By Matthew Butler
For almost 60 years, the QUT Student Guild has been improving the lives of all students – past, present, and future.
As a long running student union, the Guild is a collective voice advocating for student rights, student welfare, quality of education, improving campus life, and empowering every student.
Throughout this time, the Guild has been unwavering in its commitment to improving the lives of QUT students. It has led several key student movements that have significantly impacted university life.
Firstly, we must travel back to 1989. Before the Internet, before sitting at home and attending class via Zoom.
In these ancient times, before online study guides were available that allowed students to examine every subject throughout their course, students of the 1980s and 1990s relied on handbooks published by the university.
However, these handbooks lacked insight into the course units and, most importantly, lacked reviews of what other students had experienced.
The Guild devised a solution by surveying students attending lectures and tutorials, and they published their findings in the “Alternative Handbook”.
Students could gain insight into past students’ experiences of every unit, whether good or bad.
The university was not always fond of the alternative handbook, as students typically gave their unfiltered opinions.
Think of it as a pre-internet version of QUT Stalkerspace (a forum where students past, present, and future talk everything university on social media).
Staying in the 90s, the Guild also wanted to address transport between the three campuses: Kelvin Grove, Gardens Point, and Carseldine.
The Guild introduced a free shuttle bus service that travelled between all three campuses multiple times per day, initially run by Guild minivans.
It was introduced to assist students and staff with classes and other activities across the three sites. Relying on public transport or driving between campuses was becoming time-consuming and expensive, even before the days of Uber and $1.98 petrol.
Having classes across multiple campuses resulted in many students being either late to class or missing classes altogether. In some courses, students were marked on attendance, so by missing class, students missed out not only on course content but also lost marks for not being able to attend.
This bus service became a hit, with an average of 1400 passengers per week in 1999. Eventually, the Guild could not keep up with demand as more and more students became aware of the service.
In response, the Guild lobbied for the university to support the free shuttle bus service for students. Fast-forward to this day: no matter the time of day, there are always lines for these buses, which shows how much it has impacted students’ lives.
In times of increasing costs for everything in life, some travel relief and time savings between campuses are just what students need. I have caught the bus myself. It saves a lot of time and can save you from battling to find a parking spot during the middle of the day.
The Guild has long championed inclusivity, by creating dedicated safe spaces for women and the queer community back in the 1990s. These rooms, established to provide a supportive environment, continue to serve their purpose today and can be found on both Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campus.
While we don’t currently have a disability room on either campus, students have been fighting the university for at least five years to change this and hope is around the corner! The Guild and Disability Collective are working with the university to get a dedicated disability room built right now. Watch this space!
The 2000s brought political challenges for the Guild, including campaigning against the government’s higher education reforms.
These reforms proposed increasing the Higher Education Contribution (HECS) and introducing massive upfront student fees. In simpler terms, they wanted to make students pay more money back faster.
The Guild organised campus events, lobbied politicians, and contacted the media to raise awareness of the reforms’ unfairness. The legislation failed to get through parliament, which can certainly be attributed, in part, to the QUT Guild and the representatives of other universities who stood up against the government and fought for student rights
In 2005, the Guild campaigned against the government’s proposed voluntary student unionism legislation. The concern was that the legislation would undermine close to 50 ranges of services that student organisations could offer to university students.
Through campaigning and lobbying, the QUT Guild presented a strong case to the Senate of Employment, Workplace Relations, and Education Legislation, and advocated for a form of voluntary student unionism that would still allow a collection of a fee. Unfortunately, the proposal was rejected by the government of the day.
In 2009, political campaigning on this issue continued, with efforts for a student amenity fee to go directly to student organisations, which are best equipped to provide support and representation for students and are controlled by the students.
Without funding, various portfolios, including academic advocacy, welfare, and support groups, would significantly suffer, leaving students without the help they so desperately need.
After years of campaigning, the Gillard government finally implemented the Student Services Amenities Fee, which has allowed unions around the country the opportunity to increase their financial viability.
While you might think it’s annoying that you have to pay around $300 a semester for these fees, they are essential to the union’s lifeblood. These fees support clubs, communities, and other services, including contesting marks. The Guild improves all university students’ lives, whether you use all their services or not.
Around 2007, the Guild witnessed a rising number of students grappling with financial hardships. In response, a food bank was established, and grocery vouchers were distributed to assist students in need.
Additionally, the Guild provided textbooks and Telstra vouchers for those in financial need. Today, students continue to benefit from the Food Bank initiative.
Before 2022, QUT was the only university in Australia with a 0% late assessment policy. If you missed the assignment deadline, you would automatically receive a 0 mark for that assessment, which could result in you failing the unit.
HECS debt repayments were rising, and the cost of university courses are costly, so the Guild devised a solution to help students.
The solution was the 48-hour extension policy. This policy gives students an extra two days to work and then upload assignments eligible for the extension without receiving a 0 grade for the assignment.
The Guild had been discussing the policy change with the university for more than three years. In today’s world, where something might come up at work, you get COVID, and have three other assignments due the same day, the 48-hour extension has been a lifesaver to many students, including myself.
The QUT Guild’s many decades long legacy is a testament to its unwavering dedication to student welfare, advocacy, and empowerment. The QUT Guild has not only improved students’ lives but has also set a standard for future generations.
The Guild remains and will remain a pillar of the QUT community, ensuring every student has the support and resources they need to succeed in university.
If you have a passion for student politics, or you want to be a driver for change at our university, then you should run in the Student Guild Elections. Find out more information here.
