UCA 2015 Forum*
'Better Leaders, Better Collegiate Life' - Colleagues, Challenges & Conversations
Wednesday 30 September - Friday 1 October, 2015
University House, Australian National University
Whilst Ian Walker and his Executive Committee will continue to finalise details over the coming weeks a Draft UCA Forum Program is now available.
* Note: In recent years the UCA has convened a national conference every second year and a smaller 'mini-conference' in alternate years. In order to avoid confusion between the two events our smaller get together will now be known as the UCA Forum.
National Census of Colleges, Halls and 100+ bed Commercial Student Providers - Update
The Census Report provides information and analysis on the size and selected characteristics of the Australian university student accommodation sector and on changes that have occurred since the last census undertaken by the UCA in April 1999.
The Executive Committee eagerly awaits advice that the Department of Education & Training has agreed to release the National Census. Whilst we anticipated a release date at the end of April, we will provide members with the full report as soon as we have the Minister's clearance.
Draft National Strategy for International Education
The Draft National Strategy, released by Christopher Pyne on 1st April, outlines the steps the government is contemplating in the areas of student accommodation. It refers to the UCA 2014 Census Report and also to a 2010 USA research paper that concludes that "students living on campus in accommodation designed for students perform better than their peers who live off campus'.
The Government will be taking submissions on the National Strategy, inclusive of its plans to facilitate an increase in the amount of on or near campus purpose built accommodation, until Friday 29 May.
Events
UCA Executive Committee Victoria State Visit:
La Trobe, Melbourne and Monash Chapters
Thursday 7 - Friday 8 May, 2015
AICD Workshop:
In the Boardroom: Responsibilities and Practice for College Directors and Council Members
Saturday 30 May 2015, 9am – 12pm
The Women’s College, University of Queensland
UCA Forum:
Wednesday 30 September - Friday 2 October, 2015
University House, Australian National University.
Grants for Women Leaders
Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) is administering a national initiative to support development of female leaders. Up to $200,000 has been provisioned for women employed in the Education Sector and women in senior management positions can apply for $11,000 individual grants to undertake the Advanced Leadership Program. See more information.
Conference & Resarch Grants
A reminder that UCA members may also apply for the Association's Conference or Research Grants. See more information.
Member Advice:
Access to IAS Grants for Indigenous students
Advice from Peter McDonald, Tertiary Balance: Under the previous Australian Government Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) program (an initiative of the former Federal Labor Government), affiliated residential colleges were not permitted to access funding to pay for tutors employed directly by the college to provide special tutorial (one to one) assistance to Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander students in residence. The ITAS program was replaced by the Abbott Government's Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) and all future funding of this sort will be via IAS. A Senior Adviser from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has now confirmed that in any future IAS funding rounds the affiliated colleges will have the ability to put forward applications for grant funding for direct employment of tutors for this purpose.
Legal Employment Status of RA's
Peter McDonald's advice on the legal employment status of College RAs can be found here.
GST Tool and misreporting of student meals
UCA requested advice from Peter McDonald on the circumstances in which colleges and halls that have elected to use the ATO's Residential Colleges GST Tool to determine how much Goods and Services Tax (GST) to remit to the ATO, have a taxation liability if they fail to report bundled student meals to the Tool. Catered colleges potentially exposed to this issue are those that have elected to use the GST Tool and have answered 'No' to question 17 in the contracts' worksheets in cases where students are subject to mandatory charges for meals. Find Peter McDonald's advice here, or contact the Executive Officer to request a copy of this advice by return email.
Should you have difficulty with the initial 'login' process at the Members Section of our website, please contact Deborah Pugh at Executive Officer who can set up the initial login for you.
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