Welfare and Advocacy Committee

Welfare & Advocacy

BY AMITABH JEGANATHAN

committee

The Welfare and Advocacy Committee in 2021 aimed to both guide the Welfare Department’s strategy and offer a point of communication between the University and the Guild, while simultaneously having external initiatives and targets. Some of the key priorities of the Committee this year were adapting to snap COVID-19 lockdowns, the National Student Safety Survey (NSSS), tackling social isolation, and the University’s restructure and its impact on student wellbeing.

Living in the pandemic, the uncertainty brought about by the rapidly-evolving state-wide and national situation meant that students were affected in unpredictable ways. As the rent moratorium ended, and government welfare support ended, students were significantly impacted severely. When WA went into lockdown, this further exacerbated the financial burden placed on students as many could not work but had to now pay rent without the support of JobKeeper or JobSeeker payments. The committee adapted and increased promotion of Student Assist’s financial services during these times, including their emergency loans. We also participated in the National Union of Students (NUS) “Raising The Rate For Good” campaign to fight for better financial support from the government.

The National Student Safety Survey proved a key national directive, and the Committee discussed and worked around how to maximise student engagement in the survey, while also supporting students. Previously, the NSSS had raised concerns with students for causing traumatic experiences to resurface – given the nature of the content the survey is investigating. As a result, the Committee worked to increase visibility and availability of the support services provided by the University and the Guild for the survey. We also worked to ensure that selected students engaged with the survey, through online communication of its significance.

A key focus for the Committee in 2021 was fighting social isolation on and off campus. With some students prevented from coming to campus, creating a sense of social cohesion became even more challenging and important. As a result, social isolation was seen as an increasingly prevalent issue for the Guild, and the Committee created a strategy to raise awareness and help students find support on and off campus. The first aspect of this strategy has been launched with the posting of infographics on the Welfare and International Students’ Department social media profiles, and put up around campus. I look forward to seeing this progress next year, with a focus on in-person events and having a “make a mate” week, as students hopefully transition back to campus.

The University restructure and course cuts has been a clear source of anxiety and stress for students – not just those directly affected by the cuts, but also the uncertainty that came with the divide and conquer strategy used by the University. The Welfare and Advocacy Committee was used as an opportunity to give feedback to the University on the impacts these cuts had on student wellbeing, and specifically how the strategy used furthered the impact it had on students’ mental health.

In a year of such diverse and critical impacts on wellbeing, the Welfare and Advocacy Committee has been a crucial part of the Guild’s approach to advocating for students, both with student focused initiatives and liaising with the University. I look forward to seeing the work started this year continued into 2022.