Anthony Ward; interim SRC

Co-ordinator.

What do the letters SRC mean? You've probably seen them floating around from time to time, or heard them as people speak in bated breath. Perhaps once, in a darkened corner, or written on a toilet wall, you discover the truth - SRC signifies the Student Representative Council.

What is SRC? Technically, SRC is the policy making body of the Association. All Students can (and very rarely do) attend meetings, discuss important issues and eat their lunches. Last year over 400 turned up at one meeting to debate policy on abortion. SRC meets once a fortnight at midday on Wednesdays for a couple of hours.

What is SRC? From reading letters to Salient last year (which is an occupational hazard of coming to Victoria) you'd see that it's regarded as a clique, a retirement home for left wingers, or even a Ward self-approved committee! With the exception of the last (which I assure you, is completely untrue), these are outdated as many of the "heavies" have left. So.... it's over to you, you great mass of unwashed students you.

And apart from an extensive advertising campaign, whats to attract you to the first SRC of this year? The lovely harbour views from the Union Hall as you drift far above the mood of debate... ...(violins screeching in background). More seriously there's a bit coming up. We've got to elect some people to various positions as SRC officers, and there's one position on Executive to be filled, as no one stood for it last election. We've also got to accept or reject the general policy report which tells everyone our stand on everything from Education through to Beech Forests to Indochina. Looks like we might need something on Southern Africa.....

When policy gets passed, it's supposed to be carried out by reps and Exec members. Some of the best bits of last year's SRC's were pouring scorn and derision on silly things done by reps. Its necessary that reps and officer do represent Studass policy properly, so this is a very important function.

The other two things I've heard of so far are a motion which I've written a little piece on next to this verbiage scrapping reps on uni committees and a promise from John Henderson that he's going to be silly (which I suppose isn't too unusual, but I'd better not say tha........)

So on to the positions we've got to fill:

Executive: SRC Co-ordinator.

So there you are - any more budding bureaucrats around? The first Exec, meeting of this year elected me (i.e. the dreaded Ward) into the position until SRC decided something (which may be one of the silly things to pour scorn and derision on). I'd better not say anything about what a nice guy I am unless it seems like advertising, so on to the SRC officers. (Just by the way, the position has a $300 honorarium).

SRC Officers

Activities include organising fund-raising, forums, films and writing for Salient. It's very enjoyable and a lot of fun (notice how he ends on a positive note).

Another thing SRC does is to elect student reps. If I have my cunning way, that's something that will cut down a lot. But we'll still have the Union Management Committee, Catering Sub-Committee, and the Publications Board to deal with. For brief run-downs:

Professorial Board

The Prof Board is where the academic matters of the university are discussed. Or, if your feeling cynical, it's where decisions of various committees, expeciaily the Vice Chancellor and Deans (which decides the money) get rubber-stamped. Prof Board has widely phrased (and very little used) disciplinary functions. There are three student reps on it, two serving two-year terms and one for 1976 only. Because Pat Martin, the 1975-76 rep, has resigned, all three positions are for grabs.

The Faculties

Victoria is blessed with six faculties of studies. These are: Arts; Languages and Literature (which is really a part of Arts but keeps trying to convince itself it's not); Commerce; Science; Law; and Architecture. The last two, the professional schools, elect student members from their own student bodies. The others leave it up to SRC. Reps have two roles on the Faculties, which essentially decide academic problems relating to one field of study. These are: to push Studass policy; and to help individual students fighting the bureaucracy.

There are between four and six reps on each Faculty.

Union Management

This Committee, which oversees the behaviour of the Union building and raps it over the Coffee Bar if its being naughty, is the most important one as far as students are concerned. The President of the Association is Chairman of the Committee and students have a tenuous (and largely irrelevant) majority of one. If you're getting annoyed with the way, the Union is running, or have ideas for change, this committee's the one to concentrate on. SRC elects six reps to this body.

Catering Sub-Committee

The major sub-committee of the Union Management Committee, this looks after catering in the Union. It's the place to go if you've gripes about the quality of the food, the type of service your getting, etc.(Judging from the first few weeks of Gerry Berens' reign as Catering Manager, it won't have much to do this year). There are several student reps on this, four being elected directly by SRC.

Publications Board

($2.25 of each student's $30.50 fees goes direct to Publications Board which oversees the publication of Salient, of Handbook and other occasional outbursts of creative effort. The Board's major function is financial, checking on advertising (or the lack of it) and planning future schemes (e.g. a printing press). It's a good introduction to another of the many-sided worlds of publications for the six student reps elected by SRC.

So there you have it. The major student rep positions for which we want keen dedicated people to make themselves available. They're not always exciting affairs, but do provide a valuable insight into the running of things and a worthwhile opportunity to serve students.

Think about them.