MUPRA is to develop a plan for best serving the interests of postgraduate students, following a meeting between MUPRA delegates, MUPRA past presidents, the University Chancellor and Council chairman Michael Egan yesterday, as the University looks to restructure student support.
At the meeting the Chancellor recognised MUPRA's representative role.
The meeting was called after MUPRA made a submission to the Council to intervene in a dispute between the association and the University. Attending the meeting on MUPRA's behalf were current president Andrew Fraser, vice president Farzad Alavi Fard as well as past presidents Helene Mountford and Phil Betts.
MUPRA has endorsed Mr Tim Hendry who is a candidate for the Academic Senate.
In making the endorsement, MUPRA vice-president Farzad Alavi Fard said Mr Hendry was the candidate who most reflected MUPRA's values.
"Mr Hendry, like MUPRA, believes that postgraduate students affected by decisions should have a say in making those decisions. We believe Mr Hendry would be an effective postgraduate representative for the Academic Senate."
Mr Hendry said he believes in "grassroots Democracy, that people afected by decisions should make them. I also believe that the university is a community, deserving a life beyond the classroom.
Mr Hendry served on the academic senate from 2004 till 2009, as well as on the students’ council and student representation working group while studying for his undergraduate degree.
"I have the skills and experience necessary to be efective on senate. Additionally I have been active in various student groups and activates on campus, giving a good idea of the diversity of views among the student body," he said.
MUPRA president Andrew Fraser has signaled that the postgraduate organisation will continue its efforts to promote close ties with international students after meeting with international student leaders on Friday.
The President of the Council of International Student Associations (CISA) Ms Arfa Noor who addressed delegates to the Universities Australia conference in Canberra earlier this year, came up from Melbourne to preside at the meeting. Other international student leaders attending the meeting were Mr Asraf Alias from the National Union of Students (NUS), Mr Thomson Ching from CISA as well as MUSRA Representatives John Jian, Wayne Zheng and Kun Huang. The elected independent student representative on the University Council Mr Edwin Nelson also attended the meeting.
The discussion centred around three main issues: the importance of travel concessions for international students, the social exclusion international students suffer through the lack of collegiality on Australian campuses and the forthcoming international students conference that will be held in Brisbane in July.
MUPRA President Andrew Fraser says he has been 'strongly encouraged' by legal advice given to him regarding an ongoing dispute with Macquarie University.
Mr Fraser met with Bassam Kazi and John Bui of the firm Kazi Portolesi Lawyers at their city office on the 57th Floor of the MLC Centre yesterday.
The Committee decided in their meeting of April 16 to retain the law firm to advise on their rights, following a demand by DVC Students Deidre Anderson to hand over all the funds it had in the bank within 10 days.
‘The MUPRA Committee was particularly concerned about the insinuations of impropriety that had no basis in fact that DVC Anderson made in her circular email to all postgraduates on April 4.’ Mr Fraser said.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast, Professor Greg Hill, told a higher education conference this week that universities 'corporatising' student advocacy services ‘didn’t look right’ and that his university had decided to fund the local student guild to provide advocacy services.
MUPRA is currently in dispute with Macquarie University as to who should provide advocacy services to postgraduates. MUPRA says it already does so, helping 63 postgraduates resolve differences with the University last year alone. MUPRA provides this service without university funding. Macquarie University says it is going to provide its own service, using university employees.
Professor Hill made his comments at the Second Annual Student Satisfaction in Higher Education conference, partially sponsored by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education held at the Marriott Hotel, Sydney.
Speaker after speaker at a forum called by MUPRA last Friday called on the University to reconsider moves to shut down the postgraduate student association.
The forum, held just two days after MUPRA president Andrew Fraser told the University Council that the allegations against MUPRA are incorrect, was called to debate the question of her should best represent postgraduate student interests when in conflict with the University. The University says it will,; MUPRA says it does already, and that it is an independent advocate.
University representatives had been invited to the forum, but declined to appear. Both the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) called on Macquarie University to reconsider its stance.
Professor Pam Peters likes the T-shirt that says ‘Don’t ask Me about My Thesis’ because she has a ready answer. Speaking at a MUPRA–sponsored seminar yesterday, she said an abstract is designed to give the uninitiated a thumb-nail sketch of your thesis.
Professor Peters offered a few tricks of the trade when it comes to getting a paper accepted for a conference presentation. ‘The organizers of conferences usually require an abstract of your paper many months before the conference’. The problem is you might not have results for your paper at that stage and they can tell that from the abstract. To get around that you might want to write an abstract on different methodologies because that always interests the organizers of conferences’
Imagine you are in dispute with the University over some aspect of your postgraduate degree. Who do you turn to help you resolve the issue? An advocate who is independent of the University, or one who works for the University?
It's not an idle question: 63 postgraduates were assisted by MUPRA in 2011 on issues associated with their degree. MUPRA wants to continue this role: the University wants to deprive MUPRA of funds, and use its own advocates to resolve postgraduate student issues.
A public forum to debate this issue will be held at Seminar Room 2, Dunmore Lang College, on Friday May 4 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Dunmore Lang Collge is just five minutes walk from the University Hub. (See map) The seminar has been organised by the National Tertiary Education Union and MUPRA. Refreshments will be provided, but people who wish to attend must use the online form to register.
Speakers will include MUPRA president Andrew Fraser, NTEU delegates Cathy Rytmeister and Matt McGowan, CAPA delegate Kylee Hartman, and Edwin Nelson from the University Council.
The forum will be led by Mr Bruce Thomson.
A question and answer session will follow the speakers, and refreshments will be provided.
The seminar will be attended by postgraduates, MUPRA committee members, delegates from the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations and NTEU delegates. University staff, including the Deputy Vice Chancellors, have been invited to attend.
MUPRA president Andrew Fraser has urged all postgraduates to attend. "Only by stating your thoughts on this issue can there be any hope of resolving this dispute with the University. If you are a postgraduate student then you should make your voice heard, no matter what your point of view is."
Evelene Ma, currently studying for a master of clinical psychology, is running a paid cross-cultural study which is supervised by Prof Ron Rapee at the department of Psychology.
Ms Ma is recruiting postgraduate students in the age range of 18-30yo and who were born in Australia and who have an
Anglo-Saxon background.
"Currently, we have great difficulty to recruit suitable candidates in our department as most psyc masters students are over 30."
People wishing to take part int the study should phone Ms ma on 40560953.
MUPRA has endorsed Mr Tim Hendry who is a candidate for the Academic Senate.
MUPRA president Andrew Fraser has signaled that the postgraduate organisation will continue its efforts to promote close ties with international students after meeting with international student leaders on Friday.
MUPRA President Andrew Fraser says he has been 'strongly encouraged' by legal advice given to him regarding an ongoing dispute with Macquarie University.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast, Professor Greg Hill, told a higher education conference this week that universities 'corporatising' student advocacy services ‘didn’t look right’ and that his university had decided to fund the local student guild to provide advocacy services.
Speaker after speaker at a forum called by MUPRA last Friday called on the University to reconsider moves to shut down the postgraduate student association.
Imagine you are in dispute with the University over some aspect of your postgraduate degree. Who do you turn to help you resolve the issue? An advocate who is independent of the University, or one who works for the University?