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RMIT University Student Union

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The RMIT University Student Union (RUSU), is the peak representative body for students enrolled at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The Student Union is independent of the university and operates under the direction of annually elected student representatives. According to the constitution, all students are automatic members of the Student Union but may choose to become a financial member.[1] RUSU works in collaboration with its sister organisation the RMIT Vietnam Student Council to achieve common aims and objectives for all students.

RMIT University Student Union
RUSU logo
History
Founded1944; 81 years ago (1944)
Leadership
President
Finbar Bray
General Secretary
Dulan Ariyathilaka
Structure
Seats28
Length of term
1 year
Affiliations
National Union of Students
Meeting place
Storey Hall and Building 57, Level 4, RMIT University, 115 Queensberry Street, Carlton 3053
Website
rusu.rmit.edu.au
Constitution
RUSU Constitution
Rules
RUSU Regulations and Policy

The Student Union offers a range of services, including student rights advocacy, campus activities and events, funding student media including RMITV & Catalyst as well as hosting Women's, Queer and Postgraduate student lounges. RUSU is also responsible for funding and supporting over 100 clubs & societies that are either Academic, Cultural, Political, Social or Spiritual based. RMIT Link, which is run by the university (not the Student Union) funds and manages all Arts and Sports clubs. RUSU has offices at the three major Melbourne campuses and sites of RMIT University. RUSU is an affiliated body to the National Union of Students and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.

History

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John Storey Junior helped found the Student Representative Council in 1944, acted as its first President, and lobbied for the establishment of a central library. His studies were cut short when he was diagnosed with leukaemia and died in 1947, aged just 22. His recognition of service to the RMIT community lives on with one RMIT's most striking buildings – Storey Hall – in tribute to John Storey Junior and his father Sir John.[2] Over the years since its founding, the student union has continued to grow and expand into more areas to become an integral part of the student experience on campus.

In 2006, with the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation, the Student Union underwent a major reorganisation. Most of the staff were made redundant, the organisation's three separate campus councils were merged, and several services such as the second-hand bookshop were abandoned. While the organisation suffered a drastic funding cut (from $3.9 million AUD to $1.3 million AUD) as a result of VSU, it managed to survive the cutbacks and continue providing services, advocacy and representation to students.

In 2010, the RMIT University Student Union adopted the acronym and rebranding of RUSU. The student union had become formally incorporated in 2021, leading it to achieve a non-for-profit status.

Current structure

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As of 2024, the Student Union Council has 28 voting members, who are elected by RMIT students at annual held elections. Each Melbourne campus of RMIT (Brunswick, Bundoora and City) has a campus coordinator and a general campus representative as part of the 28 voting member structure.

Councillors are typically elected in the second week of September and hold November to October terms. Ex-officio (non-voting) members may be appointed to the Student Union Council at its discretion. All members of the Student Union Council must be financial members of the Student Union.

The Student Union Council meets regularly, and it is also responsible for electing the President and Communications Officer, as outlined in the Student Union Constitution. A smaller group of student office bearers, known as the Secretariat, meets more regularly to discuss day-to-day operational, staffing, and other urgent matters.

In addition to having student representatives as board directors of the organisation, the Student Union employs professional staff to help deliver key programs and services, and assist in governance. All staff members are supervised by an elected student representative as determined by the Secretariat.[3]

Leadership

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Presidents of the RMIT University Student Union
No. Portrait Name Term Election year General Secretary
54 1 November 1997 – 31 October 1998 1997 Mandi Scott
55 Mandi Scott 1 November 1998 – 31 October 1999 1998 Lizzie Minchin
56 Jess Latimer 1 November 1999 – 31 October 2000 1999 Kristin Godby
57 Jonathan Wilkinson 1 November 2000 – 31 October 2001 2000 Danny Bouvong
58 Emily Anderson 1 November 2001 – 31 October 2002 2001 Ty Capach
59 Emily Anderson 1 November 2002 – 31 October 2003 2002 Kittisak Muckaprom
60 Dinesh Rajalingum 1 November 2003 – 31 October 2004 2003 Duc Hieu Le
61 Sridaran Vijayajumar 1 November 2004 – 31 October 2005 2004 Duc Hieu Le
62 Dan Thomas 1 November 2005 – 31 October 2006 2005 Taylor Wright
63 Patrick O'Keeffe 1 November 2006 – 31 October 2007 2006 Priyanka Erasmus
64 Robert Harding 1 November 2007 – 31 October 2008 2007 Priyanka Erasmus
65 Jessica Hall 1 November 2008 – 31 October 2009 2008 Natasha Ferroff
66 Emma Henderson 1 November 2009 – 31 October 2010 2009 Thomas Ayers
67 David Swan 1 November 2010 – 31 October 2011 2010 Hovig Melkonian
68 Hovig Melkonian 1 November 2011 – 31 October 2012 2011 Jian Zhong
69 James Michelmore 1 November 2012 – 31 October 2013 2012 Gabriel Brady
70 James Michelmore 1 November 2013 – 31 October 2014 2013 Ariel Zohar
71 Himasha Fonseka 1 November 2014 – 31 October 2015 2014 Ariel Zohar
72 Ariel Zohar 1 November 2015 – 31 October 2016 2015 Abena Dove
73 Abena Dove 1 November 2016 – 31 October 2017 2016 Emily Hansen
74 Abena Dove 1 November 2017 – 31 October 2018 2017 Ella Gvildys
75 Ella Gvildys 1 November 2018 – 31 October 2019 2018 Aditya Sharma
76 Daniel Hoogstra 1 November 2019 – 31 October 2020 2019 Beatrice Co
77 Akshay Jose 1 November 2020 – 31 October 2021 2020 Jarred Armitage
78 Adam Steiner 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2022 2021 Sheldon Gait
79 Beth Shegog 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023 2022 Mark Morante
80 Ella Byrne 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024 2023 Dhweep Shah
81 Finbar Bray 1 November 2024 – Incumbent 2024 Dulan Ariyathilaka
General Secretaries of the RMIT University Student Union
No. Portrait Name Term Election year President
54 Mandi Scott 1 November 1997 – 31 October 1998 1997
55 Lizzie Minchin 1 November 1998 – 31 October 1999 1998 Mandi Scott
56 Kristin Godby 1 November 1999 – 31 October 2000 1999 Jess Latimer
57 Danny Bouvong 1 November 2000 – 31 October 2001 2000 Jonathan Wilkinson
58 Ty Capach 1 November 2001 – 31 October 2002 2001 Emily Anderson
59 Kittisak Muckaprom 1 November 2002 – 31 October 2003 2002 Emily Anderson
60 Duc Hieu Le 1 November 2003 – 31 October 2004 2003 Dinesh Rajalingum
61 Duc Hieu Le 1 November 2004 – 31 October 2005 2004 Sridaran Vijayajumar
62 Taylor Wright 1 November 2005 – 31 October 2006 2005 Dan Thomas
63 Priyanka Erasmus 1 November 2006 – 31 October 2007 2006 Patrick O'Keeffe
64 Priyanka Erasmus 1 November 2007 – 31 October 2008 2007 Robert Harding
65 Natasha Ferroff 1 November 2008 – 31 October 2009 2008 Jessica Hall
66 Thomas Ayers 1 November 2009 – 31 October 2010 2009 Emma Henderson
67 Hovig Melkonian 1 November 2010 – 31 October 2011 2010 David Swan
68 Jian Zhong 1 November 2011 – 31 October 2012 2011 Hovig Melkonian
69 Gabriel Brady 1 November 2012 – 31 October 2013 2012 James Michelmore
70 Ariel Zohar 1 November 2013 – 31 October 2014 2013 James Michelmore
71 Ariel Zohar 1 November 2014 – 31 October 2015 2014 Himasha Fonseka
72 Abena Dove 1 November 2015 – 31 October 2016 2015 Ariel Zohar
73 Emily Hansen 1 November 2016 – 31 October 2017 2016 Abena Dove
74 Ella Gvildys 1 November 2017 – 31 October 2018 2017 Abena Dove
75 Aditya Sharma 1 November 2018 – 31 October 2019 2018 Ella Gvildys
76 Beatrice Co 1 November 2019 – 31 October 2020 2019 Daniel Hoogstra
77 Jarred Armitage 1 November 2020 – 31 October 2021 2020 Akshay Jose
78 Sheldon Gait 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2022 2021 Adam Steiner
79 Mark Morante 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023 2022 Beth Shegog
80 Dhweep Shah 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024 2023 Ella Byrne
81 Dulan Ariyathilaka 1 November 2024 – Incumbent 2024 Finbar Bray

Student Union Council

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RMIT University Student Union – 81st Student Union Council (elected 2024)
Position Name
General Secretary Dulan Ariyathilaka
Education Officer Bunny Wadhwa
Welfare Officer Tathya Grover
International Officer Xin Shen
Postgraduate Officer Tandeep Singh
Women’s Officer Amellysha Amran
Queer Officer Luna McLeod
Queer Officer Maya Szyszko
Indigenous Officer Tessa Cristiano
Indigenous Officer Maddie Quail
Disabilities & Carers Officer Samuel Coombs
Activities Officer Amandi Peiris
Sustainability Officer Thikshani Abayasekara
Clubs and Societies Officer Ashar Husain
Vocational Education Officer Daiyan Mustansir
Brunswick Coordinator Snigdha Garg
Bundoora Coordinator Mathy Sivakumar
City Coordinator Tanya Ajit
Brunswick Representative Amrutha Baburaj
Bundoora East Representative Georgia Collier
Bundoora West Representative Karthik Karkala
City Representative Yoan Theodore
1st-elected General Representative Finbar Bray
2nd-elected General Representative Holly Medlyn
3rd-elected General Representative Nishtha Rana
4th-elected General Representative Ben Milne
5th-elected General Representative Zhenghuai Ni
1st Alternate General Representative Kashish Juneja
2nd Alternate General Representative Felicity Monk

Student media

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The RMIT Student Union funds the student-run magazine Catalyst & student television on-campus production studios RMITV. It continues to have strong ties with SYN radio station located within RMIT, however there is no formal or funding relationship between the separate organisations.

Catalyst Magazine was first published in 1944, the same year the Student Union was established. It is one of two official student magazines and news sources on RMIT campus.

References

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  1. ^ "RUSU Constitution May 2017". RMIT University Student Union. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. ^ "RMIT University Buildings – Storey Hall". RMIT University. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  3. ^ https://www.rusu.rmit.edu.au/regulations
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