Macquarie University Students' Council
Encyclopedia
Campus Experience is the student organisation
at Macquarie University
and is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the University. The organisation manages Macquarie University’s non-academic services of food and retail, entertainment, sport and recreation, student groups, child care and student publications. The organisation also houses an elected student representative council
.
Campus Experience was officially launched in January 2008 under the name of U@MQ, and is the result of the merging of the three previous student organisations, which were the Union (which for several years operated under the name 'Students at Macquarie' or S@M), the Students' Council (generally known as MUSC) and the sport and recreation (known generally as MUSR).
(SIBT) were also included. During its history it was also representative of post-graduate students until the creation of Macquarie University Post-graduate Representative Association. As well as the council there were clubs, societies, collectives, departments and publications that made up the whole MUSC. These clubs, societies, departments and collectives all had various degrees of autonomy from the actual council.
The council itself was the governing body of the MUSC and was answerable to the student population. In its early days its engagement reached out to a large percentage of students. The council had a number of activist collectives open to all students around its key areas of operation. The number of focus of the collectives changed over time. The council also provided consumer type services to its members, including legal aid and academic advocacy. MUSC was created to provide a voice to students at the main campus. For much of its life, it was controlled by far left student politicians and fellow travellers.
When under the control of the far left, MUSC built alliances with non-student organisations and movements. During 1973 the MUSC worked with the Builders Labourers Federation - BLF (a union whose members now make up part of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
(CFMEU)) to organise one of the first 'Pink Bans'. Similar in tactic to the green ban, the pink ban was recommended when one of the residential colleges at Macquarie University, Robert Menzies College, ordered a student to lead a celibate life and undertake therapy and confession to cure himself of his homosexuality. The BLF decided to stop all construction work at the college until the university and the college Master made statements committing to a non-discriminatory university environment. MUSC was successful in engaging with the BLF again in 1974 when a woman at Macquarie University had her NSW Department of Education scholarship cancelled on the basis that she was a lesbian and therefore unfit to be a teacher.
In 1979, an ALP
-dominated MUSC successfully organised a student referendum which saw MUSC disaffiliate from the Australian Union of Students
. This was part of a national campaign against the Australian Union of Students which involved a wide range of political groupings ranging from Liberal students to the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
.
In its later years, MUSC established a Women's Department. The Women's Department was an autonomous Department of the MUSC. A women's collective operated through the department and was open to all women students. It operated to affect change in the lives of women on campus and in their everyday lives. The Women's Department was elected separately to the MUSC Council by women students only.
Following the dissolution of Macquarie University Union Ltd, the outgoing student organisations were taken over by the University. In January 2008 the merged student organisation adopted the U@MQ brand.
The role of Student Representation was ultimately taken on by MUSRA (Macquarie University Student Representative Association) in 2009 with the first elections being held that year. By late 2009 the U@MQ brand was dropped in favour of the current name.
Hogben Toad was the weekly publication of MUSC that alerted students to the activities of the week and near future. This publication was later superseded by a publication of the Macquarie University Union.
MUSCateer was the new publication name for Arena given to the paper by a council in the early 2000s. This council was aligned to the Student Unity faction at Macquarie University. Editorial control was taken by the same faction around the same time. After the change of name very few editions were produced. In 2005 MUSCateer ceased being published. There were allegations that this decision was made to "further the political ambitions of President, Victor Ma"
The Environment Collective focused on local and global issues about the environment. It often used direct action as a tool to bring about change. Locally this included many members of the collective climbing the trees in the middle of where the M2 Motorway was to be built.
The Sexuality Collective took up lesbian
, gay
, bisexual, transgender
, intersex
and queer
issues. The collective was also instrumental in establishing a permanent Queer Space on campus is 2001.
The International Solidarity Collective engaged with issues of international importance. The collective focused it works on fighting imperialist actions, such as anti US bases campaigns through to the recognition of the democratic elections in Burma.
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
at Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
and is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the University. The organisation manages Macquarie University’s non-academic services of food and retail, entertainment, sport and recreation, student groups, child care and student publications. The organisation also houses an elected student representative council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
.
Campus Experience was officially launched in January 2008 under the name of U@MQ, and is the result of the merging of the three previous student organisations, which were the Union (which for several years operated under the name 'Students at Macquarie' or S@M), the Students' Council (generally known as MUSC) and the sport and recreation (known generally as MUSR).
Macquarie University Students' Council (MUSC)
The Macquarie University Students' Council (MUSC) was the organised student body of Macquarie University, trading under Macquarie University Union Ltd (MUUL). It comprised many parts with the representative council elected by undergraduate students as its main body. Later students of the private Sydney Institute of Business and TechnologySydney Institute of Business and Technology
Sydney Institute of Business and Technologyoperates on the Macquarie University and Macquarie City Campus offering Foundation Studies and University-level Diplomas. Upon successful completion of a SIBT Diploma, students enter the appropriate Bachelor Degree as a second year student....
(SIBT) were also included. During its history it was also representative of post-graduate students until the creation of Macquarie University Post-graduate Representative Association. As well as the council there were clubs, societies, collectives, departments and publications that made up the whole MUSC. These clubs, societies, departments and collectives all had various degrees of autonomy from the actual council.
The council itself was the governing body of the MUSC and was answerable to the student population. In its early days its engagement reached out to a large percentage of students. The council had a number of activist collectives open to all students around its key areas of operation. The number of focus of the collectives changed over time. The council also provided consumer type services to its members, including legal aid and academic advocacy. MUSC was created to provide a voice to students at the main campus. For much of its life, it was controlled by far left student politicians and fellow travellers.
When under the control of the far left, MUSC built alliances with non-student organisations and movements. During 1973 the MUSC worked with the Builders Labourers Federation - BLF (a union whose members now make up part of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry and furnishing products, mining and energy production....
(CFMEU)) to organise one of the first 'Pink Bans'. Similar in tactic to the green ban, the pink ban was recommended when one of the residential colleges at Macquarie University, Robert Menzies College, ordered a student to lead a celibate life and undertake therapy and confession to cure himself of his homosexuality. The BLF decided to stop all construction work at the college until the university and the college Master made statements committing to a non-discriminatory university environment. MUSC was successful in engaging with the BLF again in 1974 when a woman at Macquarie University had her NSW Department of Education scholarship cancelled on the basis that she was a lesbian and therefore unfit to be a teacher.
In 1979, an ALP
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
-dominated MUSC successfully organised a student referendum which saw MUSC disaffiliate from the Australian Union of Students
Australian Union of Students
The Australian Union of Students was formed in December 1970 as the successor to the National Union of Australian University Students as a representative body and lobby group for Australian University and College of Advanced Education students. It collapsed in 1984 and was succeeded by the...
. This was part of a national campaign against the Australian Union of Students which involved a wide range of political groupings ranging from Liberal students to the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Australia is an Australian political party based on the writings of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong...
.
In its later years, MUSC established a Women's Department. The Women's Department was an autonomous Department of the MUSC. A women's collective operated through the department and was open to all women students. It operated to affect change in the lives of women on campus and in their everyday lives. The Women's Department was elected separately to the MUSC Council by women students only.
End of MUSC and Merger
During 2007, Macquarie University faced a restructuring of its student organisation after an audit raised questions about management of hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds by student organisations At the centre of the investigation was Victor Ma, president of the Macquarie University Students' Council (MUSC). Vice Chancellor Schwartz cited the need for the urgent need to reform Macquarie's main student bodies. The Federal Court ordered on 23 May 2007 that Macquarie University Union Ltd (MUUL), would be wound up.Following the dissolution of Macquarie University Union Ltd, the outgoing student organisations were taken over by the University. In January 2008 the merged student organisation adopted the U@MQ brand.
The role of Student Representation was ultimately taken on by MUSRA (Macquarie University Student Representative Association) in 2009 with the first elections being held that year. By late 2009 the U@MQ brand was dropped in favour of the current name.
Publications of MUSC
Arena was the newspaper of MUSC. The editor was originally appointed by the Council. However, from the mid-1970s, the editor (or editorial team) was directly elected by the student body. It was not unusual for the editorial team that was elected to be of a different political persuasion to the majority of council.Hogben Toad was the weekly publication of MUSC that alerted students to the activities of the week and near future. This publication was later superseded by a publication of the Macquarie University Union.
MUSCateer was the new publication name for Arena given to the paper by a council in the early 2000s. This council was aligned to the Student Unity faction at Macquarie University. Editorial control was taken by the same faction around the same time. After the change of name very few editions were produced. In 2005 MUSCateer ceased being published. There were allegations that this decision was made to "further the political ambitions of President, Victor Ma"
MUSC Collectives
The Education Collective was formed to allow all students to participate in the council around issues affecting tertiary education. The education collective not only took up issues affecting students at the Macquarie University campus, but also issues that affected access to tertiary education generally.The Environment Collective focused on local and global issues about the environment. It often used direct action as a tool to bring about change. Locally this included many members of the collective climbing the trees in the middle of where the M2 Motorway was to be built.
The Sexuality Collective took up lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
and queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
issues. The collective was also instrumental in establishing a permanent Queer Space on campus is 2001.
The International Solidarity Collective engaged with issues of international importance. The collective focused it works on fighting imperialist actions, such as anti US bases campaigns through to the recognition of the democratic elections in Burma.
See also
Australian student politics- National Union of Students of AustraliaNational Union of Students of AustraliaThe National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
- Voluntary student unionismVoluntary student unionismVoluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....