News
CURRENT RUSU CAMPAIGNS
Student Services and Amenities Fee Negotiations
What is RMIT planning to do with the money from the SSAF that students will start paying this year?
Swanston Academic Building Move
Tivoli students will move to SAB for second semester- what will this mean for Business students?
March 8th 2012
Uncapping the Mental Health Problem in Universities (Online Opinion)
The Gillard government is expecting the number of government funded undergraduate places to exceed 500,000 in 2012. This follows the removal of the cap on tertiary places offered by Australian universities, which has seen enrolments at institutions such as the University of Sydney increase by 17 per cent this year...
However...a number of studies have shown that the levels of psychological distress among university students is significantly higher than for their community peers...
Grow a Heart
Although almost all students affected by medical conditions, whether temporary or ongoing, have legal rights under the Disability Discrimination Act in practice the University does not fully recognise these rights.There seems to be an assumption amongst certain RMIT panels that we are making it up and that it is illegitimate to ask for help. This means that...
Invest In Australia's Future, Invest in Universities
(NTEU)
Universities are facing a crisis. Decades of underfunding have left them with declining infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, overworked staff, higher levels of casualisation, and an unhealthy dependence on international fee income to fund all aspects of their work.
Universities help to develop...
No Basline Funding Increase for Uni's (NTEU)
The Federal Minister for Higher Education, Senator Chris Evans recently admitted that there will be no increase in base funding for universities in this year's Budget... Staff in the sector are now coping with higher levels of student enrolments without any increase to the level of base funding per student. This can only exacerbate existing problems of overcrowded classrooms and overworked staff.
If you want to become involved in RUSU Campaigns to stand up for students rights, spread awareness about issues at RMIT and create a better RMIT for all of us check out our volunteer opportunities or drop in to a RUSU Front Counter for more information.
THE LATEST RMIT AND TERTIARY NEWS
May 8th 2012
NUS Disappointed that Surplus comes at the Expense of Students
The National Union of Students (NUS) was disappointed that the Government's return to surplus was at the expense of students in tonight's budget..."without more money for teaching and learning, students from low-SES backgrounds and other at-risk groups are not going to complete their degrees"...
May 2nd 2012
TAFE Funding Cuts in Victoria's Budget
Funding cuts announced in today's Victorian state budget are another significant step in the dismantling of the state's public vocational education and training system...
April 3rd 2012
So Happy Together
RMIT University's contentious instruction to its staff to be enthusiastic about their jobs is part of a trend towards positivity that's sweeping the world… But so far all RMIT's…has succeeded in doing is raising the ire of its academics, who resent being told to be "passionate", "positive" and "optimistic" at a time of budget cuts, increasing workloads and student numbers, and where casual workers do 40 per cent of the teaching...
Uncapped University Offers Will Stretch Teaching Staff to the Limit (the Conversation)
A 4% increase in the latest round of offers at Australian universities will place overstretched teaching staff under more strain and lower the quality of education for ballooning student ranks, the higher education union warned today.
The latest figures show that in the wake of the Federal Government's move to uncap places from this year...
March 1st 2012
RMIT's Design Hub Revisited: Is green turning red?
(Blog)
It seems I was right to raise concerns about the green credentials of RMIT's new Design Hub. Following publication of my article on Tuesday, Are all green buildings really that green?, RMIT amended the description of the building on its web site earlier today.
In the earlier post, I queried two major claims the University was making about the so-called "smart skin" around the building...
March 1st 2012
Biggest States Hold Out on Travel Concession for Overseas Students (The Australian)
NSW and Victoria continue to refuse to consider extending public transport concessions to international students despite a new survey finding 90 per cent of students would not recommend either Melbourne or Sydney to family or friends as a study destination due to the lack of concessions...
February 27th 2012
When the Score's Not Always on the Board (The Age
Blog)
Universities love to boast about their course entrance scores.
Last month, RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner fired off an
email to staff highlighting how good some cutoffs were at her
university...
RMIT offered 53 places in biomedical science to year 12 students. Of those students, 56 per cent were below the clearly-in of 83.35. In laboratory medicine, 62 per cent of year 12 offers were below the cut off of 84.85...
Febuary 21st 2012
Student Services and Amenities Fee creates uncertainty for student organisations (NUS)
Results from a survey conducted by the National Union of
Students has revealed many student organisations have been left in
the lurch, with universities failing to commit to specific funding
under the Student Services and Amenities Fee.
While some universities have been supportive of their student
organisations...
December 14th 2011
Limits on Uni Fees Entrench Inequity (The Age)
The Group of Eight Universities (a collection of Australia's elite institutions) have come out with a report stating that wealthy families who can afford to and choose to send children to elite private/independant schools are gaining access to more than their equitable share of commonwealth supported places.
November 22nd 2011
Call to give overseas students travel aid (SMH)
THE federal government is applying pressure to NSW to extend transport concessions to international students.
NSW and Victoria are the only states to deny the concessions to international students, despite being the greatest beneficiaries of the international education industry, worth more than $16 billion last financial year.
November 9th 2011
RMIT rejects Ombusman's report into international students (Melbourne Leader)
RMIT University has rejected a report finding serious problems with international student education in Victoria.
Acting Ombudsman John Taylor's report identified issues including offers of bribes to academics, passing failing students and plagiarism.
October 12th 2011
Service fee back for uni students (The Age)
UNIVERSITIES will charge students a fee from next year for services such as advocacy, sport, clubs and societies after a bill repealing the Howard government's voluntary student unionism legislation passed the Senate yesterday.
Ombudsman's Report into How Universities Deal with International Students
September 21st 2011
RMIT's change of heart on specialist disability training (The Age)
RMIT has backed away from its decision to axe a double degree that provides specialist disability training to education students, qualifying them to work with special needs students.
The change of heart comes after a sustained campaign by students...
