ANU Union Inc.

Motto	live uni life
Established	1965
Institution	Australian National University
Location	ANU Union, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200
Members	c. 5000
Affiliated to	Australasian Campus Union Managers' Association
Homepage	http://www.anuunion.com.au

The Australian National University Union Inc. is the university union of the Australian National University. This is not to be confused with the Australian National University Student Association.

Contents 1 About the ANU Union 1.1 Union Business Operations 2 The Board of Directors 2.1 The Current Board of Directors 2.2 Past Chairs of the Board 2.3 Former Members of the Board 3 Policy Issues 3.1 The Acton Supermarket Closure 4 References 5 External links

[edit] About the ANU Union

The ANU Union Inc. is an incorporated non-profit association established in 1965 to be run for the benefit of students and staff at the Australian National University. Membership of ANU Union comes from the student population and all ANU staff and graduates are entitled to become members.^[1]

The objects of the Union are:
(a) to provide a recognised meeting place and social centre for its members;
(b) to promote the intellectual, social and general welfare of the University community; and
(c) actively to encourage and support all ANU clubs and societies which include members of the Union.^[2]

[edit] Union Business Operations

The ANU Union's catering and retail operations are managed by its General Manager Rod Thomas. Union run businesses include^[1]:

• The ANU Bar
• Pajenka's
• Caterina's
• Rosie's
• Cucina De Pasta
• Organix
• The Union Shop (newsagency, supermarket and Post-Office)
• Union Functions
• Academic Dress Hire

The ANU Union also runs the Resources Centre.

[edit] The Board of Directors

The Union Board is the governing body of the ANU Union ^[3]

[edit] The Current Board of Directors

• Mr Nicky Vreugdenhil (Chair), Elected 2008
• Ms Jessica Hinchy (Deputy Chair), Elected 2009
• Mr Ben Duggan Elected 2009
• Ms Vrinda Tiwari, Elected 2009
• Mr Nick Field, Elected 2008
• Mr Mitch Stachan, Elected 2008
• Mr Xinyu Ru, Elected 2009
• Mr Peter Shipp, Appointed
• Mr Steve O'Connor, Appointed

[edit] Past Chairs of the Board

• 1998/1999: Jason Wood
• 1999/2000: Bernard Philbrick^{[citation needed]}
• 2002/2003: Erica Belmar^{[citation needed]}
• 2003/2004: Nicholas Oettinger^{[citation needed]}
• 2004/2005: Peter Graham^{[citation needed]}
• 2005/2006: David Sykes
• 2006/2007: Shobaz Kandola
• 2007/2008: Chris Steel ^[4]
• 2008/2009: Byron Fay ^[4]
• 2009/2010: Nicky Vreugdenhil

[edit] Former Members of the Board

Prominent former members of the ANU Union's Board of Directors include:

• Andrew Barr Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for Tourism.
• Terence John Higgins, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.

[edit] Policy Issues

[edit] The Acton Supermarket Closure

In October 2007 the Board of Directors made a decision not to renew the license of the Acton Supermarket owned by Pijpers Holdings Pty Ltd. Board Chair Chris Steel claimed the decision was made on the basis of the continued viability of the Union's business operations which had suffered as a result of the Federal Government's Higher Education (Abolition of Upfront Student Union Fees) Amendment Act 2005 that had cut the Union's revenue by around $213 000 per annum. Under an alternative business model it was proposed that the ANU Union would incorporate a supermarket into its own retail operations.^[5]

The closure resulted in a Facebook group called 'Keep the ANU Supermarket' with over 1000 members.^[6]. A petition with over 1500 signatures was also raised by the supermarket owners and made to ANU Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb.The protesters claimed that the ANU Union would sell stock at higher prices than the independently run Acton Supermarket.^[5]

In May 2008 a new licensee of the Union opened a 3 Mobile store in the previous location of the Acton Supermarket and the ANU Union refurbished part of its own Union Shop to accommodate a new supermarket.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• ANU Union Home Page