History of FUSA & Student Advocacy at Flinders University
Back in the day, the Flinders student association was a very active and political organisation – more so than any other in Australia. It was independent of the uni and hosted a highly progressive publication, Empire Times.
Then the Howard Government introduced the voluntary student unionism legislation that wiped out the funding of student organisations. The student advocacy, media, social events, clubs and societies at Flinders either collapsed or were severely damaged. FlindersOne took control of services like the Wholefood Store, student advocacy and welfare, and clubs and societies. A new student council ran as part of FlindersOne.
In 2012 Student Council sought to re-establish a student association, utilising the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) for funding. Eventually the University supported the idea and the new Flinders University Student Association was formed. The first elected Student Council began its term on 1 January 2013. Since then, we have worked hard to revive a campus culture. Our goals are in running events, providing services and opportunities, and supporting clubs and societies – and ultimately everything else we can do to make sure you, as students, have the best University experience possible.