REPRESENTATION

Student elections are your opportunity to nominate, vote and elect your student representatives!

It’s an exciting time where we encourage you to have a voice, to take charge of your representation, and shape your university experience.

This year, our focus is on enhancing the quality of your Uni experience and delivering on our student promises.

Elections is the time to make a difference, get involved, and ensure that your Uni experience is the best it can be. Now is the time to let your VOTE be your VOICE!

The Student Elections for 2025 State Council is commissioned on 23rd August 2023.

• Nominations Begin: 9 a.m. Monday, August 26, 2024
• Nominations Close: 5 p.m. Monday, September 9, 2024
• The electoral roll closes at 5 p.m. Monday, September 9, 2024
• Online Voting Ballot Opens: 9 a.m., Monday, September 23, 2024
• Online Voting Ballot Closes: 12 p.m. Thursday, September 26, 2024
• Scrutiny: 2 p.m. Thursday, September 26, 2024 (TUSA Office, Sandy Bay)
• Election Results: 5 p.m. Friday, September 27, 2024 (The Ref, Sandy Bay)

The roles below are all up for election this year. Click on each role to read the position description.

• State President
• Equity President
• Education President – Undergraduate
• Education President – Postgraduate
• Southern Campus President
• Northern Campus President
• Cradle Coast Campus President
• Rozelle Campus President
• National Union of Students (NUS) Delegate

  TUSA has recently affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS) which is the peak-body organisation advocating for student values at the national level. They seek to further the voice of students to the state and federal level government. NUS Delegates represent TUSA and have a say on how the NUS shapes its policy and campaigns.

  (6 Delegate Positions Available)

  For more information on NUS work visit: https://nus.asn.au/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalUnionofStudentsA

Time commitment 

The expected time commitment for State Council members is an average of 8 hours a week over a 48-week period across 13 months, and up to 30 hours per week for the State President position.   Please review each Position Description for more information.

How does TUSA operate?

The overall responsibility for TUSA is overseen by our Board of Management (BoM), which consists of elected student representatives, external/lay members (appointed by BoM) and university representatives (appointed by UTAS), and is the employer of staff, who work with us to be an organisation ‘run by students, for students’. 

 

What do Student Reps do?  

The Association’s student leaders are elected by students and are accountable to students. TUSA Student Reps are fiercely independent when it matters, and we work closely with our University partners to achieve the best outcomes for students. 

 

Who’s on the State Council?  

The TUSA State President’s main purpose is to be the Chair of the TUSA State Council, to oversee the Council’s work and be the spokesperson and media contact for the organisation. To do this, the President must preside over meetings, ensure the Council’s compliance with the TUSA Constitution and oversee the performance of the Council members. As a key member of the organisation’s Executive and the TUSA Board of Management, they also inform, revise and deliver on the direction of the organisation, be that through involvement in strategic initiatives or operational planning. The State President is responsible for maintaining the relationship between student representatives and the University. The President is a significant change leader and will champion and lead opportunities for continuous improvement and positive change. The President must be highly motivated and have a sound understanding of higher education issues.  

 

The TUSA Equity President advocates and acts as a conduit for students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, as having a disability, as a woman or as being an international student. The Equity President is a member of the TUSA State Council, the University’s Equity Committee, and various other committees, both within the TUSA and the University.  

 

The TUSA Education President – Undergraduate is primarily responsible for the academic representation of all undergraduate students at the University of Tasmania. The role is a member of the TUSA State Council, the University’s Academic Senate, and any other committees to which they are nominated, both within the TUSA and the University. Given that the incumbent’s core responsibility is academic representation, the role requires a high degree of connectivity with various academic societies across all UTAS campuses, whilst endeavoring to be an effective conduit between University committees, TUSA and academic societies.  

 

The TUSA Education President – Postgraduate is primarily responsible for the academic representation of all postgraduate students at the University of Tasmania. The role is a member of the TUSA State Council, the University’s Academic Senate, Learning and Teaching Committee, Research Committee and any other committees to which they are nominated, both within the TUSA and the University. While the role’s core responsibility is academic representation of students, it is also necessary to engage with stakeholders and to remain abreast of issues affecting higher education in Tasmania and nationally.  

 

The Southern Campus President, Northern Campus President, Cradle Coast Campus President and Rozelle Campus President roles are primarily responsible for the advancement of student engagement with TUSA and the activation of Clubs and Societies at the University of Tasmania for their relevant campus. The roles are members of the TUSA State Council, the University’s Student Experience Committee, and any other committees to which they are nominated, both within the TUSA and the University. Each Campus President will lead the TUSA’s student engagement strategy, working with elected student representatives from various Clubs and Societies to coordinate and drive student activities on campus.  

 

What are the benefits of being a student rep?

• Contribute to decision making; 
• Undertake professional development and enhance your skills; 
• Have your voice heard; 
• Act as a conduit between students and UTAS; and 
• Collaborate with students to coordinate events to enhance the student campus experience.  

Are you eligible to nominate for TUSA student representative positions?

Don’t be disappointed – check your eligibility and submit your nomination early to get it confirmed. Here are the eligibility criteria for each position:

• Role-related eligibility criteria specified in the position descriptions.
• Valid enrolment as per Clause 18.1 of the UTAS Student Participation and Attainment Ordinance.
• Good academic and conduct standing.*

Specific role-related eligibility criteria (additional information can be found in Section 5 of each position description):

• Equity President
  • Nominations for this position must include written letters of support from two Equity-focused organizations that demonstrate the nominee’s willingness to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, LGBTQIA+ community members, students with disabilities, women, and international students.
• Education President – Undergraduate
  • Must be a currently enrolled undergraduate student.
• Education President – Postgraduate
  • Must be a currently enrolled postgraduate student.
• Southern Campus President
  • Must be enrolled at or regularly attend UTAS Southern Campus(es).
• Northern Campus President
  • Must be enrolled at or regularly attend UTAS Northern Campus(es).
• Rozelle Campus President
  • Must be enrolled at or regularly attend UTAS Rozelle Campus(es).
• Cradle Coast Campus President
  • Must be enrolled at or regularly attend UTAS Cradle Coast Campus(es).

*Details regarding the academic and conduct standing criteria are provided in the Election Policy and Election Procedure.

If you or your nominators do not have a valid enrolment, your nomination will not be accepted.

As a candidate in the TUSA student elections, you will want to encourage as many University of Tasmania students as possible to vote for you. All current students at the University of Tasmania are entitled to vote, provided they satisfy the valid enrollment criteria under Clause 18.1 of the UTAS Student Participation and Attainment Ordinance.

Campaigning can commence once the Notice of Confirmation of Eligibility has been issued and the electoral material has been authorized by TUSA.

The most common tried-and-true campaign methods involve posters, leaflets, and talking to students. However, given the current numbers of students on campus, we would suggest a combined virtual and in-person approach might work better this year.

It may be in your best interest to not only talk to students on your campus but to also find out what online students want and need at the satellite campuses too.

To get your message across about why people should vote for you, you can use almost any method you like. Be as creative as you want; however, there are a few rules that you must follow, and there are electoral offenses that can carry a penalty.

Please refer to the Election Policy and Election Procedure for important information regarding campaigning, posters, electoral material, and other election rules.

As per the TUSA Election Policy, an Election Tribunal is appointed each year to receive complaints, investigate alleged breaches of electoral rules, and determine appropriate disciplinary action.

Members of the Election Tribunal for 2023 are:

• Sam Gorringe, TUSA Chief Executive Officer
• Kate Lee, UTAS Director, Student Enquiries and Communications
• Kate Davey, TUSA Student Advocacy and Welfare Officer

Voting will be conducted online. Only students eligible to vote in the annual election will receive an email at the commencement of voting that contains a link to the online polling. Candidates’ names will appear in a random rotation order each time the online polling is accessed.

Scrutineers are people who check to ensure that the process of vote counting is conducted fairly and in accordance with the election regulations of the TUSA. All candidates may appoint scrutineers; however, only one scrutineer per candidate is allowed. Scrutineers are not to communicate with or hassle voters.

A candidate cannot be a scrutineer for other candidates. Scrutineers may be present for the online ‘vote count’.  To appoint a scrutineer, the candidate must contact the Returning Officer via email after close of nominations by 11th September 2023.

The Returning Officer for the 2023 State Council Elections is the TUSA Operations Manager, Shauna-Lee Ward.  Any queries regarding the elections can be directed to the Returning Officer by emailing elections@tusa.utas.edu.au.  

 

Shauna-Lee Ward
TUSA Operations Manager
elections@tusa.utas.edu.au

Tasmanian University Student Association
1 Churchill Avenue, Sandy Bay. TAS 7005
(PO Box 5055, University of Tasmania LPO)

Q: What do I need to do to nominate someone to be a TUSA Student Rep?

A: Check your eligibility above and complete the nomination form on our website. Candidates may provide a statement of up to 150 words in support of their nomination and a photo of themselves. This will be published on the TUSA website, the online polling system, and other means used to promote the election.

 

Q: Do you get paid to be a student rep?

A: Yes! All State Council elected representatives will be paid an honorarium. See all position descriptions above for an indication of pay rates.

 

Q: How much of my time will it require?

A: This is dependent on the position. See all position descriptions above for an indication of time commitment requirements.

 

Q: What are the benefits of working for the Student Association?

A: You get to be a part of shaping the future for students at UTAS while also giving yourself the opportunity to innovate, grow, and become a community leader both now and into the future.

 

Q: Where can I find information about the governance of the TUSA?

A: For more information and detail about the governance of the TUSA, you can read the Constitution or head over to our Governance page.

 

Q: Do I have to campaign?

A: It’s not compulsory to campaign; however, this is the best way to encourage UTAS students to vote for you. Please note that campaigning can only commence once the Notice of Confirmation of Eligibility has been issued and your electoral material has been authorised by TUSA. For campaigning ideas, head over to the “Campaigning Ideas” section above.

 

Q: Are there rules about what I can and can’t do when campaigning?

A: Yes, good question. All intending candidates should be aware of and abide by the current TUSA Election Policy and TUSA Election Procedure. To get your message across about why people should vote for you, you can use almost any method you like. Be as creative as you want; however, there are a few rules that you must follow, and there are electoral offenses that can carry a penalty. Make sure you check the Policy and Procedure before campaigning! 

 

Q: Is there an opportunity to have my photo taken professionally?

Yes, We have arranged a free headshot opportunity for all candidates on Tuesday 5th September from 4pm to 5pm at Sandy Bay Campus. Please email elections@tusa.utas.edu.au for any queries related to the opportunity.

 

Q: Do I have to attend meetings?

A: Yes, you will likely sit on committees and attend a range of meetings with TUSA (including State Council meetings and with the Board of Management), UTAS, and external stakeholders.

 

Q: Will I have space to work if required?

A: Yes, at each of the campuses, there is a dedicated or ‘hot’ desk for each student rep.

 

Q: What are the social benefits of becoming a student rep?

There is plenty of time for fun and laughter; in fact, we encourage it. You get to be part of the TUSA family, join in on team activities, and make some friends for life.

 

Q: Where do I go if I have any questions? 

Any queries regarding the elections can be directed to the Returning Officer by emailing elections@tusa.utas.edu.au.