RUSU Campaigns

RUSU Statement on Palestine

Vice Chancellor SGM Open Letter

RUSU Submission in Response to the Support for Students Policy Consultation Paper

RUSU Response to National Higher Education Code to prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence

More help for students impacted by the cost of living crisis

RUSU knows that students all over Australia are doing it tough right now. Whlst we are continuing to push the University to expand its financial hardship program we are also filling in the gap ourselves by making sure we are offering free food to students in more places than ever before - increasing the number of places we offer free breakfasts, offering a free VE lunch every.single.week, partnering with the Just Food Collective to offer zero waste meals and groceries to students and even bringing free fresh fruit to overlooked corners of the uni whenever we can. Find out more here .

Fixing Academic Progress

The current academic progress process at RMIT punishes students who fall behind for the whole of their degree! This is not good enough and students deserve the opportunity to work their way back to satisfactory academic progress and be recognised for doing so. Students who fail are often vulnerable and need help not barriers put in front of them. RUSU is fighting to introduce a good standing criteria to the academic progress process, so students who work hard to get back on track do not have to wear the consequences of one poor semester for their entire degree.

Support for Disabled and Neurodiverse Students

RUSU is continuing to fight for a more disability friendly and neuroaffirming university. We are asking for more accessible study spaces and neurodiversity friendly spaces across all three campuses. We want to see more academics choosing to make their lecture content and learning resources accessible too. Finally we want to see more accountability for schools that do not implement Equitable Learning Plans.

Help for VE students

We have been trying to make life a little sweeter in the City North precinct by expanding our Welfare on Wheels program to include the Carlton Library, offering a free weekly VE lunch, pushing for the new extended hours available at Carlton Library, and even bringing free fresh fruit to Building 51 twice a week.

Fix-It RMIT

We know areas of uni can become tired, rundown or broken and when it is the student spaces that get neglected it can be hard to get them fixed. RUSU called for the university to introduce a new snap, send, solve type solution for students to easily report facilities issues. RMIT has now introduced Fix-It to tackle this very problem, allowing students to quickly report maintenance problems direct to the Property Services team.

Assessment Adjustments for Work Commitments

RMIT currently has no formal process that allows students to access adjustments to assessment (e.g. extensions) for work commitments. Some academics might allow extensions but it is very inconsistent across schools and colleges. Work is a fact of life for the vast majority of students and with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis students have to have the financial agency to choose when paid work might prioritise their assessments. RUSU wans to work with the uni to identify a process which will support students to choose to work when they need to.

Accessible Library Hours

The Library have taken on our request to extend library hours before and during the assessment period at RMIT. We know students like to study late in the runup to final assessments and exams and with the cost of utilities like heating/cooling, lighting and internet increasing students often choose to study later in the library. From the start of this year the library has trialled extended hours from week 10 of semester.

Clubs Get Love

Clubs are essential to a vibrant student life on campus and we love it when clubs are supported to run fantastic events and activations. RUSU is working hard to make it easier for clubs to bring student life to campus. Simplifying the process of booking spaces and finding easy ways to get facilities services into those spaces will make it a lot easier for clubs to do what they do and make uni better for everyone.

RUSU on the Australian Universities Accord

In December 2022, the Australian Government announced the development of an Australian Universities Accord to build a long-term plan for Australia's higher education system. Development of this plan was entrusted to an Accord Panel, in consultation with key stakeholders including student unions. The Accord Interim Report was released in July 2023, and submissions were invited to comment on the Interim Report and to shape the Final Report which will be released in December 2023.

RUSU's submission to the Accord Panel after the publication of the Interim Report can be found here .

If you would like to learn more about the Australian Universities Accord and access the Interim Report you can do so here .

A study space for neurodivergent students

For neurodivergent students the university environment can be overwhelming. RUSU has been campaigning hard for a safe study environment within RMIT for the neurodivergent student community. RUSU has been involved in running a pilot scheme with weekly neurodivergent study sessions in the city, Carlton and Bundoora campuses in 2023. We will use the success of this pilot to advocate for a permanent study space for neurodivergent students.

UPDATE: In response to the pilot RMIT has committed to funding a permanent neurodivergent study space on City campus. Until this permanent space is up and running RUSU will continue to work with the ELS and the Library to ensure the study sessions continue to run.

End period poverty on campus

With the ongoing cost of living crisis continuing to impact students RUSU has been campaigning to end period poverty on campus. Our End Period Poverty Campaign has had two main streams. Firstly, free period products are now available at 8 different locations across RMIT, including in all-genders bathrooms and in bathrooms close to libraries that are open late. These are restocked regularly to ensure students have access to free products whenever they need them. We have also been working closely with Kotex to distribute free period undies to students, to provide students with a more sustainable choice.

Consent training for all students

After years of campaigning RUSU has successfully advocated for consent training for all students at RMIT. Students have been calling for years for better and more comprehensive consent training at RMIT and we are proud to be part of the team developing the most wide-reaching training yet. We will be taking the voice of students directly to the development team ready for a 2024 rollout of a new training offering.

Food Insecurity

A lack of access to sanitary products can impact the mental wellbeing of students as well as their education. Providing free sanitary products in bathrooms would reduce inequity and allow for more complete participation in on-campus activities.

Queer and Womens Rooms Renovation and Launch

RUSU worked hard to renovate and launch a new Women’s Room and Queer Lounge on City campus in 2023. These new, larger spaces will allow identifying students to meet and relax in comfort and also ensure our departments can organise regular events in safe spaces.

Confidential Reporting pathway

RUSU is exploring whether students need an alternative reporting process outside of student complaints and what this might look like. We believe that there are gaps in the student experience that are not covered by the complaints process or RMIT support services, like Safer Community, or academic pathways, like SSCC, that could be addressed via a further reporting pathway. We would like to see students feel more empowered to share their student experience with the University.

AI tech in learning and teaching

With developments in AI technology, such as ChatGPT, students have increasing access to sophisticated tools for assessment outsourcing. It would appear inevitable that this technology will continue to grow in complexity and availability. We have been campaigning for RMIT to embrace AI technology, teaching students how to use it as a tool and how it will play a part in their future industries. Given how new this technology is to learning and teaching in higher education environments, we are continuing to advocate for RMIT to take an educative approach to its misuse, focusing on how students can use AI technology appropriately, rather than disciplining students.