Adelaide University Union

AUU

Adelaide University Union
Founded	1895
Headquarters	University of Adelaide
Key people	President, Angela Chuyue Qin General Manager, Gary Sutherland
Affiliations	National Union of Students
Website	www.auu.org.au

The Adelaide University Union (AUU) is a student union at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. It provides academic advocacy, welfare, and counselling services to students free of charge, funds the student newspaper On Dit, and owns a number of commercial operations on campus. It also oversees the Student Representative Council (SRC), an organisationally separate body responsible for student political representation.

The AUU was founded in 1895 and as of 1971 is recognised as a statutory corporation under the legislation governing the University of Adelaide.

History[]

The Adelaide University Union was founded in 1895.^{[citation needed]}

Formal relationship with the University of Adelaide[]

The AUU is a statutory corporation under the legislation governing the University of Adelaide.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2008, the Union relies on the University of Adelaide for the majority of its funding. This is a result of a funding agreement with the University.^{[1][better source needed]}

The ultimate existence of the Union, and its relationship with the university, is governed by the University of Adelaide Act 1971. This Act of the South Australian Parliament gives the University of Adelaide Council certain powers over the Union. The Union cannot alter its constitution or rules, or charge a membership fee, without the agreement of University Council. Furthermore, the Union is bound to provide University Council with its financial reports and budget for the coming calendar year prior to 1 December.^[2]

In 2009, the Adelaide University Sports Association, previously an affiliate of the Union, began the process of disaffiliation from the Union, having secured a separate funding agreement with the University.^{[3] [needs update]}

Student governance[]

Adelaide University Union Building 1930

The Union is governed by a board of management. The board consists of 10 ordinary members, who are not also permanent staff of the Union, five of whom are elected annually on two-year terms by the students of the University. The Board then elects several of its members to positions within the Union, such as Union President, Vice President, Student Media Committee Chair and Clubs Committee Chair.^[4] Elections are held annually in September, with the Board-elect and officer bearers taking their positions on 1 December.

Notable past presidents include former South Australian Premier John Bannon, former South Australia Attorney-General Chris Sumner, Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard (1981–1982)^[5][6] and former South Australian Supreme Court Judges Elliott Johnston and Samuel Jacobs.

The Union publishes the student newspaper On Dit, the third oldest student newspaper in Australia.^[7]

Impact of VSU[]

The post-Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) period contained significant financial difficulties for the Union. Previously funded by compulsory fees paid by all students, the introduction of voluntary unionism resulted in a sharp drop in income for the Union. This resulted in grave financial difficulties. In late 2007 the Union handed control of Union House and the vast majority of the Union's commercial services to the University of Adelaide.^[8] This was in return for the University agreeing to fund the Union for a period of ten years. The University of Adelaide paid $1.2 million to the Union in the first year of this funding agreement, with future funding to be determined on a year-to-year basis. This gives the University final control over the size of the Union budget in any given year.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website