APS Leadership Report October 2022
Events
What a wild two months! We recently enjoyed a gorgeous ball at the Emporium Hotel, hosted the 3MT Finals at the Red Room (congrats to all the participants and to Yuan Ye, good luck with the Asia Pacific finals!), and sponsored the 'German at UQ - Celebrating Milestones' Anniversary Gala at Customs House. We're looking forward to working with the Grad School for HDR Week at the end of November, including Celebrating 25 years of the Grad School at UQ with some APS sponsored food trucks, as well as focusing our attention on end of year events such as the AGM and campus visits.
Student Services Amenities Fees
We are working with the UQ Union and University to strengthen the agreements around distribution of SSAF grants, and seeking clarification around reporting timelines to ensure funding is available throughout the entire year. Recognising that March is already late for Coursework student support, many of our HDRs will be returning to campus from mid-January aand needing assistance from the jump.
Governance and 2023 plans
At the September ordinary meeting we discussed possible projects and programs for 2023, including a fervent support for continuing the Academic Editing Program. We also looked at the issue of incorporation and good governance again, and agreed to pursue incorporation by the end of 2023 to ensure long term funding partnerships were in place.
We have hit substantial road blocks with the First Nations Project Officer and RAP, and due to competing time constraints the leadership team have decided to hold off progressing these until we have a long term strategic plan underway and AGM support for establishing a board to handle a range of deep governance matters that go beyond the Executive's portfolio.
Statement on the events in Iran
The Association stands with students across Iran standing up for academic rights and women's rights in academia, and calls for an end to the violent crackdowns at Universities.
Many students have reached out to the Association, with a high number of HDR students moving to study in Australia from Iran. Support is available for Iranian Students through Student Services, and Will Triste is liaising with the head of Student Services to create more targeted support such as help with contacting family. Students may also be interested in joining the Persian Society.
We are also trying to use the Associations political power to seek a formal condemnation from the UQ Senate. Ricky Lee, Secretary of the Association, is a member of the UQ Senate for postgraduate students and will help elevate these discussions to their agenda. We'd also like to note the on going protests on most Saturdays around Brisbane, and thank Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner for his support via the gesture of Iranian flag colours on the Storey Bridge.
In the strongest terms, the Association of Postgraduate Students condemns the regime of the Iranian Republic and will continue to do whatever we can to support the people fighting for their rights.
Will Triste
APS President