Flinders University Student Association


The Flinders University Student Association is a student union at Flinders University, South Australia. It provides free welfare services, academic advocacy, grants for clubs and societies, and funding for the student newspaper, Empire Times. It also organises an O'Week each semester, as well as various social events throughout the year.
FUSA does not have a structurally separate student representative body, and is overseen directly be an elected Student Council whose members are responsible for providing political representation to students.

History

Between 1966 and 2006 the Student Association of Flinders University provided student representation on campus. When the Howard Government introduced voluntary student unionism in 2005 the organisation lost the vast majority of its funding and soon collapsed.
FlindersONE, a commercial company owned by the university, took over most of the services formerly provided by SAFU and a Student Representative Council was created as a subcommittee of the FlindersONE board.
After the Gillard Government introduced the Student Services & Amenities Fee in 2011 representatives of the SRC began negotiations with university to create an independent student organisation. A funding agreement was reached with the university, and on 23 April 2012 the SRC voted to endorse the constitution of the Flinders University Student Association. Student representatives completed their terms and the first FUSA Student Council began on 1 January 2013.

Student Council

President

NameTicketFactionYear
Sean HenschkeActivateNational Labor Students2020
Josh RaynerActivateNational Labor Students2019
Katt HatziActivateNational Labor Students2018
Christopher NormanActivateNational Labor Students2017



NameTicketFactionYear
Summer TillActivateNational Labor Students2020
Jesse StevensActivateNational Labor Students2019
Josh RaynerActivateNational Labor Students2018
Hamish RichardsonActivateNational Labor Students2017



NameTicketFactionYear
Nathan CheethamActivateNational Labor Students 2018-2020
Kate GallagherActivateNational Labor Students2018- 2018
Hilary WiggActivateNational Labor Students2017

NameTicketsFactionYear
Aidan Cornelius-BellActivateNational Labor Students2020
Hansha ManimendraActivateNational Labor Students2019
Vincent Charn/aIndependent 2018
Satya VenugopalActivateIndependent2018- 2018
Katt HatziActivateNational Labor Students2017

NameTicketFactionYear
Molly TurnbullActivateNational Labor Students2020
Keenan SmithUniteStudent Unity 2019
Sarah HowsonActivateNational Labor Students2019- 2019
Yaritji GreenActivateNational Labor Students2017-2018

NameTicketFactionYear
Amy TschirnActivateNational Labor Students2020
Grace HenselActivateNational Labor Students2019
Andy CallerActivateNational Labor Students2018
Jacinta RobinsonActivateNational Labor Students2017

NameTicketFactionYear
Ché CielensActivateNational Labor Students2020
Gemma LyonnsActivateNational Labor Students2019
Bradley MartinActivateNational Labor Students2018
Ashley SutherlandUnite Grassroots Independents2017



NameTicketFactionYear
Janelle ChaptiniActivateNational Labor Students2020
Benika BhoolaActivateNational Labor Students2020
Kane AbrahamActivateNational Labor Students2020
Lana TikhomirovUniteStudent Unity2020
James Glynn-RoeUniteStudent Unity2020
Victor Ephraims Durujin/aIndependent2020

Campaigns and activism

FUSA has called for better public transport to the university from the Government of South Australia, citing the high number of students driving to campus and the low number of car parks provided by the university.
In 2015 FUSA and the National Tertiary Education Union organised an extended campaign against the Abbott Government's plans to create a $4 million policy center at the university run by climate skeptic Bjorn Lomborg. The organisers claimed that the proposal was done with no consultation with staff and students, and threatened the academic reputation of the university. In 2015 plans for the centre were dropped by the Turnbull Government.