SHOUT! Policy Statement
SHOUT! for SRC are a group of students from a diverse range of backgrounds who are united by a common goal: to depoliticise the SRC and provide an organisation which represents students, not student politicians.
We are running because we recognise that student organisations, as much as they might like to, can't change the world, but they can change your life on campus.
SHOUT! has has a 5 point plan to revitalise and reform the SRC so it serves ALL students.
The same faction has controlled the SRC for over 5 years. It's time to SHOUT for change!
What's wrong with the SRC?
For over 5 years the SRC has been run by the same group of Labor hacks, making the same promises every year, then using student funds to support the ALP and prepare themselves for pre-selection. Thousands of dollars are wasted on t-shirts, posters and protests, not to mention student salaries of up to $30 000, with NO benefit to university students. We believe in an SRC that serves all students, and does more than promote the petty ambitions of Labor functionaries.
We oppose student funds going to Anti-Israel protests.
How can we fix it?
If elected to the SRC, we will commit ourselves to achieving the following:
1. Funding for students, not student politicians.
If elected, we shall cut all funding for protests and campaigns not relevant to campus issues, and slash salaries for student office bearers (of which there are currently at least six earning over $10 000). This money should be spent on students, not student politicians. We eshall direct funds that were previously spent protesting to providing better academic appeals, legal aid and advocacy services, both at Camperdown and on satellite campuses.
2. Cheap Textbook hire.
If elected, we shall expand the role of the SRC bookshop to offer a textbook hire scheme. Textbooks for one Semester can cost upwards of $500. Often they are never used again. By establishing a textbook-hire scheme, students could rent their books over the course of a semester for a fraction of the cost of a new book. This will save students money, be more convinient, and provide the SRC with an additional long-term income stream, with money chanelled into its welfare and advocacy services.
3. Improve online facilities.
At the moment they are substandard compared to those at other universities. Improvements we will push for include:
*online recordings for all subjects in all faculties,
*free readers available online,
*wireless that actually works in every university building *unlimited download quotas (already enjoyed by IT students)
*online election voting to save time, money and resources
4. Academic Bill of Rights
If elected, we shall lobby the university to introduce an Academic Bill of Rights, to protect students from discrimination and academic bias and to restore the highest levels of integrity to the academic mission as a disinterested pursuit of knowledge. See threads for discussion.
5. Accountability.
Put complete and detailed SRC budgets up online on a monthly basis, and establish structures for participatory democracy by the student body, not just the student politician oligarchy - It's a student organisation and so should be accountable to students for every dollar it spends.
We also pledge to support secret-voting and non-binding caucuses for the National Union of Students to smash the factional back-room deals that currently dominate the NUS and give a voice for real students.
It's been over a decade since the SRC was controlled by students truly committed to achieving campus-level goals, representatives who put the wellbeing of their fellow students first and who worked hard because they actually saw the importance of what they did rather than because they were being paid to do so or to get their foot in the door with whichever political party took their fancy.
The SRC is your voice, and it's time to make yourself heard. It's your SHOUT!
SHOUT! for SRC
SHOUT! for NUS
SHOUT! for Honi
Josh Koonin for President!
Authorised by Justin Simon, 305140442
