Lot's Wife Edition 1 2016

OFFICE BEARER REPORTS
MSA PRESIDENT ABBY STAPLETON
Hello and welcome back to Monash! The Monash Student Association is here for you, and is made
up of a bunch of passionate activists who campaign and fight for the welfare of students. We run
heaps of events throughout semester, as well as advocate for students on a national level. There
are a ton of different departments to get involved in, and we are always out and about talking to
students about issues facing young people in today’s society, so please don’t be shy! Let us know
what you’re interested in! I hope you are all enjoying O-week and are keen to settle in, and I think
you’ll soon find that attending university is much more than going to a lecture or a lab – there is a
vibrant and diverse campus culture to get involved in! abigail.stapleton@monash.edu
TREASURER MATILDA GREY
Ahoy, Monash friends! Hope you’re all bubbly and excited to be here in 2016! As treasurer, it is
my job to keep track of the MSA financials, to ensure money is being spent effectively, and to
assist Office Bearers launch their campaigns and projects. I’m extremely excited to be involved
in the running of new events and campaigns this year, talking to and engaging students in the
MSA. Orientation Week is just around the corner, quickly followed by MSA Members Week,
and we’re working hard to ensure they’ll be great, so y’all have plenty to look forward to from
us! Please come to us if you’re having any issues whatsoever, make sure you join some clubs
and societies during O-Week, and purchase an MSA card so that you can reap the benefits of
supporting your student union. matilda.grey@monash.edu
SECRETARY GLENN DONAHOO
Hello everyone and welcome to Monash in 2016! I’m Glenn, and I’m your secretary for this
year. So far this year I’ve been busy helping our many and varied departments organise their
plans for the year, so they get to run successful campaigns and enjoyable events. Along with
this, I’ve been helping to organise orientation week to ensure everyone’s year starts off the
best possible way! Make sure you come by, pick up a MSA Card for $20, join some clubs,
pick up some free food, grab tickets to some of our events and find out what’s going on in
the MSA this year. I’ve also been helping organise MSA Members Week in week 2, so look
out for all of the great stuff we have planned that week for our members. If you want to find
out anything more, just shoot me an email at glenn.donahoo@monash.edu
EDUCATION (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)
Over the the summer break, we have been organising student representatives to sit on panels
in the Academic Progress Committee (APC) hearings for each faculty. These students provide
a student perspective and assist in making recommendations for learning and support
services. This year, we are continuing to campaign for a university-wide opt-out policy for
lecture recordings, which will coincide with the Equal Access campaign in conjunction with
the Disabilities and Carers Department. If you are keen to become involved with Academic
Affairs Department, applications for our Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) will be open until
18 March 2016. The AAC assists our department by developing and organising projects or
campaigns around academic issues. If you have any issues with your course, teaching staff or
assessment policies, feel free to contact either of us, or come by the Academic Affairs Office in
the MSA for a chat. Jessica Stone: jessica.stone@monash.edu, Daniel Ffrench-Mullen: daniel.
ffrench-mullen@monash.edu
DISABILITIES & CARERS
EDUCATION (PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
Hola monash peeps! This year Education Public Affairs will be run by us, the lovely Sumudu
and Sulaiman. We are a department that is centred on fighting for issues and campaigns
concerning current Monash students, and enacting a change via the force of student’s voices.
So far we’ve been working hard on our Counter-Faculty Handbook, which is a rundown of units
based by student reviews and their ratings. It’s an honest look into units from a student’s
perspective, so look out for it in O-week. This year we’re excited to be starting a major campaign
for a People of Colour Collective and a department within the MSA encouraging students
of ethnic backgrounds to get involved, and to have a welcoming space to discuss their own
experiences and issues. You can become a part of the team advocating for students issues
by either coming into our office located in the MSA, or our stall at O-week, as well as by joining
the Monash Education Action Group on Facebook and coming along to our meetings. We look
forward to seeing you around campus. msa-education@monash.edu
The beginning of this year has been both busy and uneventful – which, given there aren’t
many students around, isn’t that much of a surprise. As the Disabilities and Carers department
is so new, most of our energy has actually been towards getting the office sorted and as
best as equipped as possible, and trying to come up with ideas and plans for the next year.
Our main focus here in D&C will be building a collective and getting people to know that we
actually exist – as chances are, this may even be the first time you’re reading anything about
MSA’s Disability and Carer’s department. If it is, please do stay on the lookout for the events
and campaigns we have planned for next year, as we’re hoping to build a solid foundation for
our department, and start a culture that supports carers and people with disabilities as best
we can! viv.stewart@monash.edu
14 | Lot’s Wife