National President
National Union Of Students
Trades Hall, Lygon Street, Carlton
The National Union of Students (NUS) is the peak representative body for post-secondary students in Australia. NUS engages in grassroots campaigns and high-level policy advocacy to create change across a wide range of issues affecting the lives of students. Key priorities for the organisation include university funding, student income support, curriculum development, quality assurance, student fees and international student rights. The NUS National President's role encompasses duties such as:Chief public spokesperson Media relationsCampaigns direction and coordinationLobbying of universities and governmentStaff managementMember liaisonAs National President, I had a strong focus on engagement with other groups in the Higher Education sector, presenting and speaking at the Universities Australia and National Tertiary Education Union national conferences. I also spoke at a number of conferences on issues such as student housing and income support, and ensured that NUS had a strong presence in the media.During my term of office, the organisation turned around its financial position to post a significant surplus. Our communications and engagement strategy with member organisations saw an increase in subscription revenue, and our campaigns and lobbying efforts were successful in influencing federal government policy.Following our campaign, "Students' Money to Students", the Federal Government announced changes to the Student Services and Amenities Fee guidelines. The amendments to the guidelines secured by NUS required universities to publish expenditure priorities for SSAF revenue and consult with student representatives and student organisations. These changes enable students to scrutinise how their fees are spent.NUS was able to influence a range of debates, including HECS fees, degree structures, Youth Allowance and student income support, funding for universities, quality of teaching at Australian universities and treatment of international students.