Additional Comments by the
Australian Greens
Introduction
Given
the incredibly short turn around time the Committee was expected to inquire,
and produce a report into the proposed legislation, the Australian Greens
commend the Chair and the Committee Secretariat on their efforts.
The
impact of voluntary student unionism has been devastating for universities
across the country, and has undermined the quality of student support services
on campuses.
Despite welcoming moves to charge a levy to breathe life back into campus
culture, the Greens have a number of outstanding concerns which we consider
need to be addressed before student representation is well and truly restored.
Background
Student
advocacy services are traditionally regarded by universities as a very
important provision for campus culture and student life, particularly in
ensuring there is an adequate transparency process when dealing with University
appeals.
The loss of advocacy services following the implementation
of the Higher Education (Abolition of Compulsory Up Front Student Union Fees)
Act 2005 highlighted the devastating effect this had on campus culture, and
advocacy services, particularly for those least able to advocate for themselves
in matters affecting university rules and decisions which adversely affect
them.
While the Australian Labor Party in Opposition pledged to restore campus
amenities, services and representation, the Greens are concerned that the Rudd
Government’s Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and
Amenities, and Other Measures) Bill 2009 falls short of ensuring true
independent student representation is restored.
Service delivery and the representative role of student organisations must be
supported, yet at present, there seems no guaranteed direction as to how the
proposed $250 levy from each student will be spent.
The Greens believe student representation and academic advocacy can only be
effective where it is truly independent. It is clear that this cannot occur
where the university collects, and has discretionary control over, this
proposed fee.
We will be calling on the Government to ensure that any mandatory fee that a
University imposes is only used for essential student services – and not
general capital works individual campuses already receive funding for, or for
upgrading poorly maintained facilities, which the Government must fund
separately to bring them up to sufficient standard.
Support
for Independent student representation and advocacy
In
order to have true representation on university campuses, there needs to be a
return to effective, well resourced advocacy and representation structures to
handle essential student services.
Since VSU was introduced in 2005, funding has been slashed from crisis support,
child care, counselling, sport, advocacy and more.
Student fees used to pay for student
facilities, services, welfare, and a host
of other programs that made university a richer
and more diverse experience than it is now
after the Government's changes.
The Greens are also concerned that the phrase “restricted political activity”
will preclude advocacy on behalf of students to various levels of government on
issues that concern quality of education and welfare.
Recommendation
1
The
Greens recommend subsection 19-67(3) of the Bill that
states “the Students Services, Amenities, Representation and Advocacy
Guidelines cannot require a provider to fund an organisation of students, or of
students and other persons,” be deleted.
Recommendation
2
The Greens further recommend that the Bill and
the Guidelines be amended to ensure that all revenues from the proposed levy
are independently administered by student representative bodies, to ensure
there is sufficient transparency on where their money is going, and for what
purpose.
Recommendation 3
If 100% of the levy is not independently administered by student
representative bodies, the Greens recommend, at a bare minimum, that the
Guidelines mandate Higher Education Providers to quarantine a minimum
proportion of 40% of the proposed levy (on a per-head basis) to undergraduate,
postgraduate, and international student services and representation
respectively.
Recommendation
4
We recommend that all fees levied in support of the restoration of student
services is open to scrutiny, accountability and transparency, to ensure that
the funds are being appropriately managed and directed.
Recommendation 5
While the Greens support the notion that no student money should fund the
activities or campaigns of individual political parties, we believe that the
guidelines must be amended to allow for effective student advocacy and
representation to universities and various levels of government, on issues that
concern the quality of education and student welfare.
Recommendation 6
The Greens will not support any attempt to restrict funding for student media
services across university campuses.
Independent review and complaints body
As
the legislation and guidelines currently stand, it is up to the individual
Higher Education Provider to determine where and how the student levy will be
spent, after consulting with individual student bodies (where they exist).
While this may sound reasonable in theory, the Greens believe that the
Government should establish an independent review body to oversee how the
proposed $250 university levy is actually spent.
Key stakeholders like heads of student organisations and university bodies
should be actively engaged to review how universities are actually spending the
levy of up to $250 they will receive from each student.
Recommendation
7
The Greens recommend that the Government fund an independent
review body, to oversee:
-
how the proposed student
levy is being spent;
-
the level of engagement
between individual Higher Education Providers and their student representative
bodies;
-
an independent,
accessible complaints body for students to utilise when they have concerns
about how and where their fees are being spent
Conclusion
The
Greens have a proud tradition of supporting accessible and affordable higher
education, and in principle support moves to remove the Howard government’s
draconian VSU provisions, to allow universities to
again fund a wider range of services
and facilities.
However we remain concerned that the Government’s
legislation will impose a new levy on students without students having a say in
how that levy is actually spent.
The Greens are concerned that restrictions may remain
preventing students from effectively advocating for their right to quality
education and student welfare supports, to both university bodies and various
levels of government.
The Greens will therefore be proposing changes to the legislation to remedy
this situation, and as such, reserve the right to our final position on the
bill when it is brought before the Senate.
Sarah Hanson-Young
Greens’ Senator for South Australia
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