The Graduate Union Annual Report THE MELBOURNE GRADUATE Vol. 74 No. 1 April 2021 Annual Report 2020 The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc. Volume 74, Number 1 | Page 1 The Graduate Union Annual Report The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. — Pablo Picasso Annual Report of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Incorporated Editorial: The Publications Team The Melbourne Graduate April 2021 — Volume 74, Number 1 Periodical Publication of The Graduate Union Print Post Approved PP337834/00022 Incorporated Association Registration Number A0023234B Editorial and Photography by the Publications Team. All other images have been obtained from publicly sourced domains. Printed by: City Copy Page 2 | Volume 74, Number 1 The Graduate Union Annual Report Contents 4 30 Messages from the 2020 Year at a Glance President Chairperson of Council 32 CEO/Head of College Fundraising and Benefactions 9 36 Graduate House Garden — in full bloom 2020–2021 Council Members 37 10 'Medi-stays', Office Rentals and Governance and Nominations Outdoor Dining 14 38 Elections to Council Buildings and Facilities 18 42 Membership and Marketing We thank our Graduate House Staff 21 44 Membership in 2020 Finance and Audit Financial report for the year ended 22 31 December 2020 Independent Auditor's Report Meeting Services and GU Collegiate Volume 74, Number 1 | Page 3 The Graduate Union Annual Report The President’s Message a pandemic, by April a million cases had been confirmed, by October the global death toll had reached one million and by the end of 2020 the total number of confirmed cases and deaths had risen to 84 million and 1.8 million, respectively. As I prepare this report in April 2021, the total number of cases has risen to 133 million, and of deaths, to 2.9M. In parallel we saw the world’s best and brightest developing treatments and vaccines: Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 in August, followed by the approved use of Remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalised cases in October and the approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the United Kingdom and the United States in December. In April 2021, several other vaccines are approved and others are soon for release and distribution. However, and I am pleased to present my second annual report to as explained by WHO, the world is in the midst Members since becoming President in 2019. of an ‘infodemic’ that ‘makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance As I write this, I am reminded that it was exactly when they need it’. Troublingly, inequities in global one year ago that we held an urgent meeting of the distribution and vaccination are also manifest. Executive to discuss the real possibility that the Government would require us to close. Fortunately The year for our Union and Graduate House differed that did not happen but continuing to support significantly from that in 2019, the latter of which and care for those who remained in Australia with had concluded with our Association in an enviable Graduate House as their home, posed challenges for position - high occupancy rates, a successful year of the CEO and staff, and the effects of Job Keeper and meetings, functions and GU Collegiate events, an need to ensure efficiencies with staff retrenchments engaged, influential and vibrant membership and provided many challenges for the Board and the progress on the terrace redevelopment, the capital CEO. campaign, the crowd-funding site and the G-Union master plan. Stating the obvious, 2020 was a most challenging year for this 110-year-old Association. My report is 2020, in contrast, began with bookings from thus intended to capture in brief the events across overseas being cancelled and many students who the world, the effects of the pandemic on our had arrived late February and early in March rushing Association and the wonderful work undertaken to return home. Our country closed its borders, by our Council, its subcommittees, our Members Melbourne and this state of Victoria went through and other supporters, and, of course, our staff to a series of lockdowns and heavy restrictions and keep this organisation running, alive and well. For much tertiary education went online – all of which readers in the future, this report will thus serve as resulted in severe curtailing of our Association’s a historical piece. For those reading this in 2021, it capacity to generate revenue from its two main may serve as a reminder of a difficult period and I do usual sources – graduate accommodation and so thus apologise for any painful memories. meeting/function services. Notwithstanding the limitations imposed on us, and the need to cancel Rumours about the COVID-19 virus were being all face-to-face meetings which give such vibrancy communicated by our Members late in 2019. to our Association, the challenge to keep the This was followed in January 2021 by China’s community in touch was met by the embracing concerning and unprecedented closure of Wuhan of Zoom so that Monthly Luncheons and other and Huanggang and the issuing by the World meetings could continue, albeit virtually. We Health Organization (WHO) of a Global Health continued too to provide a safe home and haven to Emergency. In March, the WHO declared COVID-19 our residents. Page 4 | Volume 74, Number 1 The Graduate Union Annual Report Council and its subcommittees are to be highly At all levels we hope to see a vibrant international commended for the high level of crisis governance student sector operating again but when that over this period. might realistically happen is still very uncertain. Vaccination of the community in Australia and I thank, in particular, The Hon Tony Pagone QC for overseas will no doubt be a factor in that recovery. continuing as Chairperson until September when, However the CEO and Council (the Board) have ordinarily, his term should have ended by June. been very conscious of the need to find ways to Tony’s leadership was exemplary. Notwithstanding utilise our excellent facilities and to deploy our his heavy workload as Commissioner on the Royal talented staff, and have been actively marketing Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Graduate House as short term office rental and Tony gave an extraordinary amount of time to our more recently as ‘medi-stay’ accommodation for Association behind the scenes to guide it through patients, families, friends and carers for those most challenging times. The Chairperson now is needing a place to stay while having, or recuperating Cr Vincent Mirabelli and he too is to be from, specialist medical or surgical treatment, or congratulated on a sterling job in guiding this visiting a loved ones in hospital. Our proximity to organisation through a second year of this many large hospitals and easy access via public pandemic. I thank all members of Council and the transport to others makes this a very viable option. subcommittees for also contributing so significantly and wisely to ensure stability, strength and Please keep giving and supporting, and please sustainability over 2020. The risk mitigation and keep marketing through your networks our management strategies developed over the last services – those that we have been doing for ten years were deployed rigorously and carefully decades (membership, student and academic visitor to ensure focus on health and safety, financial and accommodation, meeting/function services) and human resource management and the necessary those that we have introduced more recently (office quick pivoting to different operations. rentals, ‘medi-stays’, Residential Fellowships to be sponsored by corporates). I thank the Members of our Association. Your generous and repeated donations and your offers I look forward to working with Council, the of support for students and staff have been very subcommittees, our Members and staff in meeting much appreciated. Each of you has experienced the the outcomes of our 2021 Revival Plan, in negative impacts of this pandemic – be it that you developing our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan, and, as have lost a loved one, friend or colleague to this expressed in my report last year, to meeting you all dreadful disease, or that you have lost employment in 2021 and beyond. or that you have felt isolated, lonely, fearful and, at times, depressed. Notwithstanding these challenges, you have all been a part of this wonderful Association and helped us to get through tough The Honourable Diana Bryant AO QC times. Thank you for continuing to be Members and President of The Graduate Union thank you for continuing to contribute as we move through a second year of great challenges. I commend the hard work and dedication from our staff. All have worked under tremendously difficult conditions to keep residents safe and healthy, to support Members globally and to change operations in a timely manner to address changing restrictions and introduce new revenue generating opportunities. I know that Members join me in extending our deepest gratitude for this job (more than) well done. Thank you. Volume 74, Number 1 | Page 5 The Graduate Union Annual Report The Chairperson of Council’s Message Fondest greetings to We have all collectively weathered the storm and our all Graduate Union doors opened as much as possible in February this Council, subcommittee members, staff and Members. year as the worst appears to be over. This is my inaugural message as Chair of the Council Let us pray that there is no relapse or similar challenge of this Association (The Graduate Union) since my thrown in our path as the last one has taken a appointment in September last year. significant toll on our operation, both emotionally and financially.