CHANGE EXECUTIVE
WILL BURFOOT FOR PRESIDENT + UMAC + NUS DELEGATE
ANUSA is the peak representative body for all students at ANU. Students expect more from our union, and we want to deliver the change that students want. I firmly believe that the role ANUSA plays on campus, and the services it provides are critical. I don't think however the union is currently doing a good enough job to prove that to students. I want ANUSA to live up to the expectations we place on it, a student union which helps students where it can and fights for them where it must.
An easy metric for how well the union is doing is how many students choose to vote, and that number is deeply concerning because over the past few years we have seen voter turnout remain starkly low. And that's easily seen in a conversation with most students, those who do know what ANUSA is often don’t have much to say, I think we can change that. My policy, and the policy of Change your ANUSA is squarely focused on delivering real results for students.
As Treasurer this year I have had the opportunity to understand and work with every aspect of the union, from managing the BKSS budget alongside the VP, to chairing meetings of the ethical sponsorship committee, to compiling and submitting the unions SSAF reports, no other candidate for President has the experience and knowledge that I bring to the role.
I promised last year to overhaul outdated financial policy, some of it dating back from 2014, I also said if elected I would increase reporting requirements for large purchases. With the Financial Policy Framework unanimously passed earlier this year by the SRC I did both of those and more, including a new investment framework which moves our union towards responsible investment for the first time in its history. Other candidates and tickets have promised to be different year after year, have claimed election after election that this is the time they will live up to what they have promised. That's why we are called change, because that's exactly what ANUSA needs.
SREE VAISHNAVI GANGARAPU FOR VICE PRESIDENT
Hi, my name is Sree Vaishnavi Gangarapu. I’m an international student from India, pursuing a Bachelor of Economics and Finance as a second-year student at CBE.
During my first-year as a Lodge resident, I experienced firsthand how vital ANUSA is in shaping the student experience, particularly for those of us creating a home away from home. I’ve been involved in various clubs and initiatives that have deepened my understanding of the challenges and opportunities our student body faces. I’m a member of the ANU+ program, actively contributing to the student community. Currently, I represent my peers as the CBE Undergraduate Representative and the Treasurer for the International Students’ Department (ISD).
I have great respect for the services that ANUSA provides. However, my time here has taught me that we can do more and better. Student representation, international student assistance, support for Department Officers and optimising the BKSS space are just a few of the areas where we can make meaningful changes.
That’s why I’m running for Vice President with Change your ANUSA. I believe that with the right vision and determination, we can make ANUSA even more responsive, inclusive, and impactful for all students. This campaign isn’t just about improving services. It’s about transforming our campus into a place where every student feels heard, supported, and empowered. Together, we can build an ANUSA that truly works for everyone.
SAM GORRIE FOR GENERAL SECRETARY + NUS DELEGATE
As a Gen Rep on ANUSA in 2023, an SR at Wright Hall, and a Vice President of the Debating Society, I am incredibly excited to be running for General Secretary with the Change your ANUSA ticket. ANUSA currently fails to represent all students: its structures are often alienating or inaccessible and its public perception is often negative. To this end, ANUSA needs Change, to ensure that there is a practical shift towards inclusivity, accessibility, and services that support what students need to thrive at Uni.
Change will advocate for your welfare, provide the services you need, and explain your rights at Uni - our team will change the way ANUSA has been acting, while bringing in the experience that we have had while being around these spaces. As your General Secretary, my policies seek to reform the culture of ANUSA in terms of governance, meetings, and advocacy, and will ensure that there is improved access to and advertising of ANUSA’s services. ANUSA can be an incredibly effective body for students’ benefits and the ways in which I will make sure becomes one again are explained here:
HAYDEN O’BRIEN FOR TREASURER + NUS DELEGATE
As a General Representative on SRC this year I have learnt just how important the role of Treasurer is to the overall functioning of the union. Yes it means contributing and signing off on big financial decisions but it also means that the person you elect as Treasurer plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and transparency of our union and that is something I wish to champion!
ANUSA’s Treasurer this year and our amazing presidential candidate Will Burfoot has begun implementing great initiatives like the Financial Policy Framework that will bring this union and its finances into the 21st century and with a Change executive we will get this job done!
In addition to my role as Gen Rep I have also served as an SR at John XXIII this year and in doing so I have learnt so much about how important it is to engage students who aren’t involved or don’t understand student politics and why ANUSA’s services can and SHOULD be working harder for them. That's why as Treasurer I plan to implement several key policies that will improve ANUSA services and re-engage students with the ways that the union can work for them.
We have seen many tickets in recent years promise failed policy after failed policy attempting to create a revenue stream that can boost ANUSA’s reserves and protect the union's finances for years to come. If you elect me as Treasurer I will work towards responsible investing some of the reserves into ethical stocks as a way of producing an independent cash flow that goes straight back into student hands. This will allow future ANUSA services to pay for themselves as student money will be allocated back into providing more services that students need.
ROSIE PATON FOR EDUCATION OFFICER + NUS DELEGATE
Hiya! I’m Rosie (she/her) and I’m in my third year of studying not one but TWO Arts degrees (Arts/Art History and Curatorship). I was the president of Wright Hall this year and now I’m taking it a step further…
I’m running for Education Officer with Change your ANUSA!
What Change is doing:
Providing the services you need
Advocating for your welfare
Fighting for your rights at uni
What I’m Doing:
No more Saturday exams!!!
No more hurdle exams!!!
5 day extensions!!!
Clearer participation requirements!!!
A Crash-Course Guide to Canberra!!!
KIERA ROSENBERG FOR WELFARE OFFICER + NUS DELEGATE
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a second year at BnG, a current General Representative for ANUSA and a former Queer Representative for BnG.
The ANUSA itch has to be scratched once more for me as throughout the year as a General Representative, I’ve come to notice a fair few things I’d like to put pedal to metal on for our students. Our students are in the midst of a cost of living crisis!! And it is about time our student union started to act like it! If elected my policies will focus heavily on providing targeted cost of living support which will ease the financial burden on students, alongside advocating for residential rights through policies such as CSO reform, and residential parking for residents.
I intend to explore several avenues to ease the cost-of-living for students on and off campus, this will include several items of recommendation to the ANU:
Parking subsidies during exam periods.
Suitcase rummages events and clothes exchanges (Clothing is expensive! Drip is important!)
Bring back crunch and sip! To elaborate, I will seek to provide snacks within BKSS throughout the day so that students are able to grab and go in between classes, this will ease the financial stress of those little purchases (which combined end up quite expensive) which we all often see accumulate in our bank accounts.
I will recommend to the residential experience division of ANU, several items of recommendation in regard to the new role, Community Support Officer, these items include:
Introducing Community Support Officers to their respective residential halls through social media posts (i.e. residential hall Facebook pages) and social events so that the CSO may become a familiar face throughout the residential community, this will strive to make CSOs more approachable and accessible when support is needed.
Senior Residents and Community Support Officer to work in collaboration with one another. It is no secret to residents that these two roles work practically parallel with one another, with the Senior Resident roles sharing various similar responsibilities CSOs now do currently. Instilling a collaborative culture between the two roles has potential for knowledge sharing and consolidating pastoral care support for residents.
For my full policy, click the button below!
HARRISON OATES FOR CLUBS OFFICER
G’day, I’m Harrison Oates (He/Him), your current Undergraduate Coursework Officer, and I’m super excited to be running to be your Clubs Officer in 2025!
You might know me from my previous roles as 2024 President of the ANU Computer Science Students’ Association, one of the largest and most active clubs on campus, or as the organiser behind the last four Epic Games Nights, one of the biggest events on both the O-week and bush week calendars and a nine-way society collaboration. I’ve enjoyed every bit of my time in clubs, and there is so much more that I can give to the community that I love.
So, why me? Simply put, our clubs deserve an Officer that has been around the block and has extensive experience in large-scale event organisation and club governance, not a filler candidate who has never run a club or sat on its committee. By voting for me and Change Your ANUSA, you get a team that has the skills to fight for your interests, the knowledge to help clubs navigate tough times, and a vision to transform the way clubs interact with our student union.
My policy is centred around around 3 key issues:
Governance and well-being support: Clubs work incredibly hard for their members. Let’s make sure that they get the organizational and wellbeing support they need to reach new heights.
Make it rain: funding for clubs is needed more than ever, but the SSAF pool isn’t enough. I introduce novel proposals to get clubs the resources they need to reach new heights.
Engaging with and fighting for our communities: protecting our clubs’ interests and ensuring our spaces are safe and accessible for all students.
Take a look at the many policies I’ve developed. They are informed by my experience as a club executive, but have been transformed through extensive consultation with a wide range of clubs and societies, previous Clubs Officers, ANUSA departments, and students at large. Thank you for putting your faith in me and continuing to dream of a fantastic social scene.