Results have been declared for this year’s RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) election.
After the 2018 elections left the union with a hung council split between members from Connect and Belong, Together have secured a majority on the Student Union Council.
Upon contesting the election, Belong—a team predominately comprised of Indian students rebranded as Revive—and the Labor Unity affiliated Connect rebranded as Together. The convenor of Together, Ella Gvildys said that the name change reflected that the team was turning over a new leaf with new people involved and “symbolised a commitment to working on the ground with people wanting to engage with student life”.
Together’s Beatrice Co was elected as the union’s General Secretary, winning 56% of the vote.
Together went on to have its candidates elected to all of RUSU’s offices; gaining Education, International, Postgraduate, Activities, Sustainability, Clubs and Societies, City Coordinator and City Representative from Belong.
Together won three General representative positions and one alternate. Belong won one General Representative position and one alternate. Climate Action won one General Representative position.
RUSU will be sending seven delegates to the National Union of Students. Of these delegates Together will be sending four, Revive will be sending two, and Climate Action will be sending one.
Together also gained the Catalyst office. Three students have been elected to edit RUSU’s student publication.
With a majority secured on the Student Union Council, a representative from Together will be elected by the council as the President of the RMIT University Student Union, leading to eleven years of Labor Unity’s continued leadership of the union.