affiliation fees.

Farrago

Farrago is the University of Melbourne student newspaper. The editors are elected annually and hold the title of Media Officer in the University of Melbourne Student Union . Typically the Media Officer position is held by a team of four editors, the maximum number permitted. Each editor receives $20,000 payment for the thirteen editions they participate in. The Union's Secretary is the publisher, in a legal sense. The editorship is highly politicised and election campaigns are vigorous although with low levels of voter participation. Archives of Farrago are available at the University library. It was first published in 1925.

History and politics

The University of Melbourne Union was founded in 1884 to promote the common interests of students and assist in social interactions between its members.

The Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council was formed as an independent unincorporated association at a special general meeting called by the Sports Union Council on 19 September, 1907.

1980s

On 13 July, 1988 the members of the Students’ Representative Council authorised its incorporation under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 and approved a constitution, and on 13 September 1988 the Students’ Representative Council was incorporated as Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council Incorporated.

On 14 October, 1987 the annual general meeting of the Students’ Association authorised its incorporation under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 and approved a constitution, and on 27 November, 1987 the Students’ Association was incorporated as the Melbourne College of Advanced Education Students’ Association-Carlton Incorporated.

In accordance with a referendum of students, on 13 October 1988 the Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council Incorporated resolved to amalgamate with the Melbourne College of Advanced Education Students’ Association-Carlton Incorporated to form the Melbourne University Student Union Incorporated (MUSU) and approved a constitution.

On 27 October 1988 the annual general meeting of the Melbourne College of Advanced Education Students’ Association-Carlton Incorporated resolved to amalgamate with the Melbourne University Students’ Representative Council incorporated to form the Melbourne University Student Union Incorporated and approved the same constitution.

1990s

The Student Union has, for at least the last decade, been a venue for vicious factional political battles (which occasionally sees the unusual alliance of Student Unity (Labor Right) and Liberal Students supporters to defeat left-wing candidates, in particular those aligned to Labor Students, formerly Australian Labor Students (ALS) and NOLS (Labor Left) and Left Focus.

In the 1990s, the student union was run by members of Left Focus or the "independent" left.

2000

In 2000, a member of Student Unity, Benjamin Cass, was elected President. His presidency was noteworthy for the redevelopment of the union cafe into U-Bar, privatisation of five food and retail outlets, the commissioning of the largest student survey in Australia and redevelopment of Union House's North Court which expanded the entertainment facilities of the Union. Student Unity was defeated in the 2000 election by Left Focus. A coalition of the Left Focus and National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)sucessfully resisted Cass's attempts of sourcing Anderson Consulting to undertake a review of MUSU's income and expenditure (particularly ballooning staff wages) given the possibility of Voluntary Student Unionism being introduced (ultimately proved correct in 2005).

2001

Student Unity again gained control of the student union, this time led by Darren Ray.

2002

At the end of 2002, Darren Ray and the General Secretary Tim Lisle-Williams, signed a property development deal with Optima, which ultimately did not proceed. Darren Ray also oversaw the closure of many of the union's unprofitable commercial services, including U-Bar which had been losing $10,000 per week. Student Unity won the elections in 2002, after the introduction of a food-voucher system which was supported by the University Administration (which gave voters an $8 encouragement to vote in the election). It dramatically expanded the extent of voter participation to the highest ever levels, with some 12000 students voting.

2003

The 2003 president was Scott Crawford, who was reelected that year in a controversial election in which the opposing ticket was expelled from the election. The company that provided services to MUSU as its Returning Officer company was owned by Benjamin Cass, the 2000 Student Unity president. Years before a left-wing activist and Greens Party member Stephen Luntz also ran MUSU's elections for several years.

Termination of funding agreement

A draft report from auditor PWC warned in June 2003 that a property deal the Union had entered into with Optima Property Development Group Proprietary Limited might potentially have obligations beyond its capacity to pay. The deal, which was the subject of substantial controversy, was to rent out rooms in an apartment building to be constructed, then sublet them to international students.

On 30 September, Alan Gilbert, then Vice-Chancellor, informed MUSUI that the University was terminating the 2003 Funding Agreement, effectively stripping it of any future money. In an email to all students, dated 13 October 2003, Gilbert cited breaches of "evidence ofbreaches by MUSUI of its obligations under the Agreement", meaning "providing facilities, services or activities of direct benefit to students at the institution." He also cited a "serious breakdown in governance, financial management and accountability structures within MUSU". He did not provide any evidence substantiating his claims, nor has the University Administration subsequently.

On 12 December, Geraldine Lim, a member of the Student Union Executive filed for the provisional liquidation of MUSUI in the Supreme Court. This action was supported by the University, but opposed by then president Crawford and supported by Tim O'Halloran, a member of the Socialist Left faction of the Australian Labor Party and now an employee of Lynne Kosky, the State Education Minister. The court granted the application and appointed Dean McVeigh as liquidator. He went on to spend nearly $7 million in total as Liquidator, generating nearly $2.6 million in professional fees for himself, lawyers and others.

2004

In 2004, Crawford was removed by Dean McVeigh, MUSU's Liquidator. Following the union's liquidation in 2004, it was no longer student-controlled (a prerequisite for affiliation to NUS) and was unable to pay affiliation fees to NUS. A new constitution was approved by students (predominantly from left-wing political groups) in poorly attended elections in a transitional body established for that purpose by the University.

Voluntary liquidation

On February 6, 2004 the Union was placed into liquidation by the Supreme Court of Victoria after a vote by the Student Union Executive.

MUSU'S Liquidator Dean Royston McVeigh is an insolvency practitioner practising in Melbourne, Australia. In his provisional liquidator's report, McVeigh found that the Union owed debts of $4.3 million but only had assets of $3.5 million.

McVeigh has made claims against former student politicians and others at MUSU in connection with the management of the affairs of the Student Union. He has attempted to pursue the closure of a blog which is critical of his conduct as Liquidator. The MakeMcVeighPay blog is run by Benjamin Cass, a creditor of MUSU being pursued by McVeigh in connection with the affairs of the Student Union. Master Ewart Evans who was presiding over the hearings of the liquidators' examination until his retirement in 2005 was critical of the "somewhat precipitative" timing of civil court proceedings issued by McVeigh. Liquidators generally conclude their examinations, right a report for creditors, submit it to creditors for their consideration and then a decision is made to take legal action or otherwise. McVeigh has not yet written his Liquidator's Report and has not convened any meeting of creditors.

2006

In 2006, Jaimie Adam from Above Quota, a business owned by Stephen Luntz, was appointed Returning Officer to conduct by elections scheduled in April. Luntz is an official of the Victorian Greens. Adam was Welfare Officer at the Melbourne University Student Union in 1996. Both Luntz and Adam were members of Left Focus, a political faction within the Union. Union Secretary Alex White handled the contract negotiations directly with Stephen Luntz.

MUSU Liquidator Dean McVeigh released cost statements required under the Corporations Law as part of his duties. They disclosed that he spent nearly $7 million, with $2.7 million in professional fees charged by himself, his lawyers and others. As of March 2006, he has not called a creditor's meeting, something he is required to do under the Corporations Law.

Interim Student Representative Committee

The Interim Student Representative Committee (ISRC) was a committee formed in consultation between the University and members of the Constitutional Working Group, a student body formed to draft a constitution for the successor to MUSU. The ISRC is chaired by Paul Donegan, who will also become the first president of a successor body to MUSU in the event that the constitution is ratified by students at a referendum. Structurally, it was formed of Departments, which closely follow that of MUSU, but in reality it is little more than a wing of MU Student Union Ltd, with no autonomy.

Past presidents

• 2003 and 2004 President: Scott Crawford
• 2002 President: Darren Ray
• 2001 President: Eve Bodsworth
• 2000 President: Benjamin Cass
• 1999 President: Lizzie Blandthorn
• 1998 President: Shelley Marshall
• 1997 President: Anthony Sibillin
• 1991 President: Andrew Landeryou
• 1988 President: Richard Marles
• 1987 President: Evan Thornley

References

1. "Uni food-for-vote deal queried" - The Age 2003-07-23
2. "Student union urged to abandon deal" - The Age 2003-07-09
3. "The deal that threatens to send a student union broke" - The Age 2003-07-20
4. "Student union action pending" - The Age 2005-04-22
5. "Landeryou appears in court" PM program on ABC Local Radio 2005-05-05
6. MakeMcVeighPay blog run by Benjamin Cass
7. "Landeryou threatened me, says liquidator" - The Age 2005-05-25

External links

• MU Student Union Ltd Website
• Commentary from the University on MUSU
• Current edition of Farrago

• Australian students' unions
• Universities in Melbourne