The effects of VSU

VSU in Victoria:

1) prohibits administrations from making students' membership of student organisations compulsory;

2) limits the expenditure of funds from compulsory non-academic fees on facilities and services or activities of direct benefit to the university or students; and

3) excludes the expenditure of student funds on running student elections.

The effect:

Most student organisations have continued to receive funding for their activities. This has been made possible by defining all student organisation activities in terms of "direct benefit" to the university and students.

VSU in Western Australia:

1) does not recognise student organisations as representing all students, but as representing only those who are members of the union;

2) makes membership of the student organisation non-compulsory; and

3) bans the compulsory collection of the general services fee.

The effects:

Student organisations which control commercial activities have been able to survive, while those with fewer "assets" have been severely adversely affected. Some student guilds have chosen to sacrifice the representative, political aspects of student unions. Others have struggled to maintain these roles.

Proposed national VSU would:

1) ensure that membership of student organisations is not compulsory;

2) ban the collection of compulsory non-academic fees not directly related to each student's courses; and

3) makes the granting of universities' operating grants contingent on 1) and 2).

From GLW issue 352