After over an hour of waiting for the doors of the Cullen Room in the Holme Building to open, and for President Bryson Constable (Liberal) to return from a twenty minute (what we assume to be bathroom) break, the public session of the March University of Sydney Union (USU) Board Meeting began.
The first motion of the ex-camera session was to correct all previous minutes to ensure that the late Honi Soit editor Khanh Tran is referred to by the correct name.
The financial report followed. The USU was under-budget for this period, which was explained by Chief Financial Officer Michelle Tonge as an anticipated loss due to the budgeting calendar being confirmed before 2025 semester dates were released. As it stands, the USU has a $4,000 budget shortfall expected to be recouped by the April board meeting. Also expected by then is a final financial audit report for the 2023-2024 period.
We’ll give the USU credit for one thing: the Board is great at keeping us hooked. Who would’ve thought at the start of the year that we’d be eagerly anticipating the narrative resolution of USU Board financial shortfalls? Will they make it up in time for April? We’re at the edge of our desk chairs waiting to find out.
Board Director Ethan Floyd (Independent) mentioned that several directors were asked for comment by Honi regarding the up to 8% price increase at USU food and beverage outlets this year, and sought to clarify the USU’s position regarding this. Constable stressed that the USU hasn’t increased prices since 2019, and whilst the full 8% increase will be “absorbed by non-USU members”, the increase is staggered at 5% and 3% increases for USU members and Rewards members respectively.
Grace Wallman (Independent) and Grace Porter (Centre Unity) both raised concerns about the lack of communication to USU members that a free USU membership (not just the paid Rewards scheme) can entitle you to discounts and vouchers at USU outlets. In conversation with CEO Janina Jancu, it is agreed that the Board will start attempting to collect data regarding how many USU members scan their free membership at outlets, and prove whether there is a gap in communication regarding these benefits. It was also mentioned by Constable that a Rewards+ scheme is in the works, alongside a report on potential cost-cutting measures for outlets to mitigate further price increases. These should be ready for, if not the April Board meeting, the May one.
Honi is eager to follow up on these data points and reports in the coming weeks.
Treasurer James Dwyer (Centre Unity), beyond outlining that the stock market is “going crazy” at the moment, used his report to share updates on the new Banh Mi outlet, as well as revitalisation plans for USU food outlets and the Manning building.
Editors note: I went to the Banh Mi place in Holme last week. It was kinda just fine. The daily rice bowls are nice though.
Vice President Ben Hines (Independent), greeting us from a looming Zoom projection at a terrible downwards angle, started off by asking if Honi Soit is in the room. He says “very good” when we say yes. Thanks?
The President’s report followed, not before a very brief interaction in which Constable once again attempted to pass off the chair smoothly to Hines. Hines, hovering over the Board like the auspicious Mr. Oz himself, asked “any objections” to passing the chair, to which Dwyer raised his hand. Constable hastily barked “no James!” as if Dwyer was a bad, bad dog. Dwyer put his hand down while giggling. Constable began his report.
Constable took his report as read, and summarised that he’s doing a lot of things all the time which are (allegedly) very important. He mostly touched on the staff town hall regarding incorporation. Honi will note that this public and ‘important’ town hall was not recorded for internal or external sharing at the USU. Constable then spoke to the results of the incorporation ‘member survey’ (read: push poll): “members are highly in favour of the incorporation model… No individual proposal was below 75 per cent approval, and the impact on student services, student representation, and financial stability were seen as the most important.”
Shirley Zhang (Independent) spoke to her international student portfolio next. Zhang has been doing a lot of community engagement, including liaising with international students across different universities, and one-on-one interviews with students in Fisher library. She’s looking at increasing engagement between international students and support services, specifically regarding mental health and housing.
We then come to open question time. Honi prepared quite a few questions for this segment of “What do they know? Do they know things? Let’s find out!”
Our first question was regarding the 2025 election notice, which states “the number of directors to be elected is subject to change before the close of voting at the direction of the Returning Officer if and only if necessary due to a change in the governance requirements of the USU.” A line which is conspicuously absent from previous election notices, and clearly in reference to incorporation.
When questioned as to whether a potential change in the number of directors up for nomination, up to the very day of the election, fundamentally compromises the integrity of the democratic process, Constable replied “absolutely not.” Constable believes that with the two weeks’ notice of this impending vote at the new Student General meeting (SGM) regarding the number of board directors nominated for the 2025 election, alongside the notice provided in coverage such as Honi’s, that candidates are already aware of the potential change in number of nominated positions, and can take that into account with their current nominations.
Honi is not confident that this information has, in fact, been clearly conveyed to the USU community beyond their push poll. Nor do we think that the haste with which the SGM and constitutional changes are being adopted can accurately provide the chance for the USU community to assess the potential constitutional changes.
The safety net within the election notice, that this fundamental governance infrastructure of six nominees can be changed up to the final count of the Board election, strikes us as concerning, both for the integrity of USU governance, but also for the ability of individuals to nominate themselves for a position which could be compromised.
When asked about whether the USU will be pursuing incorporation as an Incorporated Association or a Company Limited by Guarantee, Constable stressed that they will be seeking Incorporated Association status, which should make the transition from its current mode to incorporated “seamless”.
Here’s the best part of open question time. Honi asked Constable: “Has the incorporation plan been formally endorsed by the SRC, SUPRA, and/or the University Executive?”
Constable replies: “Yes. The incorporation plan was endorsed to me by the President of SUPRA, the President of the SRC, and we have in principle support from key members of the University Executive… Joanne Wright has given her in principle support to the model, not just the incorporation plan.”
Honi has confirmed through a University of Sydney spokesperson that “Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Joanne Wright and Chief Governance Officer Michelle Stanhope gave preliminary feedback and general in principle support for the USU’s proposed direction” for incorporation, however “no formal constitution has been presented to the University for consideration at this stage.”
Endorsement is the key word as above though. A formal in-principle endorsement, not just informal personal support, would be a promising sign as to the long-term viability of the incorporation for student life.
It’d be a shame if Honi had obtained quotes over the last week from these student leaders denying that they formally endorsed the incorporation plan.
Oops, who put these here?
SUPRA President Vivian Bai: “I fully respect the decisions made by the USU Board on this matter. However, I would like to clarify that SUPRA Council has not yet had the opportunity to formally discuss or vote on the incorporation plan or the proposed structural changes.”
SRC President Angus Fisher: “I have not in my capacity as my SRC President officially endorsed a plan to incorporate. This is only possible if [the] Council votes to do so. Myself, as an individual, has noted I approved incorporation in principle.“
Honi will note here that the SRC formally voted to not endorse the USU incorporation at their council meeting this week.
Open question time closed with two questions from USU community members. The first is from USU staffer Victor Zhang. Zhang enquired about the progress on the USU’s plan to rename the Disabilities autonomous space in honour of Khanh Tran.
Constable stated that the Board has voted to allow the name change, but is unable to confirm a timeline for when this will occur. A ballpark of one-two months is given. Several Board directors expressed to Constable the importance of this being implemented with haste.
Finally, another USU community member, Alastair Panzarino, brought forward further questioning around the USU outlet price increases. They asked whether the Board is able to share financial metrics for USU food and drink outlets.
The answer to this question was slippery. After affirming that this is the first price increase for the USU since 2019, Constable suggested that “if we were to increase prices with inflation it’d be increased by 20%… our [internal benchmark] says you can get a hot meal at half price on average compared to external outlets.”
Honi probed as to where these benchmarks were sourced, to which Constable referred us to an “external consultant… If you’re implying we write it on the back of a napkin I can assure you it’s as rigorous as possible.”
Snippy. I bet someone was hungry at this point. Perhaps for some of the tepid leftover Courtyard pizza sitting on the table.
Constable affirmed that the USU are “comparable… or far below market price.”
Hmm. Honi is promised by Constable that we will receive whatever documents are publicly available regarding their internal benchmarking when requested. Take this as a promise that we’ll be chasing that up, Constable. Regardless, we’ll let the readers judge the truth of this statement the next time they visit a USU outlet.
And just like that, another Board meeting is over. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a USU election and an SGM to prepare for. See you at the next one!
Editors Note: Current Honi Soit editor Victor Zhang is an employee of the USU. He is not involved in any of the coverage of USU matters for Honi Soit.
