Curtin Student Guild
 | |
| Full name | Curtin Student Guild |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Members | 36,832 (2018) |
| Affiliation | Curtin University |
| Key people | Dylan Botica (President) Madison Ainsworth (VP-E) February Metcalf (VP-A) |
| Office location | Building 106, Curtin University, Bentley 6102, Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Website | www |
The Curtin Student Guild is a student organisation established to provide service, support and representation to the students of Curtin University. All enrolled students are automatically members (unless they opt-out).The Guild oversees approximately $13 million in revenue each financial year..[1]. The Guild is affiliated with the National Union of Students (Australia). The student union is run by representatives elected at annual elections, the organisation also employs professional staff.
Background[edit]
Curtin Student Guild was formed following the formations of Curtin University—formerly known as the West Australian Institute of Technology.:[2] Founded in 1960, WAIT opened on August 17, 1966. WAIT was focused on establishing itself as an institution and, as such, developing a sense of community would require time. Designed architecturally for development, the second stage of expansion at the Bentley campus included Hayman Hall, student common rooms, and a larger cafeteria—which provided a focus for student socialising. But the majority of students during this period were part-time, mature-aged students, and many others were already in the workforce or on cadetships that entitled them to “day release” study on campus. This made the concept of “community” difficult to identify amongst the bulk of students.[3]
Dr Haydn Stanley Williams—WAIT’s Director from 1967 to 1979 - worked to establish a student union. In July 1967[4], the Management Board called a meeting of student representatives from each department to explain WAIT’s intention to delegate responsibility for the management of student facilities to a properly constituted student union. In September, a working party of six students headed by Assistant Director Harry Nash, with the assistance of Administrative Secretary Howard William Peters and Administrative Assistant Bob Gardiner, created an interim constitution.[5][6]
On September 19th 1968, then-Education Minister Edgar Lewis introduced legislation in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly providing statutory authority for the formation of a WAIT student body[7]. However—reflecting his party’s abhorrence to the term “union”, which had unacceptable potential political overtones—Lewis forced WAIT to adopt the name “Guild”[8][9].
In February 11 1969, a “Meeting of Guild Interim Council with Institute Officers” resulted in the first Student Guild taking office at 6.45pm—elected through the college system. The first Council included Tom Silvan as the first Guild President.
A slew of extremist leaders—elected by the minority of WAIT students who cared to vote during a period of student apathy towards Guild politics—headed the Guild during the early 1970s. Radical causes included Vietnam, police brutality, the Palestine Liberation Organisation, apartheid, and gay rights.[10]
The Guild organised a protest occupation of the Robertson Library in 1971 on the background of reduced access hours—and quickly won concessions. Later the Guild organised in regard to parking across ’71 and ’72 which resulted in every sign on campus being torn from the ground and ceremoniously dumped into the lake.
In 1979, when the government reviewed laws regarding voluntary student unionism, then- President Ken Gibbons took the extreme step of closing down all Guild facilities to make the State government and students aware of the Guild’s importance[8][11]. His actions led to a protest by 1,000 students, 500 of whom later marched on Parliament House to protest the Court Government’s approach to Student Guild controls.[3][12]
In August of 1984, stage three of the Guild Building was opened, adding to the financial responsibilities of the organisation. Meanwhile, debates were raging in parliament about the cost of higher education. So, in 1988, when free education was threatened, the Guild organised a cross-campus with 1900 attendees in support of accessible, free public education[10][13].
During the 1990s the Guild’s responsibilities for, and services to, students were increasing, but the government persisted with anti-guild VSU legislation. So, on August 31, 1993, then- President Simon Johnson closed all of its facilities again to demonstrate to students what would be lacking if the Guild didn’t exist. Unfortunately, in 1994, VSU was passed in the state government which meant previous sources of funding from students would be dramatically reduced since students were no longer required to be members of the Guild[14]
Today, the Guild continues to fight for students. Founded by a long-standing agreement with University to provide 50 per cent of the Student Services and Amenities Fees to the organisation and, for that reason, Guild membership has been free for students since 2015.[15][4]
Student representation[edit]
The Guild was established to represent the interests of students. Student representatives sit on committees both within the Guild and the broader University to advocate for student issues. In the past, this has led to various achievements for students.[16] These include: preventing compulsory trimesters[17], fighting voluntary student unionism (including in 1979 when President Ken Gibbons shut down all Guild outlets in protest), establishing childcare services on campus, preventing increases to parking fees[18] and saving arts courses from closure.
Student services[edit]
The Guild is the largest operator of on campus services. This includes most food and beverage outlets on campus, most notably 'The Tav' which is Curtin University's only Tavern[hansard 1]. The Guild also operates 'G-Mart' which provides various goods and services. Printing, equipment, second-hand books and uniforms are the most signature provided student essentials[19].
The Guild runs various event's and other activities on campus including 'Toga Party', 'Clubs Carnival', and 'Pasar Malam'[20].
The organisation also offers 'Student Assist' a support and advocacy service of the Curtin Student Guild available for all Curtin students with any personal, financial, or academic issues. This service is professionally run and independent of the University organisation.[21]
Clubs and societies[edit]
Over 100 clubs and societies are registered with the Guild. They range from academic, social, special interest, faith based, international and political clubs.[22]The Guild supports clubs and societies in order to provide a means for students to be able to connect with other students who share similar backgrounds, aspirations and/or interests. They aim to cultivate a diverse range of micro-communities, networks and social groups on campus.
Student societies and clubs are a requirement under statute number four from the Curtin University Act 1966 (WA), The guild must 'support an administer student societies'.
Student publications[edit]
The Guild publishes a magazine, 'Grok', and has done so since 1969[23]. They publish online regularly with six editorial departments - Music, Lifestyle, Politics, Art and Film, Economics, and Science. Originally known as Aspect[24], In 1972, then-Chief Editor Rod Cole adopted Grok as the title of the publication. The term “grok” was coined by Robert A. Heinlein in the science-fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land .Grok was later incorporated into English-language dictionaries as a verb, used with object, “to understand thoroughly or intuitively”.
Grok produces content independent to the Guild's office bearers. It is student-led meaning that some of their published articles have criticized the Guild itself, especially during annual elections[25]
Executive[edit]
The Guild is run by student representatives selected at annual elections held in September. These elections also select delegates to the National Union of Students (Australia). Student's that seek nomination must be enrolled in an 'award course' at Curtin University and reside in Western Australia. There are other specific requirements for other roles stipulated in the regulations.[26]
Presidents[edit]
| Year | President | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Thomas Silvan | |
| 1970 | Theo Naarstig | |
| 1971 | Wayne Poulsen | |
| 1972 | Peter Quinn | |
| 1973 | P. Krishnasamy | |
| 1974 | Ross Barrett | |
| 1975 | Ross Barrett | |
| 1976 | Tim Ryan | |
| 1977 | Wayne Carter | |
| 1978 | Ken Gibbons | |
| 1979 | Ken Gibbons | |
| 1980 | R. Duncanson | |
| 1981 | Steve Wakeham | |
| 1982 | Adrian Fisher | |
| 1983 | Peter Fagan | |
| 1984 | Paul Grove | |
| 1985 | Stewart Sturgess | |
| 1986 | James Best | IT Party |
| 1987 | Georgina Motion | |
| 1988 | Roger Fletcher | |
| 1989 | Andrew Waddell | |
| 1990 | Pablo Campillos | |
| 1991 | Leeza McMullan | |
| 1992 | Peter Ellis | |
| 1993 | Simon Johnson | |
| 1994 | Paul Gamble | |
| 1995 | Melissa Robinson | |
| 1996 | Justin Cole | |
| 1997 | Colin Sadlier | |
| 1998 | Colin Sadlier | |
| 1999 | Jamie Gannaway | |
| 2000 | Jonathan Saw | |
| 2001 | Kate Mills | |
| 2002 | Zaneta Mascarenhas | |
| 2003 | Terry Healy | |
| 2004 | Kristal Mihal | |
| 2005 | Patrick Gorman | |
| 2006 | Kate Meenan | |
| 2007 | Len Bailey | |
| 2008 | Collette Swindells | |
| 2009 | Chee Lai | |
| 2010 | Jessica Short | Illuminate |
| 2011 | Joseph Quick | Illuminate |
| 2012 | Ali Kirke | Illuminate |
| 2013 | Jess McLeod | Left Action |
| 2014 | Sam Cavallaro | Left Action |
| 2015 | Jason Giancono | Illuminate |
| 2016 | Jake Whittey | Illuminate |
| 2017 | Liam O'Neill | Illuminate |
| 2018 | Liam O'Neill | Illuminate |
| 2019 | Finlay Nolan | Illuminate |
| 2020 | Hana Arai | Illuminate |
| 2021 | Jesse Naylor-Zambrano | Illuminate |
| 2022 | Theodora Rohl/Dylan Botica | Illuminate |
| 2023 | Dylan Botica | Illuminate |
Curtin Student Guild composition[edit]
Guild Council[edit]
The Curtin Student Guild council is made up of twelve (12) councillors with two year terms. Six councillors are elected each year. Guild Council also includes the President, Vice President - Education, Vice President - Activities and the Chair of Representation Board. Guild Council is also responsible for electing the Secretary and members of Guild committees. Guild Council is the peak body of the organisation and is responsible for the overall governance of the Guild.[27]
The current composition of the council is[29]
| Group | Faction | Seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illuminate | Grassroots Independents | 12 | |
| Left Action | Socialist Alternative (Australia) | 0 | |
| Independent | Unaffiliated | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | ||
Representation Board[edit]
In 2022, the representation board consists of various members. This includes: President, Vice President - Education, Faculty of Business and Law Representative, Faculty of Science and Engineering Representative, Faculty of Health Sciences Representative, Faculty of Humanities Representative, International Students Committee President, Postgraduate Students Committee President, Queer Officer, Women’s Officer, First Nation's Officer, Accessibility Officer and Six (6) Ordinary Representation Board Members. One (1) of these members are elected Chair of Representation board and given a position on Executive. The representation board is responsible for areas of advocacy, education and as the name suggests, education. They also select members to sit on committees.
The current composition of the board is:
| Group | Faction | Seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illuminate | Grassroots Independents | 17 | |
| Left Action | Socialist Alternative (Australia) | 1 | |
| Independent | Unaffiliated | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | ||
Current office bearers[edit]
| Position | Individual | Group |
|---|---|---|
| President | Dylan Botica | Illuminate |
| Vice President - Education | Veronika Gobba | Illuminate |
| Vice President - Activities | Salwa Kilzi | Illuminate |
| Secretary | Jasmyne Tweed | Illuminate |
| Chair of Representation Board | Hannah Northey | Illuminate |
| Faculty of Business & Law Representative | Ryan Kirby | Illuminate |
| Faculty of Humanities Representative | Jude Soussan | Illuminate |
| Faculty of Health Sciences Representative | Hiba Alsoeady | Illuminate |
| Faculty of Science & Engineering Representative | Joren Noah Regan | Illuminate |
| International Students Committee President | Illuminate | |
| Postgraduate Students Committee President | Mitchell Craig | Illuminate |
| Queer Officer | Imari Morris | Illuminate |
| Women's Officer | Aleena Shaji | Illuminate |
| Accessibility Officer | Rey Nairn | Illuminate |
| First Nation's Officer | (vacant) | n/a |
Controversies[edit]
Homophobic defaced posters[edit]
During the 2014 elections, candidates Clare Francis, Curtin University’s then Humanities Faculty Representative and then Guild President Sam Cavallaro's campaign posters were defaced, some of which homophobic in nature. The poster depicting Clare Francis had the slogan ‘better dead than red’ written over it, and Sam Cavallaro’s poster had been made to read ‘Sammy: objectively the best girl’. There was also a penis drawn over his mouth.[31]
Alleged misconduct and corruption[edit]
In 2014, Sam Cavallaro as president and other Left Action executive members were accused of misconduct by Liam O'Neill who was Guild Councillor at the time. These claims were reiterated in further years[32][33]. Claims made by 2018 included:
- Creating a paid position and hiring Socialist Alternative member without declaring conflict of interest.
- Attempting to unduly influence the 2014 annual elections until the Western Australian Electoral Commission intervened.
- Breaching the Guild constitution.
- Stealing from the Guild accounts on their last day in office.
- Funding Socialist Alternative members from the Eastern states to visit Perth;
O'Neill claimed that the Guild was referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) over these allegations. These allegations were never definitively proven. There is no listed investigation by the CCC on this matter.[34]
Guild regulation changes and disaffiliating clubs[edit]
In 2018, then President, Liam O'Neill created major changes to the regulations that govern the Guild. These included splitting the Guild into two distinct bodies - 'Representation Board' and 'Guild Council'. It also extended the terms of councillors to two years and instituted affirmative action.
Significant backlash brought about by rival ticket 'Left Action', culminated in a motion at the 2018 Annual general meeting to oppose the changes[32].
At this meeting, members also moved a motion to disband Socialist Alternative's club.[35] Significant as this is the parent organisation for Left Action. The motion was based on past misconduct - including physical abuse evidenced by a video posted on Facebook page 'Confessions at Curtin' by a member of the group.[36]
Guild members overwhelmingly voted in favor of disbanding (86 to 27 votes)[37], however, this could not be actioned at Guild Council due to a conflict of interest.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ acnc_charity_api_user (2020-05-22). "Curtin Student Guild". www.acnc.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ Garland, Brooke (2020-02-05). "Western Australian Institute of Technology, 1966 to 1986, history - About | Curtin University". Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "History of the Guild". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Our story, historical timeline, journey". 50 Years of Innovation | Curtin University. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ Compulsory student unions : Australia's forgotten closed shop. Ryan, Geoffrey., Australian Institute for Public Policy. Perth, W.A.: Australian Institute for Public Policy. 1987. ISBN 0-949186-22-8. OCLC 27613359. Search this book on
- ↑ Garland, Brooke (2020-02-05). "History, historical timeline, when was Curtin University established? - About | Curtin University". Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ Curtin University Act 1966 (WA)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Campillos, Pablo (1991). The role of student unions : recommendations for change for the Curtin Student Guild. State Library of Western Australia. Search this book on
- ↑ "Western Australian Institute of Technology Act Amendment Bill (Second Reading)" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 1230 - 1257. Parliament of Western Australia: Assembly. 19 September 1968. Search this book on
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Student Guild, Curtin University - sacked before taking office; another election after year of controversy". Daily news. State Library of Western Australis. 12 January 1989. pp. 20, 13. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 1979 Curtin Student Guild President Ken Gibbons Teaser Interview, retrieved 2020-05-31
- ↑ "Express yourself, get involved." - LOOKING BACK WITH KEN GIBBONS // GROK INTERVIEW, retrieved 2020-05-31
- ↑ Pitman, Tim. "Is student activism dying in Australia's universities?". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ Creagh, Sunanda. "Universities win right to collect student services fee". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ Acts Amendment (Student Guilds and Associations) Act 2002 (WA)
- ↑ "Guild Achievements". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ "Anger at Curtin's calendar change". PerthNow. 2018-06-16. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ "Parking policy reversed". Community News. 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- ↑ "ABN Lookup". abr.business.gov.au. 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ "Curtin Student Guild Pasar Malam". www.victoriapark.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ "Student Assist". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ "Clubs". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ "About Us". Grok. 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ↑ Aspect. WA State Library - 3rd Floor Newspaper Preservation Stack: WAIT Student Guild. 1969–1971.CS1 maint: Date format (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Weir, Amber (2019-09-09). "Opinion: Should guild election candidates have to declare political affiliations?". Grok. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ↑ "Governance". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ "Student Guild (Guild Council) Regulations 2018". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Elections 2019". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ↑ "Elections 2019". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
- ↑ "Elections 2019". www.guild.curtin.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ↑ "Student Guild Campaign Posters Defaced with Homophobic Graffitti". OUTInPerth - LGBTIQ News and Culture. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Minutes of 2018 Annual General Meeting drive.google.com retrieved 28/05/2020
- ↑ "r/perth - Comment by u/fearofthesky on "A pretty awesome political poster outside Curtin Student Guild"". reddit. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ↑ "Past Investigations". www.ccc.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ Lombardo, Ben (2018-05-24). "Curtin's socialist club faces de-registration". Western Independent. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ Confessions at Curtin on Facebook Watch, retrieved 2020-05-28
- ↑ Jay Anderson (2018-05-24). "Socialist Alternative to get the boot?". Grok. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ↑ "Statement by Member for Southern River" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). p4238c-4238c. Western Australian Parliament: Assembly. 13 June 2019. Search this book on
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