Professional development for student leaders

Student Life, within the Student Support Services Directorate, is hosting two important student leadership conferences in April as ACUNSA and Law Society leaders gather at the Mackillop Campus in North Sydney.

ACU National Student Association Conference

The ACU National Student Association (ACUNSA) is the university's peak student representative body. Established under Statute 9, ACUNSA is a committee of students with the responsibility to be the voice of ACU students by advocating on student concerns and encouraging the continuous development of the student experience. The committee is made up of each of the local campus student association presidents, the president of the Postgraduate Association and a representative of each of the Indigenous, online and international student cohorts. ACUNSA is chaired by a student president, elected by the entire student population. ACUNSA meets regularly with the university senior executive. Through its broad representation across cohorts and campuses, ACUNSA is able to report on matters of concern or interest to students.

The quarterly ACUNSA conferences are an opportunity for students to come together for professional development, networking and to receive important university updates.

ACUNSA President, Guiliano Gonzalez says, “COVID had a severe impact on ACUNSA’s ability to function. Having said that, we accomplished some great things last year, including work to make our associations more accountable. Being able to come together, face-to-face, means a lot to us as students. We’re really looking forward to continuing our work for the students of ACU.”

The first conference, to be held during Week 6 of Semester 1, will cover topics including improving advocacy, governance reform, risk assessment and student safety.

The inaugural Law Societies Leadership Conference

The inaugural Law Societies Leadership Conference, developed as a joint initiative of Student Life and the Thomas More Law School, will see the executives of our four campus law societies come together for two days of professional and personal development, networking and planning.

The program opens with a panel featuring several prominent law graduates talking about the places a law degree might take one (hint: it’s not always the bar or a law firm). A second panel on day two will explore ethics – and why behaving ethically is important to the students as leaders, as lawyers and as citizens. Other program items include workshops on resilience and capacity building, Respect.Now.Always, advocacy, and club event planning and risk assessment. There will also be opportunities for Thomas Law School Dean Professor Patrick Keyzer, to hear students’ feedback on aspects of existing law programming including our important pro bono program and competitions management.

ACU’s national, multi-campus structure can present challenges for campus-based student groups, studying in the same discipline. The Law Students’ conference is a pilot for a program format that Student Life would like to roll out with other faculties and indeed to the wider clubs and societies leadership. Student clubs and societies are one of the most important channels through which we can develop vibrant campuses. Clubs are places of friendship, personal growth, career development and inclusiveness. Activities and events that are not only developed for students but that are also student-managed, have a relevance and immediacy that nothing else can match.

Conferences like this one aim to instill students with the knowledge and skills needed to help create the warm, welcoming and inspiring campus communities we value.