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International students’ demand for fee relief and compensation

Students at the University of Melbourne have come together to campaign for the reduction and compensation of their tuition fees following the switch to online classes. Gathering on platforms like Facebook, over 3,500 students have in the last two months joined groups such as UNIMELB-Fee Reduction-Online Teaching-COVID 19, where they are sharing experiences and grievances around a widely perceived deterioration in teaching quality.

Queues for ‘Our Shout’ food vouchers span blocks around Melbourne Town Hall

Hundreds of international students were spotted queueing around the Melbourne Town Hall building since Thursday, 30 May to redeem cash vouchers given by the Melbourne City Council through its ‘Our Shout’ program. Students were required to provide proof of identity and redeem their vouchers in person to avoid fraud.

Diversity Issues in UMSU International

On 13th May 2019, the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) International elected a new committee which will lead the union from
August 2019 to July 2020. This year’s newly elected committee continues the trend of previous years’ of having dominance by students from South
East Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. To Farrago’s understanding, every member of the current committee is from Asia.

Muslim MLS Student Accuses Faculty of Intimidation

Melbourne Law School (MLS) student X* has accused the MLS of misusing its power through intimidation and silencing. This accusation arose after his attempts at raising concerns with the Associate Dean and submitting an open letter to the Law students newspaper De Minimis. The article criticised what he saw as the MLS’s failure to address structural issues Muslim students face in the legal community.

University of Melbourne Not Favoured By Its Employees

Recent data suggests that the University of Melbourne is far behind other Australian institutions when it comes to improving academic gender equity.

University of Melbourne Introduces Anonymous Register

Content warning: mentions of sexual harassment, sexual assaultIn March 2019, the University of Melbourne introduced an anonymous register. This platform allows students, staff, alumni or visitors to report any inappropriate behaviour on campus to The University without having to make an official complaint, or formally identifying themselves. This change could make it easier and less distressing for victims of assault and harassment to come forward.

UMSU International Election Results

On 13th May 2019, the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) International elected a new committee with Archit Agrawal as president, leading the committee for the upcoming term. The new term commences on 1st August 2019.

Werribee Wage Gap

The University of Melbourne is currently facing legal proceedings brought by a previous employee, who Farrago will refer to as Lianne, on the grounds that her termination was on the basis ofher raising concerns over gender discrimination.

Renewed Constitution and Governance for UMSU in 2019

The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) is currently reviewing plans to overhaul its governance and constitution. The plans are projected to be finalised by the end of the year, with the overhaul set for semester one, 2019.

University Introduces Humanitarian Scholarship

This year, the University launched a new scholarship called the Melbourne Humanitarian Access Scholarship. This was created specifically for students who have applied for asylum in Australia.

Still in Transition for UMSU International, Five Years Later

On 1 August, the new University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) International committee will officially begin their term. With Jonas Larsen heading the team as president, they already have ideas for improving the organisation.

Phone Scam Targets Chinese Students

Members of the Chinese community living in Australia, particularly students, are being targeted by a phone scam exploiting the fact that they are separated from their families.

Review: 2018 FWF’s Writing Violence, Writing Change

The two-hour session was split into two segments, the first being a discussion led by prompts while the second segment was a Question-And-Answer session. In a room filled with women and non-binary people, it felt like a safe space where everyone was learning from each other and discussing how we can save the world from its horribleness because men cannot behave.

UMSU Issues Recommendations to UniMelb Respect Taskforce

The University of Melbourne Student Union’s (UMSU) women’s department has issued 12 recommendations addressing the prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus.

Classes on Hold as Staff Protest Tomorrow

This Wednesday, some classes will not run at the University as staff plans to abandon work to protest the University regarding its stance on workplace agreements.

Unsafe Community

Lucy Williams and Nurul Juhria Binte Kamal look at the University training sessions which left some student leaders “shocked and confused”

Staff Industrial Action Looms As NTEU Negotiations Stall

Staff at the University of Melbourne have begun the process of commencing industrial action, due to slow-moving negotiations regarding conditions of work with the University.