Collective

Postgraduate Collective

Postgraduate Officer: Laura Alessandra Currie

#Who are we?

The UTS Postgraduate Committee is comprised of a group of students who aim to make a positive contribution to the educational experience of Postgraduate students. The Committee is chaired by the Postgraduate Officer of the UTS Students’ Association.

#What we have achieved

We have contributed to the national debate around education policy on campus.

For example, in 2017, feedback from UTS Juris Doctor students formed part of the Council of Australia Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) submission to the Senate inquiry into ‘innovation and creativity: workforce for the new economy’. CAPA is the peak national body for postgraduate students.

We aim to keep fighting but need your help. If this sort of work sounds appealing, there are a number of different ways you can get involved.

#Plans for this year

We aim to significantly grow the Postgraduate Committee in 2019. With a Federal election looming, it is imperative as many UTS postgraduate members have their voices heard on matters that directly affect them.

Already, the HECS repayment threshold has been reduced to $40,000- a policy which negatively impacts many postgraduate students who often need to balance work and study. Furthermore, the introduction of a lifetime cap HECS loans of $104,440 (or $150,000 for medicine, veterinary and dentistry student) (Buzzfeed 2018). Ultimately, such legislation makes it more difficult for postgraduate students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to gain further qualifications in hopes of advancing their careers. All of these changes to higher education were opposed by CAPA and the UTS Postgraduate Committee. We aim to keep fighting these but need your help. If this sort of work sounds appealing, there are a number of different ways you can get involved. We will hold meetings subject to the interest and availability of our members. For those with busier schedules, you can choose to send your contributions online through email. For those who want to stay informed but don’t have the time to make a contribution, you can sign up to our mailing list.