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Maintain the Quality of Education at UQ! Andrew Bonnell, NTEU Branch President UQ

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Maintain the Quality of Education at UQ! Andrew Bonnell, NTEU Branch President UQ National Tertiary Education Union — UQ Branch NEWS & VIEWS July 2012 Fair Shares: Maintain the Quality of Education at UQ! Andrew Bonnell, NTEU Branch President UQ Inside this issue Fair Shares: Maintain the Quality of Education at UQ! 1 UQ Reform 2 UQ Branch support for Musgrave Park Aboriginal Tent Embassy 2 Jackie Huggins presented with NTEU Merit Award 3 The Curlew Club 3 International Women’s Day at UQ 4 Retrieving Women’s Lost and Silenced Histories 5 Your Workplace Rights: Did You Know? 6 Dr David Callaghan and Dr Maxine Darnell speaking at the launch of the Fair Shares Member activities: Transit of Venus 6 campaign on 1st May, 2012 Thoughts on Activism 7 As a historian, I might allow to think of a more pressing concern for Contracts of Employment 8 myself a short historical analogy: members on Academic Board, especially Australian Universities: Today and The nineteenth-century British those Heads of School who have to manage Tomorrow 8 statesman Lord Palmerston is budgets on a fraction of the revenue their traditionally supposed to have said Schools generate for UQ). of the Schleswig-Holstein Question The model is complicated by the varying NTEU University of Qld Branch (a territorial and dynastic dispute rates of government revenue and different between Denmark and the German rates of UQ taxation for different students Branch President states): “The Schleswig-Holstein and disciplines, as well as by a number Andrew Bonnell question is so complicated, only three of clawbacks involving different pots of Branch Organiser men in Europe have ever understood funding (e.g. “quality money”). Lachlan Hurse it. One was Prince Albert, who is dead. The internal UQ taxation on student The second was a German professor Industrial Officer funding seems to be rising: when I tried to who became mad. I am the third and I Michael McNally calculate the amount of money a School have forgotten all about it.” retained from a HECS- and Commonwealth- Office Something similar may apply to the supported Humanities student a few years Rm 412 Seddon Bld (82D) University of Queensland’s “Budget ago, the figure was 38%. The best advice I St Lucia Campus, Qld 4072 Contribution Model”, which allocates have is that last year the figure was below funding to Schools. It seems to be difficult 35%. In this case, only one in three HECS Phone .................... 07 3365 2538 to find anyone who can give a clear and Commonwealth grant dollars for a Fax ......................... 07 3365 2949 explanation of how it works. Questions by student’s education is going to the School doing the teaching. Email ........... [email protected] members on Academic Board have so far been fruitless, although we will continue While some of the UQ poll tax goes to Web ............www.nteu.org.au/uq to follow the matter up. (It has been hard essential and unavoidable overheads, Published by the National Tertiary Education Union, University of Queensland Branch. Authorised by Andrew Bonnell, President. Page 2 NTEU UQ News and Views, July 2012 continued on from Page 1 central admin services, libraries, etc., the rate at which new buildings are approved, and other discretionary budget decisions, must be having an impact as well. The UQ Reform Fair Shares campaign is seeking greater transparency, to determine whether funds might not be distributed in a more Response to announcement by the University of Queensland equitable fashion, and one that would enhance the education of our students. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debbie Terry, regarding the “UQ Join in the Fair Shares campaign! Integrity and Accountability Reform Program”. Come along to a campaign team meeting 18 May 2012: The NTEU welcomes the stake in the success of the University, and help make teaching and learning better action proposed by the University to we are committed to ensuring that the resourced. Contact the Branch Organiser: address the admission irregularity which expertise of staff forms a significant input [email protected] or tel: 33652538. occurred last year. Whilst we have not into the realisation of reforms that ensure a been consulted nor involved in proposing fair and transparent working environment or drafting any of the recommendations, for all staff and guard against abuse of, or COLLECTIVE noting this may not have been appropriate ignorance of, policies and procedures. at that stage, we clearly see that we do now We welcome the development have a role in ensuring that the Reform of programs “focused on ethics, BARGAINING: Program is effective, robust and is not to accountability and integrity for the the detriment of any of our members who University’s key decision makers,” and RETURNING SOON TO A will be affected by any resultant changes. “preventative educational programs for all levels of University leadership”. In view of The Union is actively involved on an CAMPUS NEAR YOU! the situation that occurred last year, this is ongoing basis with the review and drafting clearly very appropriate. Informed by the views of a UQ of policies and procedures, working closely Branch EB meeting held on 5 June, with University management, and is equally The NTEU has been very successful in Andrew Bonnell and Gordon Lynn concerned that we grow a ‘strong culture of building its reputation as an organisation represented the UQ Branch at the integrity’. One of our central roles within the with a strong culture of integrity, a NTEU Bargaining Conference in University is to provide a balanced input robust reputation of transparency and a Melbourne on 15-16 June. with a strong staff perspective to all the commitment to fairness and Equity and we are happy to make the offer to direct that Elected officers from all NTEU Branches in policies and procedures of the University. experience into the reforms outlined today. the country participated in often vigorous As an internal organisation with a large debate over the union’s objectives in the coming Round 6 of collective bargaining (which is already starting at some branches in Queensland, Victoria and NSW). UQ Branch support for Musgrave Key objectives that were identified for the coming bargaining round include: • Improved mechanisms for recognizing Park Aboriginal Tent Embassy and rewarding work value of professional staff, through transparent Strait Islander people struggling for their processes, to acknowledge the greater sovereign rights at the Musgrave Park Tent complexity of professional staff work. Embassy. • More entry-level continuing academic The branch deplores the action by the positions to curb the large scale Brisbane City Council and Queensland Police casualisation of academic work. in forcibly removing the Tent Embassy. • A real pay increase. We call on the union movement to engage • Improved Indigenous employment in a dialogue with Aboriginal and Torres Strait policies. Islander activists at the Embassy and their There will also be a focus on local claims. respective organisations, in order to mobilise The NTEU at UQ will be holding a series of The UQ Branch responded to the police unionists in support of their just cause. meetings during semester 2 to hear the action against the Musgrave Park Tent Subsequently the NTEU Division views of members on the coming round of Embassy with the following resolution Secretary, Margaret Lee moved a similar bargaining, which starts at UQ at the end of passed unanimously at the Branch Meeting motion at the Queensland Council of semester 2. This is your chance to make a of 16 May 2012. Unions which was passed without dissent. difference to our conditions of work at this That the UQ branch of the NTEU stands university. in solidarity with the Aboriginal and Torres NTEU UQ News and Views, July 2012 Page 3 Jackie Huggins presented with NTEU Merit Award The Curlew Club The Curlew Club is the UQ Branch’s monthly lunchtime get-together. On the second Friday of each month members spend time relaxing with their fellow members sharing work stories and experiences. Attendees are guaranteed a good discussion! The next gathering of the Curlew Club will be on Friday July 13 at 1 p.m. We’ll gather on the lawn next to the University lake or in the case of rain, in the Union Office. Jackie receiving her award, with UQ NTEU members and union staff In February 2012, at a small ceremony journal that reflected and encouraged held in the UQ Branch office long- expanding educational horizons of term member Jackie Huggins was Indigenous people, and increasing presented with an NTEU Merit Award, participation in higher education.) Jackie conferred at the 2011 National became a major figure in promoting Council of the NTEU. Indigenous history, becoming a director of the Centre for Indigenous History, and Jackie Huggins is a proud member of the participating in the national Australian Pitjara/Bidjara and the Birri Gubba Juru History Summit. people. She joined a union when she took Jackie has done an enormous amount of her first job at 15 and has been a union work on Indigenous representative bodies ”Invest in Australia’s Future, member ever since. She joined the NTEU and has served the Indigenous community in 1997. Invest in Our Universities” in a wide variety of capacities. In the most Jackie Huggins has had a highly difficult years of the federal Coalition “Invest in Australia’s Future, Invest in distinguished career as an Indigenous government, Jackie took on demanding Our Universities” is a long term campaign scholar, author, activist and community roles to defend Indigenous rights and started to call on the Federal Government leader. Until recently, she worked at the interests and carried out these duties with to increase public investment in our University of Queensland as Deputy authority, determination, and grace.
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