RMIT University Student Union Fourth Quarter Report Reporting Period: 1 October – 31 December 2017 President’s Report s we come to the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on 2017 and the many A fantastic things the RMIT University Student Union has been able to achieve. We’re proud of the progress we have made throughout the year and the continued hard work of our student representatives and team of staff. With the completion of the New Academic Street, RUSU was able to finally re-open our Realfoods cafe. The new space in Building 8 has been a long time coming, but it looks fantastic and we can’t wait to really embrace it in 2018. It’s important for students to have access to affordable healthy, ethical, and sustainable food and drinks on campus, and we’re so pleased with how the new storefront has turned out. Constitutional changes do not happen very often, but in 2017 we were able to make a very significant one with the introduction of an Indigenous Officer position on the Student Union Council. The first RUSU Indigenous Officer, Jedda Rocha Costa started her term on 1 November. Welcome Jedda! On a personal note, I was honoured to be elected the President of RUSU for another year and will continue to advocate for the rights of all students while ensuring that RUSU upholds its high standards. We’re looking forward to 2018 and working with the University to make sure the needs of students are always at the centre of decision making at RMIT. Abena Dove President, RMIT University Student Union FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2017 Activities & Events End of Exams: Rooftop Party As the academic year drew to a close, November 9 saw the Activities Department take over the Building 80 rooftop for a massive end-of-exams party. Kicking off at 4pm, the event featured free Kentucky Fried Chicken plus free beer and cider on tap. This event was a sell-out and a great way for students to relax and unwind following the super stressful exam period! Mooncake Festival In early October we celebrated the mid-Autumn harvest with our annual Mooncake Festival in the Alumni Courtyard. An important event for RMIT’s many international students, the festival features free dumplings, lanterns, and of course mooncake! Thank you to everyone that came along and made this event such a success. Membership At the end of 2017 RUSU had 4822 financial members, just shy of our 5000 target. Not a bad result considering all of the technical problems we had with our online sign-ups. Left: End of Exams Rooftop Party, Above: Chill N Grill RUSU.RMIT.EDU.AU RUSUPAGE RMITSU RMIT_RUSU RUSUONLINE 3 RMIT UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION Volunteers The NAS Project has impacted on the Realfoods component of our Training: Number of participants program this year, however we have seen growth in all other areas. Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 YTD RUSU was pleased to still be in the position to offer Food Safety Handler Program Induction 188 12 73 0 273 training to those who requested it, even though they did not have the Responsible Service of Alcohol 20 51 36 0 107 opportunity to volunteer in the cafe. Volunteer satisfaction levels remain Safe Food Handler 43 23 61 0 127 high with an unpreceded number of volunteers expressing an interest to Youth Mental Health First Aid 0 23 0 3 23 continue in the program during 2018. TOTAL 251 109 170 3 533 We saw better than ever participation at our recognition events over the course of the year, with the end of Volunteer hours worked: City Campus year Luna Park get-together being the most well attended. Requests for job Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 YTD references were also high with the SEO and other staff supervisors being Activities & Events 361 309 986 430 1889 approached to act as referees. It is great to report that past volunteers Realfoods 0 0 0 130 130 still keep in touch from time to time and request references as they move Administration 75 184 488 78 825 onto other opportunities. Compass 66 78 160 114 418 Healthy Breakfasts 74 31 68 25 198 English Language Workshops 171 0 66 0 303 Student Rights 22 32 98 37 120 TOTAL 769 634 1866 614 3883 Volunteer hours worked: Bundoora Campus Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 YTD Activities & Events 21 76 48 12 157 Breakfasts 7 14 18 0 39 Realfoods 66 113 201 62 442 TOTAL 94 203 267 74 638 Below: Volunteer End Of Year Party 4 FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2017 FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2017 Across the Campuses City Building 8 Foyer Games Space assessment, show cause, and some very over 1000 extremely relaxed students. RUSU has been actively pushing to late exclusions from the prior semester, The addition of the Compass Marketplace have a games space on campus, and in in addition to special consideration to Chill ‘n’ Grill in the fourth quarter was November 2017 this was achieved! We applications and our usual student rights a roaring success, with a vast amount of workload. Student Rights Officers were assisted in setting up, a large human- positive feedback from students on this available in RUSU Central from the start size chess board, Connect Four and new program. RUSU hopes to see this of the peak period in order to meet with Jenga. Students also now have access event return to Chill ‘n’ Grill in the new year. to a Dance Dance Revolution machine. students in need. These free games have been well received by the student body, with many Ice Cream Day 2017 has been a great year for the City students actively engaging with the new Chill ‘n’ Grill program seeing a range of Ice Cream Day was held on October 6 in games space. diverse bands and DJs coming to RMIT to Bowen Street and was an amazing treat showcase their talents. RUSU would like for approximately 600 students! Two to take this opportunity thank our student Board Games ice-cream vans delighted students with representatives, staff and RMIT Events We will continue to advertise the tantalising tastes, bringing the semester and Property Services staff who have boardgames hire service we have at to a close. RUSU Central. supported this program over the last year. This event continues to offer quality food, City Chill ‘n’ Grill RUSU Activities Space drinks and entertainment to students each Drawing down into the final few weeks week and we are very grateful for all of the The RUSU Large Activity Space had 42 of the academic year RUSU hosted the support that it receives. events bookings over the quarter and last two Chill ‘n’ Grill events for 2017. continues to be booked over the semester period. Utilisation reflects the semester Volunteers continue to keep turning up Last but by no means least RUSU extends period with few bookings made throughout for the event bringing their smiling faces its never ending thanks to all of its December and the exam period. and massive amounts of assistance to the amazing student volunteers. Without BBQ and bar machine. Week 12 saw Chill their hard work on a weekly basis it would RUSU Central ‘n’ Grill host Compass Stress Less Week simply be impossible for us to provide this The November and December peak again. A superb event with massages, incredible service which is certainly at the period was very busy with appeals against face painting, delicious food trucks and centre of student life in the City campus. City Promotions RUSU Activity Space Bowen Street, City Campus Guess Who? Cards Against Humanity Chess Game of Thrones Trivia Uno Cluedo Articulate Bananagrams Jenga Pictionary Playing Cards Let the RUSU staff know which game you’d like to borrow and exchange your student card for the game. Once you return the game, you’ll get your student card back. Easy! Any questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] FOR STUDENTS. BY STUDENTS. RUSU.RMIT.EDU.AU RUSUPAGE RMITSU RMIT_RUSU RUSUONLINE 5 RMIT UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION Bundoora East & West The Bundoora Big Breakfast The end of the year is usually a quieter campus, along with the petting zoo, free into brand new offices in February. The time at the Bundoora campus. But this massages, and important resources and new space will be more central and year, RUSU made it exciting by bringing advice on stress management. These accessible to students and RUSU looks some new events to the campus during resources were also distributed during forward to bring more exciting events to the fourth quarter. We kicked off October the Big Bundoora Breakfast, also held the campus. with the Compass Marketplace, which was during the same week where a variety of a huge hit. The Compass Co-ordinator delicious vegan pizza, pastries, cookies, Bundoora Events & Clubs did a fantastic job with the event and the muffins, fruit cups, Realfoods hot drink Bundoora Chill ‘n’ Grill continues to be marketplace ran successfully. There was a vouchers and organic juices were as successful as ever feeding approx recipe station, a pantry food station, and provided. Over 250 students attended this 650 students every week at the West a fresh food station and all the free food event and look forward to the return of campus and 120 students at the East was given away quickly with no leftovers the free breakfasts in 2018. campus. Compass Stress Less Week and or wastage. The initiative was much the Sustainability Marketplace roadshows appreciated and students are keen to During SWOTVAC, RUSU ran the Exam made it to the West campus on October see the marketplace again next year.