UQ Students strike for Palestine in historic rally
On February the 29th, hundreds of UQ students marched through their campus chanting for a Free Palestine in the largest campus protest in over a decade.
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“You can find a match, but there’s a catch”: The Campus Cupid scandal of 2024
I hope this experience can serve as a lesson to some of you who participated, and – of course – I hope that you all find what you’re looking for.
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A victory with a tainted cup for student autonomy?
On 23 February 2024, Education Ministers (state and federal) agreed to the Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education. The Action Plan recognises urgent action needs to take place to ensure the safety of higher education students and staff. Later on the same day, the Federal Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, […]
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University Accords (Reform): The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
On the 25th of February 2024, the Australian Government finally released the University Accords Final Report. The TLDR version is: it’s been dubbed a ‘once in a generation’ reform/consultation process of what universities should be and how to support students. So why didn’t I know about this, and how was my voice heard, you may […]
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The mouldy stench in UQ’s heritage buildings.
Here at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, we are fortunate to learn and study in heritage buildings of rich historical architecture. The elegant exterior of the Goddard Building is decorated with sculptured features that are remarkable and well-maintained, but its interior might not get the same treatment. A shared office space between PhD […]
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NTEU1001: Introduction to Campus Strikes
To the dear flustered first-years: welcome to UQ and all the new firsts. Your first time sitting in the wrong class; the first time having your lunch snaked by an ibis; and this past Wednesday, your first staff strike. I’m here with a bit of an explanation. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and associated […]
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Painting. Hope.
Just yesterday a wall mural was painted in front of the UQ Union’s women’s collective and international collective room. The artwork painted by Lily Ghali, a fine arts student, conveys deep bittersweet meaning. The Semper Floreat team was incredibly lucky and honoured to be able to attend the artist’s painting process and interview her to […]
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UQ disciplinary letter shuns Human Rights
Alan Smithee & Billie Kugelman UQ has sent out letters to students facing disciplinary action which claim that enforcing the Student Code of Conduct is more important than *checks notes* students’ human rights. The letters, apparently authored by so-called ‘Integrity Officers’, were sent with an offer: accepting the University’s proposed punishments would mean that students’ […]
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UQ’s Dirty Secret: Fossil Fuel Research Dollars
Despite its meticulously greenwashed public image, it turns out the University of Queensland is a recipient of significant funding from the Australian coal industry. For some this will come as no surprise, but the numbers are nonetheless interesting, and UQ has a lot to answer for.
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ETU vs UGL & UQ Strike *Tentatively* Over
As the sun set on the 7th day of strikes taken by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) it was still looking unclear as to when and if they’d get a result. But as we have seen in the following days since their last strike on campus, a result was handed down in the darkness of […]
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