Live: USU Board Meeting 29/05/2020

Ellie Stephenson reports.

12:57pm - I’m listening to the Board share some pre-meeting 5G conspiracy theories as we wait for all the Board Directors to turn up. Nick Rigby has tuned in early to his first official meeting, and newly-elected Directors Prudence Wilkins-Wheat, Belinda Thomas, Vikki Qin and Ben Hines are also here, although technically their term hasn’t started yet so they do not have standing to speak. Senate Appointed Board Director Jane Drummond gave birth yesterday, so is understandably not in attendance.

1:02pm - The meeting opens - Honorary Secretary Decheng Sun seems to be running late. Connor Wherrett says the Acknowledgement of Country, emphasising that the USU should actively engage with Indigenous struggles beyond symbolism. He refers to Rio Tinto’s recent destruction of a sacred Indigenous site and highlights the need to “close the gap” in higher education.

1:08pm - There are two positions - on the finance committee and as the disability portfolio holder - that have become vacant as a result of Oscar Bai ceasing to be a Board Director. Filling these is delayed until the next meeting as there is only a month remaining of Oscar’s term in these positions.

Next up is Q&A: I ask the Board whether the USU has any plans to publicly oppose the University’s controversial planned cuts to courses. President Connor Wherrett replies that there are no motions on notice but that he has “raised concerns” and “reaffirmed the position of the SRC” at meetings with USyd. Honorary Treasurer Maya Eswaran suggests putting a motion on the agenda for the next Board meeting.

1:10pm - A motion giving a posthumous USU Fellowship to Sam Langford carries, after it was brought up last meeting. You can read an obituary of Sam in Honi Soit.

The meeting goes in camera. I get put in the wrong breakout room but sadly it’s detected quickly and I’m unable to reveal any confidential secrets. Pulp can exclusively reveal, however, that the incoming Board Directors with whom I shared my breakout room exile had some - um - very conspicuous bottles of alcohol in view.

It’s an unusually entertaining time in the breakout room - Belinda and Ben are playing guitar (on mute), an in camera “concept album”, as Ben puts it. “Did you know I had con policies too,” Ben tells the Zoom chat.

1:29pm - Ben and Belinda are reading this article. Ben gives it a 10/10. Thanks, Ben.

1:32pm - Back in the meeting! We’re on a spicy motion from Decheng Sun which finds disqualified USU candidate Jiale Wang guilty of misconduct and expels him from USU membership. However, Decheng describes says “this motion has been put forward to follow up the decision of the electoral arbiter” but as “we received a very, very genuine remorse letter”, he believes the USU should not be overly punitive. However he is still putting forward this motion for the record, to deter future candidates from making similar mistakes, but will withdraw it.

Connor Wherrett reads out Jiale’s apology letter which apologises to the involved stakeholders and commits to following the rules in the future. Benny Shen says that he is “really glad” the Board has not been unforgiving.

1:37pm - Now for the CEO and Secretariat Report. Acting CEO Jess Reed congratulates the new Board Directors and compliments Board Secretary Dane Luo for his help in facilitating it. She says there are “lessons” to be learned from this election - it’s unclear whether she is suggesting that future elections should also be held online.

She also assures the Board that she is developing the “roadmap” for the return of students to campus.

Nick Forbutt asks about what Reed means regarding future elections, given the Board resolved to return to in-person elections after this year. She responds that “there are just some interesting debates we could have” about how future elections will be run, especially given that there were cost savings and the highest turnout ever of Life Members. Irene Ma says that it should be referred to the Electoral Committee and asks a question about merging the Innovations Department with the Student Programs Department. Reed replies by saying that the move could make sense in terms of co-ordinating staffing.

Honorary Treasurer Maya Eswaran says that making a simple breakdown of the USU’s financial report for USU social media could be worthwhile for “transparency” purposes. Reed replies that “COVID-19 has… highlighted people’s lack of understanding about how we pay staff and what we spend money on”, making communication in this regard especially important.

Eve Wang points out that moving elections online would be “really good for the environment”.

Nick Rigby asks a question about the timeline for reopening USU outlets on campus, the answer being that it will respond to the amount of foot traffic and the patterns of profit within the different outlets.

1:51pm - On the financial report, Jess Reed says bluntly, “financially speaking, April was an awful month” and that “86% of our income came from SSAF funding” which is “pretty much inverse” to the USU’s normal figures. On the upside, the USU online store “has gone absolutely gangbusters” which is producing some unprecedented online sales, especially of pastel pink hoodies, apparently.

Marie Leech asks how much the USU is getting in JobKeeper. The answer is “in the realm of $400-450000” (seemingly per month).

The Operations Report and the Sales, Marketing and Membership Reports are next. Tania Moroko, the Head of Sales, Marketing and Membership, says that membership has grown as a result of the USU Election and that the USU’s marketing channels, particularly WeChat, have been growing in following. Irene Ma points out that Pulp’s new WeChat, run by our editor Vina, has got a huge amount of new engagement.

On the Student Programs Report, Jess Reed says clubs have moved online pretty successfully, including the Debates program moving online. They are also looking into “hybrid” events for Semester 2. Nick Rigby asks about how the USU can promote communication with the C&S program, suggesting that greater “consultation between societies” would be helpful. Some of the proposed solutions include a Zoom meeting with club Executives and sending out a survey inviting feedback. Tania Moroko says that Marketing will be giving clubs and societies ‘tips and tricks’ regarding how to move online successfully.

Benny Shen asks about how an online orientation will work. Moroko replies that the USU is in “early stages” with working out how the virtual orientation could work, but it has USyd’s support. She adds that it could include clubs and societies, “a membership drive”, and “a digital goodie bag” working with USU partners.

The Innovations Report is next, although the Innovations Department has been diminished after a number of staff have left the organisation. The plan is to focus on partnerships with outside organisations to try to maintain the programs.

Connor Wherrett says that the Executive Report contains “a very clear to-do list” for the next Executive, including fixing up procedures within the organisation and a grievance policy. He also suggests that the next Executive “should work on issues of transparency and communication with our members”. Maya Eswaran thanks Ashlea Wallington and Jodi Tweed - Heads of Department who have recently left the USU - for their work.

Connor closes the meeting at 2:23pm. “Goodbye and go and serve the Lord”, he says.

We’ll be back soon for the Special Meeting of the Incoming Board on 4 June!

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