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Griffith Archive
Our story - acknowledging our past, celebrating our present, creating our future
History of our Student Union
When Griffith University was first envisioned, included amongst the ideals was the formation of a student body to represent the interests of students. The provision for a Student Representative Council (SRC) was included in the Griffith University Act (1971) - the official legislation that established Griffith University. Foundation Registrar John Topley corresponded with the University of Queensland Union to get ideas on how Griffith University might set up its first SRC.
The Griffith University Interim Council (now the University Council) set up a Student Affairs Committee to consider the place and life of students in the University. In 1971, it recommended that the SRC be a wholly student body and that “it should promote in students mature relationships of equality and superordination, rather than one of subordination and marginality, and to promote the growth of a sense of identity and self-worth”. By 1974, the University had created a working party on student affairs which reported to the Student Affairs Committee. They began working on papers regarding the membership and functions of the SRC.
Griffith University Union of Students
While the Griffith University Act (1971) made provisions for a Student Representative Council, Griffith's first students wanted to be known as a student union. They petitioned the University Council and were granted permission in a Council resolution to be known as the Griffith University Union of Students (GUUS). They submitted a constitution to the University Council in 1975 which was mostly accepted, although a few minor alterations were made.
The GUUS was the link between students and the University. University management expected the Union to cater to all students from all backgrounds and to organise events that encouraged students and staff to engage with each other to build a healthy and active Griffith community. However, unlike the student unions of other universities, the Griffith administration was already offering many of the traditional services and amenities that would normally be provided by a student union. As a result, each student charge (administration fee) was given to the University's administration, with a portion of this fee provided to the Union so it could undertake its activities and duties. Union activities at this time included legal aid, travel and insurance services, provision of information and resource material, lobbying governments for better education and publishing student newspapers and magazines.
The Union embarked upon initiatives such as pub crawls, barbeques and live band performances as a way to try to build community at Griffith. The group was also politically active, undertaking protests and taking action to draw attention to 'injustice' both on campus and in the wider community.
For example:
- In 1977, the Queensland Government banned street marches. This was viewed by many in society as an infringement upon their civil rights and students at all Queensland tertiary institutions organised marches, including Griffith. There were marches on the University grounds as well as students taking part in rallies in Brisbane City.
- In 1986, the Union organised protests against the introduction of an on-campus parking fee and the creation of new parking spaces within Toohey Forest.
- In 1987, students mobilised against the proposed introduction of a $250 administration fee. In attempting to see the Vice Chancellor, a glass door was damaged and a student charged.
Griffith students street march in protest against the Queensland Government's ban on street marches. Nathan campus, 1976.
Dawkins Reforms
The mid to late 1980’s saw major upheaval in the tertiary education sector. Reforms initiated by the Australian Government - known as the Dawkins Revolution after John Dawkins, the Federal Education Minister at the time - required institutions to achieve a certain number of enrolled students to be included as part of the federally funded system and to be eligible for research funding.
As Griffith was expected to be just below the cut off for the research funding target by the Government's proposed end date, the University looked into amalgamations with other tertiary institutions such as Technical and Further Education (TAFE), College of Advanced Education (CAE) and other universities.
Students at the time were worried about the proposed changes, particularly how they would affect the quality of teaching and the atmosphere of the campus. This was reflected in the September 1988 issue of the GUUS's newsletter Griffitti which looked closely at what the changes proposed by Dawkins meant for the University. Commentary in the publication also postulated on the most likely mergers of Griffith with other Queensland tertiary centres. GUUS predicted that the Brisbane CAE (Mount Gravatt campus) would become a campus of Griffith University. They also published a number of arguments in Griffitti against the University undertaking this amalgamation, citing a difference in educational profiles and mission statements as well as the distance between campuses (about a 6 km journey from Nathan campus back then). The Union also anticipated that the Gold Coast CAE would come under the Griffith University banner. However, the Union felt that this particular merge would only exist until the Gold Coast had the necessary student numbers required by the Federal Government to eventually govern and function on their own.
In 1990, the Mount Gravatt campus of the Brisbane CAE officially became part of Griffith University as legislated by the Griffith University and Brisbane College of Advanced Education (Mount Gravatt Campus) Amalgamation Act (1989). In July of the same year, the Gold Coast CAE also came under the Griffith banner. As the Griffith amalgamation jigsaw continued, the Queensland Conservatorium of Music merged with the University in 1991, followed by the Queensland College of Art in 1992. With the exception of Gold Coast students, all the 'new' students joining Griffith University became members of the Griffith University Student Representative Council (GUSRC).
GUSRC? What happened to GUUS?
What’s in a name? Well legally, quite a bit. Whilst all the amalgamations were happening, it was again pointed out to the University Council that the GUUS was not an incorporated body and thus didn’t have the legal authority to act as the student representative body. The Griffith University Act (1971) called for a Student Representative Council (SRC) and although GUUS was considered for the most part by both staff and students to be the University's SRC, they had only been granted permission to operate by a University Council resolution. The necessary subordinate legislation to make GUUS 'official' had never been organised. Put simply, GUUS had never been formed into a legally recognised corporation.
As often happened in the early days of the University, the Council believed that provisions being introduced should be tried in practice for a few years, with any bugs worked out before passing subordinate legislation. This had never happened in the pursuing years as the call for Voluntary Student Unionism kept rearing its head and it was felt by Griffith management that it was better to wait for a less volatile period to make any changes to the structure and operation of GUUS.
There was also a push at this time by students for constitutional reform. As a result, a working party was formed to deal with these issues and over the course of a couple of years, they settled on the GUSRC as the new form for the student union. The GUSRC would take on all of the existing GUUS assets but this change did not extend to office bearers, with all new SRC officials to be appointed as the result of student elections. GUUS was formally dissolved at midnight on 13 March 1991.
So who represents our Gold Coast students?
When the Gold Coast CAE became Griffith University's Gold Coast campus, there was discussion on how best to serve the student population there. In May 1990, representatives from the Gold Coast CAE Student Representative Council and from GUUS met twice to consider the best way forward. They determined that it would be best if the newly crowned Gold Coast College of Griffith University had its own student representation. At the time, it was deemed too difficult for Gold Coast students to be adequately represented by, and have services delivered from, a Nathan head office due to the distance between the two campuses (around a 1 hour drive). With this decision made, the Gold Coast University College Student Representative Council (GCUC SRC) came into being.
Unlike the student council operations at the Brisbane campuses, the GCUC SRC was to provide all the amenities that would normally have been provided by a university administration. This meant that all student charge fees were passed on to GCUC SRC in full. The Griffith University Act (1998) made statutory provisions for the Gold Coast student body to be formed and it would be called the Gold Coast Student Guild. In late 2000, the GCUC SRC had their name officially changed to the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild.
The final part of the SRC puzzle was completed with the opening of the Logan campus in 1998. Students at this campus joined students from our Nathan, Mount Gravatt and South Bank campuses in being represented by the GUSRC.
Dive-In-Movie Night hosted by the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild. Gold Coast campus, 2018.
