Photographer : .M. |
What's been changed?Until January 2006, university students in Australia were required to pay a student services charge, which in some states meant they automatically become members of their student association (typically the union). Money collected by student associations is used to fund advocacy for students, political representation and services such as childcare, food, entertainment and sporting clubs.
In December 2005, Commonwealth Parliament passed The Higher Education Support (Abolition of Compulsory Up-Front Student Union Fees) Amendment Bill, establishing voluntary student unionism (VSU) in Australia from January 2006. Under VSU it is illegal for universities to make students belong to a student association or to pay money to that association, unless they choose to do so. Non-academic services are provided on a user-pays basis and are no longer heavily subsidised. Some services that have little student demand will disappear completely.
How much are student service fees?Student service fees range from $100 to $590 a year. In 2004, student unions acquired more than $160 million in fees from Australian full-time undergraduate students. The list was topped by the University of Sydney, whose 26,517 students paid $14.19 million, with yearly fees up to $590.
Is there an alternative to VSU?A variation to VSU used to exist in Victoria and WA. There was a compulsory amenities fee but this fee did not include membership or funding to a student association. This meant that student services remained student-run and heavily subsidised, but no political activity or student representation was funded unless students choose to do so.
Arguments for VSU
- Students should enjoy the same rights on campus as off campus and not be forced to join a union, as outlined in the Workplace Relations Act 1996. Counter argument—student unions are not a trade union but provide essential commercial and cultural services.
- Some students couldn’t afford the fees. Counter argument—the fee payment method could have been made more flexible rather than abolished, with options to defer payment and/or pay in instalments.
- Part-time students and external students were paying for services they do not use. Counter argument—a sliding scale of fees could have been introduced.
- Students should not have to fund political bodies. Counter argument—money expenditure could have been controlled to exclude political activities.
- Fees should be on a user-pays basis—students who do not wish to be a member/use a service should not have to pay. Counter argument—services such as advocacy and support services for students in crisis are only used by a small percentage of students, and since no-one can forecast whether they might need them, these services will disappear if not funded, especially at smaller campuses.
Arguments against VSU
- Jobs of university service staff will be lost (estimated 4,200 by the Australasian Campus Union Managers' Association’s 2005 survey). Counter argument—most union support staff work in areas such as child care and food outlets which are profitable businesses and employees will most likely continue their jobs under new arrangements.
- Services will disappear/increase in cost. Counter argument—some services are already provided by the university and are a double-up on union services and if students want a service they simply have to pay for it.
- Quality of courses and facilities will decline especially at smaller regional campuses.
- University culture will be destroyed. Student unions aren’t just representative bodies; they are also cultural centres where students come together for clubs, sport, theatre, music and to run campaigns.
- Student advocacy will be lost—without a cohesive union voice, action will be much harder to manage. Counter argument—political activities are not part of the role of universities.
- Privately run businesses will disadvantage students—they will be profit driven with little student control or input.
How do I know this?Macklin, J 2005, ‘Nelson attack on student organisations to cost 4,200 jobs',
Media release 5 July,
http://www.jennymacklin.com.au/infocentre.asp?data... Macklin, J 2005, ‘Student organisations’,
Adjournment Speech, 16 June,
http://www.jennymacklin.com.au/infocentre.asp?data...Nelson, B 2005, ‘Labor a barrier to slashing up front fees for university students. Student unions slug students $153 million each year’,
Media release, 25 June,
http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Nelson/2004... Nelson, B 2005, ‘Slashing up-front fees for students—voluntary student unionism legislation introduced’,
Media release, 16 March,
http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Nelson/2005... University of New England,
VSU Inquiry seeks submission from UNE and community,
http://www.une.edu.au/news/archives/2005_07.html University of Queensland Union,
Stop VSU,
http://www.uqunion.uq.edu.au/stopvsuHastings, G, 2004,
University of Queensland Union, VSU Legislation Experiences in WA, Victoria and Federally. Draft,
http://www.uqunion.uq.edu.au/stopvsu/documents/vsu2.pdf 
