Delivering for students

The success of the University’s partnership with student organisation, Arc@UNSW, to deliver more campus services has been recognised with a top rating from the National Union of Students (NUS).

NUS conducted a national audit of how universities involved students in the roll out of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF), introduced last year to restored direct funding lost through Voluntary Student Unionism.

UNSW was one of only six universities to rank in the top category.

“This is a very positive outcome for UNSW, and reflects well on the professionalism of our student leaders in guiding the consultation process,” said Neil Morris, UNSW’s Vice-President, University Services.

In February 2012, UNSW became the first university in the country to formally partner with its student body.

“Key to the success of the agreement has been identifying the services that we believe our student organisation is best placed to manage and deliver,” Morris said.

In 2012, UNSW allocated more than half of the $6 million-plus that it collected in fees directly to Arc. This represented a significant funding boost and elected student representatives were involved in discussions about priority projects.

Chair of the Arc Board, Alex Peck, said: “The University has recognised the advantages of having a student-led campus life and Arc’s strengths in creating a place that is engaging and vibrant. With their support, we’ve been able to expand the range of services we offer and extend them to more students.”

“We’ve also been able to strengthen important support services like academic and legal advocacy as well as student representation. It speaks volumes about our partnership that the University has continued to support an independent student voice on campus,” Peck said.

Contact: Denise Knight, UNSW Media Office, 02 9385 3249