PARSA PRESIDENT ANNUAL REPORT 2012 – 2013

 PARSA  P re s i den t    

Annua l   Repor t   on  A c t i v i t i e s   2012 -­‐2013    

 

   Author: Julie Melrose, PARSA President PARSA.President@anu.edu.au Julie.Melrose@anu.edu.au

A N U P O S T G R A D U A T E A N D R E S E A R C H S T U D E N T S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N ( P A R S A ) 2

Key  achievements  and  new  projects  in  2012/13      

• Improvement  in  PARSA’s  governance  structures      

• New   joint   staffing  arrangement  with  ANUSA  with   the  employment  of  a   shared  Student  Assistance  Officer  as  a   first  step  to  creating  a  shared  “Student  Assistance  Unit”   for  all  students,  and  a  shared  bookkeeper  to  manage  financial  affairs  (see  attached  staffing  structure  and  organizational  diagram);      

• An  agreement   reached  between   the  ANU  and  PARSA   including   full   funding  of  a  new  PARSA  office  located  next  to  ANUSA,  to  support  shared  staffing  arrangement,  with  weekly  meetings  with  Facilities  and  Services  and  a  timeline  in  place  for  completion  of  refurbishment  works  in  November  2013;    

 • Launch  of  a  new  “Global  Café”   cultural   sharing  project   that   involves  partnerships  between  PARSA  

and  other  international  student  associations,  to  drive  increased  international  student  engagement;  

• New   ‘Health   and   Wellness’   project   launched   with   the   introduction   of   women’s   fitness   classes,  cooking  classes,  and  an  Annual  Postgraduate  Health  Fair,  in  partnership  with  ANU  Sport,  Counseling  and  Health  Services  as  well  as  community  organisations;    

 • New  Indigenous  Student  Advocacy  Project  launched  by  PARSA  Indigenous  Student  Officer,  involving  

‘Aboriginal   Women’s   Business   Retreats’,   collaboration   on   a   PARSA   Multicultural   Festival   with  Indigenous  elders,  and  a  NAIDOC  festival  planned  for  August;    

 • New  Research  Student  Advisory  committee  established  to  consult  with  DVC-­‐R;    

 • Administration  of  a  new  Emergency  Welfare  Grant  for  financial  hardship;    

 • Launch   of   new   PARSA   logo   and   PARSA   website   with   more   up   to   date   information   on   events,  

advocacy  and  representation  to  drive  student  participation  within  the  organisation.  

Improvements  made  to  PARSA’s  Governance  Structures    

• Anti-­‐Fraud  training  for  all  executive  members  was  undertaken  and  several  policy  gaps  identified    • Employment  of  shared  Bookkeeper  with  ANUSA  to  ensure  efficient  financial  management  and  

transparency    • Introduction  of  Strategic  Planning  Day’s  in  between  PRC  meetings    • Development  of  a  PRC  member  induction  kit  • General  reps  encouraged  to  take  on  individual  project  initiatives    • Introduction  of  a  PARSA  Credit  Card  to  ensure  staff  and  students  are  not  out  of  pocket  when  incurring  

expenses  for  events          

A N U P O S T G R A D U A T E A N D R E S E A R C H S T U D E N T S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N ( P A R S A ) 3

Pr

New ANUSA/PARSA Staffing Structure

Department ANUSA Shared PARSA Admin Office Administrator

(Eleanor) Both administrators provide ad-hoc reception support in shared space

Office Administrator (Gaea, full-time)

Outreach Communications Officer (New)

Events/Marketing (Monica)

BKSS Manager (Nick, Bianca, Alex)

Clubs and Societies Officer (New)

Welfare Student Assistant (Bronwyn)

Student Assistant (New)

Student Welfare Advisor (Wayne, full-time)

Student Assistant [Legal] (Don)

Finance (Located in Union)

Payroll Officer Accounts Clerk Accountant

 

     

A N U P O S T G R A D U A T E A N D R E S E A R C H S T U D E N T S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N ( P A R S A ) 4

Postgraduate  Student  Support  Services  delivered  

• Student  Welfare  Advisor  casework  • Legal  Advisor  casework  • Regular  Thesis  Whisperer  PhD  writing  workshops  • Graduate  Student  Loan  administration  • Introduction  of  new  Emergency  Grant  for  financial  hardship  • Shut  Up  and  Write  –  ongoing  regular  intensive  writing  workshops  for  PhD  students  in  groups  • PARSA  Leadership  Forum  with  the  VC  &  prominent  members  of  the  Australian  community    • Careers  forums    

Postgraduate  Health  and  Welfare  Initiatives     In  2012,  PARSA  launched  a  series  of  new  initiatives  to  promote  and  encourage  health  and  welfare  amongst  postgraduate  students.  The  initiatives  included:      

• Postgraduate   Health   Fair:   A   huge   success   with   over   100   students   attending,   having   their   fitness,  cholesterol,   blood   pressure,   posture   and   knowledge   about   health   and   wellness   tested,   effective  partnerships  with  a  range  of  health  and  welfare  stakeholders  forged;    

• Healthy  Cooking  and  Eating  Classes  at  the  Food  Coop  trialled;    • Free  Women’s  Only  Fitness  Classes:   currently  being   trialled  every  Friday   lunchtime,   in  partnership  

with  ANU  Sport.  So  far  a  great  success;  • PARSA  Sporting  Day:  End  of  October  soccer  game  for  exam  period  stress  release.    

International  Students    

• Advocacy   on   greater   support   in   finding   accommodating   for   international   students   –   an  accommodation  seeker  forum  held  in  O  Week  2013;    

• Partnership  and  collaboration  with  International  Student  Organisations  on  advocacy  and  events,  for  example  financial  support  for  the  African  Student  Association  to  hold  a  retreat  for  their  members;  

• PARSA  Global  Café:  Cultural  sharing  activities  involving  food  sharing  and  cultural  performances,  once  monthly  in  partnership  with  different  international  student  organisations;    

• Postgraduate  Multicultural  Festival  held  in  2012  and  planned  again  for  late  2013;    • PARSA/ANUSA   BushDance   and   sheep   shearing   day   trip   to   introduce   international   students   to  

Australian  culture;  • Special  Anzac  Day  tours:  for  international  students  to  the  Dawn  Service  and  War  Memorial.    

Australian  Experience  Trips  for  Postgraduates,  particularly  International  Students    

• Annual  Canberra  Wineries  Tour    • Batemans  Bay  Trip,  including  tour  of  the  Harbour  and  Broulee  Beach    • Wee  Jasper  Caves  Tour  • Annual  Jervis  Bay  Beach  Trip    • Annual  Snow  Trip  to  Perisher    • Sheep  Shearing  Trip  for  International  Students    • Upcoming  introduction  to  camping  trip  in  the  Blue  Mountains    

 

A N U P O S T G R A D U A T E A N D R E S E A R C H S T U D E N T S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N ( P A R S A ) 5

Indigenous  Student  Advocacy  and  Experience    One  of   the  main   targets  of   the  ANU  Reconciliation  Action  Plan   (RAP)   is   for  all  ANU  students   to  develop  a  thorough   understanding   and   appreciation   of   indigenous   knowledge   and   culture.   In   October   2012,   PARSA  President  Julie  Melrose  and  Indigenous  Student  Advocacy  Officer  Tjanara  Goreng  Goreng  held  talks  with  the  ANU   Tjabal   Centre   about   how   student   organisations   can   help   in   meeting   this   important   RAP   target.  Certainly,   within   the   PARSA   community   there   has   been   an   expressed   desire   for   there   to   be  more   open,  accessible  and  visible  opportunities  for  both  local  and  international  students  to  learn  more  about  indigenous  culture   and  practices.   PARSA   and  ANUSA,   in   collaboration  with   Tjabal   Aboriginal   Centre   and   the  National  Centre  for  Indigenous  Studies  would  host  a  group  of  ANU  community  wide  events  during  NAIDOC  week  in  2013.        Planned  Events  in  2013;    

• NAIDOC  Art  competition    • NAIDOC  ANU  Community  Day    • NAIDOC  Elders  and  Elders  for  he  Future  Event,  morning  tea  with  ANU  executive    • NAIDOC  Sport  Competition    • Women’s  Business  Retreat    

Equity  Events  and  Advocacy      

• Joint  employment  of  a  new  student  assistance  officer  with  ANUSA    • Student  assistance  officer  administration  of  free  meals  donated  by  ANU  Union  to  struggling  students    • Research  and  advocacy  on  childcare  issues  for  postgrads  through  the  Childcare  Committee    • Creation  of  the  PARSA  Parents  Networking  Group  on  Facebook    • Postgraduate  Women’s  Leadership  competition  held  to  win  a  place  at  the  International  Women’s  

Day  table  UN  Women  lunch    • Postgraduate  and  ANU  staff  International  Women’s  Day  morning  tea    • Progress  made  towards  the  development  of  a  Postgraduate  Sexual  Health  awareness  program  

“Postgrads  Have  Sex  Too”    • Administration  of  the  emergency  welfare  grant    

Social  Events  held  in  2012/13   Below  is  a  non-­‐exhaustive  list  of  social  events  held  by  PARSA  over  the  past  year:      

• Regular   fortnightly   networking   drinks   at   University   House,   with   guest   speakers   from   a   range   of  different  backgrounds    

• Postgraduate  School  of  Music  Drinks    • CASS  morning  tea,  College  of  Law  networking  dinner,  and  other  College  events/BBQs    • PARSA  Family  Day  for  students  with  families      • PARSA  BBQs    • First  PARSA  Postgraduate  Ball    • First  PARSA  Karaoke  Evening  in  the  Brian  Kenyon  Student  Space    • PARSA  Bush  Dance  (partnership  with  International  Student  Services)    • PARSA  Salsa  Dancing    

A N U P O S T G R A D U A T E A N D R E S E A R C H S T U D E N T S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N ( P A R S A ) 6

PARSA  Environmental  Projects    

• ANU   Student   Delegation   to   Rio+20   UN   Conference   on   Sustainable   Development,   led   by   PARSA  President  Julie  Melrose  and  Environmental  Officer  Luke  Kemp,   including  private  consultations  with  Australian  Government  and  Prime  Minister  Julia  Gillard  in  Brazil.  

• Participation  in  the  IARU  Global  Sustainability  Forum  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  Brazil.    • Partnership  with  ANUgreen  on  IARU  Campus  Sustainability  Project  –  Move  Out  Recycling.        • PARSA  gardening  day  and  tour  of  organic  gardens  on  campus.    • Pizza  making  at  the  ANU  food  coop  and  learning  how  to  garden.    • Launch   of   a   new   environmental   magazine   produced   by   ANU   Rio+20   delegates   “Ambiente”,  

combining  creative  and  research  on  environmental  issues  around  campus.    • Op  Shop  Tour  encouraging  the  purchase  of  recycled  clothing.