RMIT Link

RMIT Link is the campus union of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). It was formed in 1968 and currently it consists of four main branches: Arts, Sports and Recreation, City Fitness and Administration. Most activities are focused on the City Campus, however some activities occur on all RMIT Campuses. RMIT Union is separate organization to the RMIT Student Union which provides all student clubs other than Sports & Arts clubs. Upon its formation, the RMIT Union had little affiliation with the already-existing student union. Conflict between the two unions began as soon as the second union was established, and some conflict still exists today.

Arts

RMIT Link Arts is the part of RMIT Link that organises Arts, Community and Cultural programs and events at RMIT University, including the RMIT University's Arts Week. Union Arts runs various programs including theatre shows; visual arts events; screen arts events; the concert Choir and fashion, textiles and design workshops.

Arts Council

The RMIT Link Arts Council is the organisation responsible for providing funding for students as individuals, groups and collectives wishing to create arts programs and events. Membership is made up of an elected student representative from each collective, a representative from each Arts Council funded project and two general members elected at the RMIT Union AGM

Music

Main article: RMIT Music

RMIT Music is the organisation responsible for all Music collectives either by direct control or by affiliation (except the RMIT Concert Choir). It operates as a collective under the Arts Council. However unlike other collectives, RMIT Music has many separate bands and the RMIT Music Committee operates in a similar way to the Arts Council itself. The President of this collective is David Garrick. Bands involved in RMIT Music include the Symphonic Orchestra; Occasional Choral Society; Concert and Stage bands; and String, Flute and Recorder Ensembles

Sports and recreation

RMIT Link Sports and Recreation is the part of RMIT Union that organises Sports clubs and events and recreation trips at RMIT University. Membership of the sports council is made up of one representative from each sports club, one representative from Recreation Trip Leaders and one representative of Sports event participants. Recreation run trips and tours of Victoria, including swimming with dolphins, learning to surf, trips to tourist destinations as well as cultural experiences. RMIT Union is also responsible for running the City Campus Gymnasium.

Governance

Governance of RMIT Link is overseen by the RMIT Link Board. The RMIT Link Board is made up of eight representatives, two from the Arts Council, two from the Sports Council, two elected at the RMIT Link AGM and two nominated by the Vice-Chancellor. Operationally the RMIT Union is run by the coordinator Fiona Demertzidis.

History

The RMIT Link was formed in 1968 following discussions and disagreements between the university's Committee of Council and the Student Union. The Link Union had provided its services in numerous locations around the university but 1980-82 Union House (Building 8) was built. It was opened in 1982 by Victorian Premier John Cain and the President of the RMIT Student Union. The building is now shared by the RMIT Union, the Student Union, the Student Services Group, main library, and academic departments. Later Union House was given extra floors and academic departments were added into the building and RMIT Union moved some services in to the neighboring Building 28. RMIT Union eventually expanded into the Bundoora Campus delivering services equal to those on the City Campus.

Following Voluntary Student Unionism legislation that took effect in July 2006 significant funding was lost by RMIT Link causing staffwide redundancies. Almost the entire staff was turned over around this time and the City Campus became the only place where RMIT Union had a physical and staff presence except for a part-time staff member at both Brunswick & Bundoora Campuses.

References

Additional sources

• The Age - Google News Archive Search