The ANU's post VSU plan

All ANU students received an email today detailing just what the VSU legislation passed two weeks ago, means for the payment of fees next year. Here is the email:

Dear Student

If you have been following the debate about Voluntary Student Unionism you will know that legislation has recently been passed to prevent universities from charging students fees for services of a non-academic nature from 1 July 2006. At the ANU, these fees are known as General Services Fees or GSF.

GSF collected by ANU are distributed primarily through the undergraduate and postgraduate student associations (ANUSA and PARSA respectively), the Sport and Recreation Association (ANUSRA) and the Student Union. These organizations provide a range of services including sporting facilities, recreational and entertainment opportunities, food and beverage services, information, legal service, advocacy, financial advisory assistance and emergency grants. GSF has allowed those services to be provided at reduced cost or free of charge to students.

Other University services, such as medical, counseling, childcare, indigenous, disability and international student services have been provided by the University and therefore are unaffected by this legislation; they will continue to be provided.

To comply with the new legislation, The ANU will do the following in 2006:

1. If you are a new student (undergraduate, postgraduate and research) commencing your studies before 1 July 2006, you will be charged GSF of $120.

2. If you are a continuing student returning to study before 1 July 2006 (undergraduate, postgraduate and research), you will be charged GSF of $120.

3. All new and continuing students who commence or continue their studies after 1 July 2006 will not be charged a GSF.

4. If you have already paid a full year's GSF ($240) for 2006, you will receive a refund of $120.

We are still looking at our options for continuing the services and facilities affected by the legislation and will keep you up to date on progress.

ANU is proud of the fact that it offers exceptional education to its students but it recognizes that support services and provision of wider social and personal opportunities are critical for many students to be able to maximise their experience at ANU. The University will make every effort to ensure that goal is not compromised.

Tim Beckett
Director, Student and Academic Services
Director, Student Recruitment and International Education

So in essence, the ANU has decided to charge half the usual fee for the first half of next year, which I guess is the only real solution. I am pleased that this email details just what services are to be effected, as well as making it clear just who provides such services. Given that as of July 1 2006, students will separately have to decide whether to pay for and join their student association (about $50 for a year, which is approximately what PARSA gets per student at the moment), such promotion and support from the University itself couldn't be more important.

In general, student associations at the ANU are signifcantly better off than elsewhere, as the University's VC and other senior figures are very supportive of such organisations, and consider them an integral part of the Universities structure (so much so, that both PARSA and ANUSA have seats on almost all the major University committees and councils). The ANU considers it in their interest, that student associations not only survive, but continue to work effectively on behalf of all students (even if we technically don't have all students as members), and remain a vibrant force on campus. Bring on 2006!