Voluntarty Student Unionism

So, I mentioned a while ago that I might just write a post on Voluntary Student Unionism. Well I’ve actually decided to give it a go. At this point these are my fairly basic thoughts. If you think I might have the details wrong please let me know. And as a type of aside – I find it difficult to believe either what the Union and Student guild or what the government is saying, so tell me the advantages of VSU.

One of the things I remember throughout my days at University, firstly as a student at Wollongong, and more recently as a member of staff at the University of New South Wales, was the university publications the Tertangala, or Tharunka. These publications were written by students, about students, for students. Though a touch more left leaning than the [SM] Herald, (though, I should say the few Tharunka’s that I did read, did seem to be of a higher quality).

Secondly perhaps, campus life is the same across the board, though I have it from numerous sources that the student life at present is not simply less active and engaged political as it once was, but also less communal. Students now spend as much or more time off campus than on. [Would like to see stats about this, and are Universities less politically active than in previous years?]

In some ways it is the community aspect that VSU strikes out against; VSU as proposed by the current government makes the payment of student (Union) fees voluntary, and in doing so removes the budget from organisations who are in-effect either service providers (the food outlets, the medical services, child care), or community builders (as either the campus magazine, the band comps, the sport and other interest societies).

Does the acceptence of the policy [VSU] reflects this change; community is no longer built around activities at University, but elsewhere. Anyone want to comment here?

In some ways Universities are home to at least some of the dissent toward the government, and I can’t help but wonder if the government is simply removing the viability of dissent – reducing or removing funding from organisations that promote views counter to its own. (Hmm I feel like I’m being a cynic here – this is unlike me).

Yes, I would agree that I might not like what the student magazines present, but the solution is join, and help write articles. Comments and criticism is a huge factor in improving people’s writing. And informed dialogue, and debate help creates a great climate for growth.

Yes, I might not like the political persuasion of the Union, but they have as much a right as I do to share. (And perhaps it is worth noting when we as students agree with the government – this is something that I need to do, I need to commend politicians for making the right decisions, especially as at the moment I often tend to disagree with them).

Perhaps more problematically, I may not be able to afford the fees the University charges, I’m not as sure of the solution here, perhaps the Union should show more compassion and either reduce or waive the fees. I would also like to look at the breakdown of where the fees paid by students actually go.

But I do not think the argument that I do not use the services means that I should not pay. I rightly pay for roads, hospitals and schools I do not use. I can’t coherently argue that I shouldn’t pay my taxes. This seems to be a somewhat selfish mentality, if I can be blunt. I feel that from those who have much, much should be expected, especially to those who don’t have much. (I think this is prevalent throughout or society – especially in how we look at the ‘refugees’ coming to our shores, largely on the hope of a better life. Why should where you are born determine whether you live or die. The life we have, we have not earned; the opportunities and choices we have, we did not earned, therefore we should be generous to those whose circumstances of life deny them a life of the same opportunities. The fact that there might be sponges should not lead us to stop being generous. Sorry, /rant

Campus life has changed, and it will continue to change should this legislation pass our parliament, (which come July is inevitable). I’m not sure how the campus will change, and maybe this change is for the better. There will be disadvantages to the new system, but I suspect we will learn to adapt to these changes.