Why Join?
It's easy to see that you don't have to be on campus very much or use your card very often to earn great savings and big returns on your membership investment straight away!
Not only does your Advantage Program membership help you earn great savings, it also helps ensure that the student experience at UTS is about much more than just study. UTS Union provides services and facilities on campus that give you an opportunity to try something different, learn new skills, make new friends and develop networks that can help you when you move on from university too.
A growing number of employers are looking for graduates that have gained a broad range of experience and expertise outside the classroom - participating in an activities or sports club, volunteering to help out with a Union event or going along to Uni Games are just some of the ways you can gain these valuable skills. These opportunities are created for you by UTS Union.
UTS Union is a not-for-profit organisation and all membership fees and proceeds go towards ensuring the continued provision of essential community services and facilities on campus.
Proposed amendments to VSU
On Monday 3 November 2008 the Government announced its response to VSU (Voluntary Student Unionism). The key elements of the announcement included the establishment of benchmarks for services and new representation and advocacy protocols; from 1 July 2009 universities will be allowed to charge a compulsory services fee capped at a maximum of $250 (indexed annually); the expansion of the objects of the Capital Development Pool to include access to funds for facilities for student amenities; and the fee will be deferrable by students in a similar way to a HECS style loan.
The Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching, Learning &Equity) are awaiting further details from the Government before any detailed discussions with any relevant organisations on campus.
The Government has also proposed to undertake consultations with the universities, students and relevant organisations. These consultations will lead to a clarified model for the legislation. A key issue to be addressed is whether all students can be charged from the start of Semester 2 2009 or whether only newly-enrolling students will be charged. Subsequently, there will be the further, unpredictable passage of the legislation through the Senate and finally, the University’s decisions (once the legislation is passed) on the level of charges and any distribution of same.
Given all these unknowns, the Board of UTS Union agreed to launch the 2009 Advantage Program member offer which is available to new and continuing students in 2009. The membership fees collected as part of the Advantage Program go towards the continued provision of student services and facilities at UTS.
