News
10 Dec
GUPSA and CAPA 2020
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has conducted its annual elections, with a talented and diverse new team elected to lead the organisation in 2020.
We are pleased to announce that Romana Rea Begicevic will take on the Presidency of CAPA from January 1st 2020. Romana-Rea is a PhD student at Curtin University, researching pancreatic cancer. She is an experienced postgraduate representative, having served as the president of the Postgraduate Student Committee at Curtin and as CAPA Women’s Officer in 2019.
The full National Representative Committee is:
President: Romana-Rea Begicevic (Postgraduate Student Committee – PSC, Curtin Student Guild)
Vice President: Bojana Klepač Pogrmilovic (VUPA – Victoria University Postgraduate Association)
Policy and Research Advisor: Errol Phuah (Swinburne Student Union)
Media and Communications Officer: Anushka Kapoor (Western Sydney University SRC)
Queer Officer: Shae Brown (Southern Cross Postgraduate Association)
Women’s Officer: Aishwarya Singh (Griffith Uni Postgraduate Students Association)
Disabilities Officer: Ashik Chacko Mathulla (Griffith Uni Postgraduate Students Association)
International Officer: Devendra Singh (Monash Graduate Association – MGA)
NATSIPA Appointee: Stacey Coates (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association)
“I am looking forward to leading the vibrant CAPA team of the national representative committee, board of directors and NATSIPA appointees in 2020 to advocate to stakeholders about the importance of academic and non-academic issues that will enable postgraduate students to flourish. This includes quality education, support services, including funding and respectful relationships at Australian university campuses,” says Romana-Rea.
In addition, we elected our new board. The 2020 board members are:
Saira B. Khan (Griffith Uni Postgraduate Students Association)
Peter Watson (UWA Postgraduate Students’ Association – PSA)
Maimuna Majimbi (Postgraduate Student Committee – PSC, Curtin Student Guild)
Nithin Ponnaluru (RUSU – RMIT University Student Union)
Aidan Cornelius-Bell (FUSA Flinders University Student Association)
Adam Red Scorgie (The University of Adelaide SRC)
Dr Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association)
We thank the outgoing National Representative Committee and board for their outstanding work in 2019.
1 Jul
ANNOUNCEMENT: Increase in Counselling Support for Students
In the 2018 Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) Survey approximately 67% of respondents identified promoting the health or welfare of students and helping students obtain employment or advice on careers as the top two areas of importance for SSAF expenditure.
In response to this the Griffith University Postgraduate Students Association (GUPSA) joined with the SRC to pilot the Wellness Advocacy and Leadership Initiative (WALi) at the end of 2018, before a full launch in Trimester 1 this year. Our WALi team through our Wellness HQs have to date engaged with hundreds of students in discussions about mental health and wellbeing. One of the things these discussions have highlighted are the difficulties students face when trying to access counselling appointments for ongoing support. As well as WALi, in trimester 1 GUPSA sponsored Student Success to trial a peer mentoring program for postgraduate and HDR students; GUPSA will be continuing this program from trimester 2 onwards as part of our ongoing support for all postgraduate and HDR students.
27 Jul
GUPSA One-day writing retreat, Friday 17 August 2018
Calling all writers! Are you currently working on your thesis chapter or a journal article? Do you need some motivation and assistance to boost your writing? If so, you are welcome to join us at a one-day writing retreat at the Eco Centre (N68) Nathan campus on Friday 17 August.
10 Apr
GUPSA Winery Tour 27 April 2018
Come with GUPSA on a journey through the striking scenery of Tamborine Mountain courtesy of The Vino Bus to explore three of the region’s award winning boutique venues. The tour will include wine and cheese tasting, liqueur and vodka tasting, and a one course lunch.
23 Jan
GUPSA One-day writing retreat, Friday 16 February 2018
Calling all writers! Are you currently working on your thesis chapter or a journal article? Do you need some motivation and assistance to boost your writing? If so, you are welcome to join us at a one-day writing retreat at the Eco Centre (N68) Nathan campus on Friday 16 February.
18 Dec
GUPSA Office hours and Editing Service through the 2017-18 break
Thank you to everyone who attended our End of Year party at the Ship Inn last Saturday. That was GUPSA’s last event for 2017 and things are now winding down for the end of the year and summer break.
