The Guild has two Vice President roles up for grabs—Vice President of Education, and Vice President of Activities. I interviewed the nominees for each on their candidate statements below.

 

VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION

Marcus Fernihough is a Left Action candidate. You can read his candidate statement—that this interview revolves around—here.

Grok: In your candidate statement, you comment that the negotiation approach of previous Guild’s has been ineffective. You mention protesting to put pressure on the uni. How do you intend to use this to incur meaningful change?

Marcus: The Guild’s project of collaboration clearly isn’t working. We’ve had the uni executive cut $41M in staff in recent years. I’m a 2022 Ordinary Representative and spent nearly a full year trying to push real action. They’ve talked a big (medium?) game in meetings then dragged their feet afterwards. Students need to be fighting for their own conditions.

The key fight right now is educators’ working conditions. They’re considering serious industrial action to fight for better pay and hours. For this to work, they’ll need total solidarity from students willing to take action to win long-term gains like increased staff numbers, and wages that actually pay their bills. We can look to the campaign to save anthropology at UWA last year. It was extremely disruptive and generated a lot of press coverage, tarnishing the uni’s reputation, and eventually forcing the executive to wind back their planned cuts. As VP-Education, I’ll have access to valuable resources I can use to increase staff campaign visibility and add legitimacy to student solidarity campaigns.

 

Grok: You discuss addressing federal politics, but on a student level, what are the changes that you directly want to implement that will impact students on their day-to-day?

Marcus: I think the more students can fight for and win on campus, the more they will own their own education. This can transform the campus from a place they just go to class, to a place they build for themselves. But also, a win at the federal level will inevitably improve students’ day-to-day lives. Increased funding means more learning facilities and more money for staff wages and numbers. This inevitably improves course delivery. A fight to win increased subsidy (or free education) deals with growing HECS debts and could axe incidental fees. As VP-Education, I could direct resources to student-led campaigns that would see them shaping their own fights and pursuing their own interests, backed by the Guild. These could be simple things like abolishing incidental fees, to more aspirational campaigns like free tertiary education.

 

Grok: You discuss a greater involvement with the National Union of Students. How do you see this relationship benefitting students outside of federal politics?

Marcus: I think treating the National Union of Students as anything other than an organisation for fighting at the federal level is a misunderstanding of what a national union is. The Guild is technically a student union, affiliated to a national student union. This is, theoretically, a very powerful body, with the ability to call student mobilisations and access to significant media channels (if their leaders care to treat them that way). Like the previous question, improving things at a national level directly improves all other aspects of students’ lives. For example, in 2014 the NUS was able to fight off the Liberal party’s plan to convert tertiary education into a US-style privatised system. If they’d lost, a lot of Curtin students wouldn’t even be here right now, they’d be priced out of tertiary education. But unions don’t have to be defensive. A similar campaign should be built to fight for free tertiary education on a national level, as well as increasing access by lowering entry requirements and abolishing incidental costs.

 

Grok: Finally, what would you say are the three main issues in this election for you?

Marcus: Students fighting for Staff working conditions (which are learning conditions), creating a Guild that sees student-led campaigns as its top priority, and total divestment of fossil fuel company interests in our courses and research programs.

 

Marcus Fernihough’s competition is Illuminate candidate Veronika Gobba. Veronika currently holds the position of the Faculty Representative for Humanities. You can read her candidate statement here.

Grok: You mention in your candidate statement wanting to focus on campaigning for students. How do you intend to get a consensus on student opinion given the large number of students enrolled in the university?

Veronika: No, not all students share the same sentiment on every issue, however, Illuminate highly values ideals such as ensuring quality education, making campus life fun and accessible, ensuring support is given equitably and keeping [the] Guild free, democratic and transparent—these fundamentals, I believe, are universally regarded throughout the university and is the reason why Illuminate has been a strong and successful force within the Guild. The best part of the Guild is that even when the elections are over, democracy still stands in the Guild. A diverse and talented array of office bearers, Guild councillors and Ordinary Representation Board members come together to negotiate and vote on Guild initiatives within these councils—this helps ensure that decisions made in the Guild, such as the campaigns we work on, are advised by, and agreed upon by a diverse range of students.

Grok: You say you want to ensure that no student is forgotten. Given that students are often not all on the same side of an issue, how would you ensure no student feels ignored or misrepresented by your decisions as Vice President of Education?

Veronika: A big part of ensuring no student is forgotten is having a strong team of faculty and equity reps and ensuring that I am in constant communication with these reps while inspiring them to do great things in their department for the students they represent. I will also work hard to support these reps to stand up for students. I am excited for every single Illuminate candidate we have put forward for these positions and I know that they would be fantastic reps in their areas. I have already started to build great relationships with these individuals to ensure that if we are all elected, we will work well together to share knowledge and ensure that all voices are heard. Another important step to guarantee students are not misrepresented is ensuring that the Guild is transparent, and the student reps are engaging with students wherever possible whether that be through online feedbacks forms (for the sometimes forgotten online students) or of its out on the ground on Campus—interviewing students and force-feeding them Guild donuts (iykyk).

Grok: You list a range of areas that you would dedicate yourself to if you are elected (including opposing staff cuts, reviewing units with low pass rates, ensuring mandatory textbooks are available in the library, opposing the Job Ready Package, improving working conditions for students, increasing Guild funding, and supporting other Guild reps). How do you intend to create meaningful change in these areas, beyond campaigning?

Veronika: Beyond campaigning, I am planning to deliver Illuminate’s policies through collective bargaining with the University alongside all the students reps who support these aims, Curtin staff who are on our side and students who have first-hand experience with these issues (such as students in a unit that has not been properly revised or students undertaking a practical placement with poor working conditions). Some may say that it is impossible for students to negotiate with Curtin but Illuminate has a long history of working with the university to implement positive change, and yes, a big part of Curtin’s bottom line is their profits, but those profits are only made when Curtin’s reputation is upstanding and students continue to enrol. Thus, we can bargain with the university that meeting our standards will increase the university’s reputation and encourage students to enrol and stay enrolled at Curtin University.

Creating meaningful change on a national scale such as opposing the inequitable and short-sighted Job-ready Graduates Package will require collaboration with other universities (which Illuminate plans to do to expand the library services) and getting strong, passionate Illuminate voices elected to be delegates in the National Union of Students. The NUS is a body that can mobilise students and universities across the nation to focus on national campaigns and it is important that we have passionate voices going to the national conference and putting forward an agenda that represents Curtin students and ensures that WA is not overlooked in the NUS’ objectives. Myself, along with six other passionate students are running for NUS delegate positions from Illuminate, each one of us are committed to ensuring our policy platform can be implemented at a national scale.

Grok: Finally, what would you say are the three main issues in this election to you?

Veronika:

1. It is unfortunate to see that the position of First Nations Officer has no one running for it, even Illuminate was unable to find someone who was willing and able to run for this position and this reflects the serious problem of the lack of First Nation representation within the Guild. A priority for me if elected, would be to investigate and make plans to make the Guild more welcoming for First Nation students and hopefully find representatives who are able and willing to fill the roles of First Nations Officer and the subsequent members of the collective, it would also be a priority to get the information about Guild First-year committee elections out to students who are First Nations. Guild elections can be gruelling, and I understand the hesitation students can feel about running in them—it is even worse when you are trying to run in an election where the institution does not already have people who represent you. Illuminate has an amazing First Nation candidate running for Guild Council and I hope they are elected; I think it would be an important first step to get the ball rolling towards greater First Nation student engagement and representation.

2. The revival and greater support of Guild clubs is also very important to me in this election. Guild clubs are a great way for students to be more involved with the Guild and help students understand what the Guild does and can do. Clubs can also help play a larger role in advocacy, often clubs that are degree-specific have a lot of insight into the problems within that degree and those committee members can be helpful mobilisers in making changes in the university. Clubs also help bring a sense of community and belonging for students and help foster friendships. Clubs also provide great experience for members and committees, they challenge students to manage things such as events, social media, finances, governance and provide opportunities to sharpen skills such as leadership and teamwork. My experience within Guild clubs has helped give me gain confidence and more robust skill sets while also giving me the opportunity for some autonomy on campus to create the fun or interesting events that I want to experience. This is why Illuminate will work to deliver better registering processes for clubs, create a central hub to promote club events, reform clubs’ grants application process, and protect clubs by ensuring all of them are registered and insured.

3. Another big issue for me is the lack of Guild representation on University Council, on almost every single university committee there is at least one Guild rep in attendance yet for one of the most important councils at Curtin where some of the biggest decisions are made, a Guild rep is not invited for attendance. The Guild is the largest governing student body filled with passionate elected students it needs to have a seat at that table. Yes, the university does hold elections to have an undergraduate and postgraduate student sit on the University Council, but these elections have historically failed to comply with the electoral standards of its own legislation. Furthermore, these elections fail to engage with students—it is obvious the university does not put the care into their elections like the Guild does. And lastly, student Guild reps have often already gone through a rigorous and tiring election process to be in their positions, it is often counter-intuitive to put them through a whole other election process while they are carrying out the duties in their Guild role. This is why Illuminate will push for the university to have Guild representation on University Council.

 

VICE PRESIDENT OF ACTIVITIES

Chloe Jackson is the Left Action candidate for Vice President of Activities. She neglected to provide a candidate statement or photo.

Grok: You’ve not provided a candidate statement. Why is this?

Chloe: I was unwell when we were getting our statements in and I just missed out. It’s unfortunate but I hope to make up for it in person, talking to students during campaign week to get our message across.

Grok: Can you give me a summary of your policies and platform for the role of Vice President of Activities? 

Chloe: As Vice President of Activities I would owe it to the students of Curtin University to fight for their rights (to party) in every decision I make. Student Guilds and activist groups have a long history of influencing movements within and outside of the university campus, a legacy that Left Action intends to carry on. The Curtin Student Guild and specifically the Activities Rep role have been disregarded as apolitical for too long, but I see the Guild as an activist body, opposing threats to students’ wellbeing and standing up against university executives and the Liberal and Labor governments’ decisions. As a History Major I have studied the student activism that has come before my time at Curtin, and am ashamed to see such little progress today. Curtin students are overworked, often struggling to find the balance between study, employment, family, health and social life, wondering just where their fees are going. I acknowledge that many students do not have the time or money to participate in some Guild activities due to these pressures, and will fight to take some of that pressure off. Here are a few examples of the types of activities that I will fight for as VP of Activities:

• Queer-focused, feminist and Indigenous-focused events that acknowledge the history of activism, steering clear of rainbow capitalism and appropriation.
• Events not designed to profit off of students, but to fundraise for student activism and students in need.
• Online events for long distance students or who do not have the means or ability to travel to campus. This could be an opportunity for students who do not feel safe after the university’s reversal of the vaccination mandate, to connect with others.
• FREE activities that are easily accessible to all students, at a variety of times.

 

Grok: Finally, what would you say are the three main issues in this election to you?

Chloe: The three main issues in this election for me are:

• That Guild representatives need to use their platform to show solidarity with underpaid and overworked staff, and put pressure on the university to increase wages and provide better, more stable working conditions. This is a position that would see significant improvement to our quality of education.
• That the Guild has neglected those without a voice on the university campus for too long, and should be out of the boardroom and on the ground, fighting for student rights. The Guild should face the issues high parking costs, course cuts, and fee hikes head on by supporting student protests, as opposed to having closed door meetings with executives who won’t budge.
• That climate change is on the minds of so many students right now, and that the Guild is a separate entity from the university, who, in the interests of students should be criticising and actively opposing Curtin’s ties to fossil fuel companies.

 

Chloe’s opposition is Salwa Kilzi. Salwa is currently the Women’s Officer, and an Illuminate candidate. Read her candidate statement here.

Grok: You mention in your candidate statement that you want “to create the community spirit that our university lacks”. How do you intend to do this in a way that previous VP-A’s haven’t?

Salwa: There’s been a long-term focus on providing more offerings and events for students but something I want to establish next year is more ways for students to get involved in the Guild on a volunteer basis. I think creating more opportunities for students to work with each other and for each other will go a long way to strengthening bonds within the community, also I feel with my experiences I can bring a different perspective into the role.

Grok: How do you think your skills acquired from previous roles in the Guild (Women’s officer, New to Curtin Mentor, secretary of the Woman’s collective) will transfer to the role of VP-A?

Salwa: The role of VP-A requires someone to know about the community that we have here at Curtin, through my time at the Guild working with clubs, and students both fresh and about to graduate, I got to hear their thoughts, and concerns and learn about what type of campus life they want, I believe that through my previous and current positions I am also able to understand the way the Guild functions and be able to use all this information to build a stronger community for Curtin students.

Grok: As the current VP-A is also an Illuminate candidate, do you foresee a noticeable change if you are elected to the role?

Salwa: Over the course of COVID, campus life has died down, but this year it has slowly started to become vibrant again. What I want to do is make it less intensive for small clubs to be started on campus, and make it easier for people to find where they fit in. Also, by bringing some cultural music and vibes on campus with music and art everywhere! Host some same-interest events, so that we can begin to build back our spirit. While speaking to our before COVID generations I’ve realised the social loss that we have had, and I’m sure like everyone else we want that fun, social, exciting campus life! During my term as VP-A I want to focus on the vibes on campus!

Grok: Finally, what would you say are the three main issues in this election for you?

Salwa: Looking at other candidates’ policies it is clear that Illuminate is the only ticket that won’t go backwards when it comes to the student experience—either through a seeming lack of interest in events and student welfare or explicitly talking against free food giveaways.

I think it’s also worth looking at where candidates spend their time because it’s not just about policy, it’s about action. When I promote free barbecues, I am talking about personally being there and cooking those sausages, which is something I’ve been able to help with this year as well as Women’s Officer, and the many other events I have been able to support through my positions.

Another issue is students’ well-being. Election season is stressful, so I hope everyone is taking self-care steps and having students use a no-campaigning sticker to signal they don’t want to be talked to. This is something Illuminate made sure was available for the students who need that boundary.

 

Voting for the Guild election opens on September 19th. According to the Handbook, polls should be set up at “Club HQ and Curtin South (near Mallokup Café) from 10am to 4pm on each polling day”.