Among many other achievements, the UQ Union has:
- Hosted a Toga Party with close to 5000 attendees;
- Affiliated 15 new clubs and societies (we now have 224 in total!)
- Uncovered rampant wage theft and exploitation of international students at an on-campus food outlet, thanks to our investigation team at Semper Floreat;
- Hosted the first Student General Meeting in decades, with 500 attendees;
- Conducted a semester-long study into #PovertyOnPlacement, presented the findings to UQ’s Academic Board and lobbied for more support for students undertaking compulsory placements;
- Launched Student Advocacy and Support, our new and improved SHOC, to meet the changing needs of UQ students,
- Opened Pantry Sixty Three, our eco-friendly outlet in the new Physiol;
- Renovated the REDROOM;
- Launched our ‘Keep Calm and…’ events series, to promote self-care and wellness for University students;
- Formalised the UQ Union Volunteering Program – we now have 400 active volunteers who run Kampus Kitchen, Morning Marmalade and our other UQ Union events;
- Expanded the Esports department with an extra 30 computers;
- Focused on environmentally-friendly practises in our outlets: removing plastic straws, increasing the keep cup discount to 50c, and selling reusable cutlery packs.
I hope that you’ve all been involved with UQU in some way this year, but if you haven’t had the chance, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved with the Union in 2020. You can give back by volunteering, make friends through clubs and societies, unwind with mates at the Reddo, visit our free and independent support service if you’re having a tough time, and more.
Finally, thank you to the dedicated student executive and UQ Union staff who made the above achievements possible. But more so, thank you to you – the student body – who make us who we are. Whether you’re buying a coffee from Bakery, helping to run a club or popping into SAS for some support, you are the reason the Union exists. From all of us here at UQU, thank you for an amazing 2019, and we hope that you enjoy the summer break.
