An update from the GSA President: August 18th 2025
Dear Graduate Students,
I hope your semester has started well and that your research is progressing smoothly. It was wonderful to see so many of you at our O-Week activities, events, and campus visits.
Since my last update, the FareShare frozen meals program has officially launched at Werribee, providing free meals weekly to more than 500 additional graduate students. The Southbank canteen has also opened, giving those based there access to affordable, nutritious food, just as in Parkville. We’re grateful to SASS for their continued collaboration with GSA in making food relief more accessible across our graduate community.
We’ve also been contributing to the university’s review of the Assessment and Results Policy. We’re calling for clearer and more equitable rules in assessment design, including hurdles, participation marks, and alternative modes. We’re also pushing for the consistent application and transparent communication of Academic Adjustment Plans and Special Consideration, greater consistency in marking and moderation, and predictable results management with fair supplementary assessment windows and clear appeal pathways. I’d like to commend our Disability and Equity Officer, Alexander Tofler, for their leadership in this space.
Finally, a quick request. As you may know, the Graduate Student Survey is still open. Everything we do, from food relief and wellbeing programs, to workshops, social events, and our advocacy on assessment, accessibility, and research safety, is shaped by your input. Your feedback is vital as GSA’s continues to evolve.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey, and encourage your friends, colleagues, and even tutors (many of whom are graduate researchers themselves) to do the same. This is your chance to shape GSA into what you want it to be!
With best wishes,
Ethan Chou