Voting Prize Winners

• Voters were able to follow the prompts after voting to enter the draw to win 1 of 6 $200 gift cards.
• The prizes will be drawn later this week and contacted directly.

Voting Period

10am Wednesday 13 August - 4pm Wednesday 20 August.

Voting is now closed. 

Introduction

The USASA Board has passed a special resolution, directing that a referendum is to be held so that USASA Members (UniSA Students) can vote on whether to change the USASA Constitution.

Official Referendum Notice

You can check out the official referendum notice here.

What is a Referendum?

In this situation, a referendum is when all Ordinary Members of USASA (UniSA Students) are asked to vote directly on a specific question regarding a change to the USASA Constitution. The USASA Constitution is the rules for how USASA is governed and allowed to operate.

A question is posed, and students are given a yes or no choice. In order for the referendum to pass, at least 1000 members need to vote, and at least half of them need to vote "yes". If fewer than 1000 members vote, or the majority vote "no", the referendum motion will fail.

Referendum Question

“Should the USASA Constitution be changed so that, if it winds up, its surplus assets go directly to a student association chosen by the members (UniSA Students), rather than to the University?”

What are "surplus assets" and what does "winding up" mean?

Winding up means officially closing USASA. It’s the legal process of ending its activities, paying any debts, and deciding what happens to any money or assets left over. These assets (including money) leftover are what is considered "surplus assets".

The technical definition of surplus assets is defined in the Incorporated Associations Act 1985 (SA) as "those assets that remain after the liabilities of the association have been discharged and the costs and expenses of the winding up have been paid."

A decision to wind up USASA can only be made at a General Meeting of Members, through a special resolution (which means at least 75% of members voting must agree).

YES" Case

Changing the Constitution empowers UniSA students to decide which successor student association should receive USASA’s surplus assets. It ensures that those funds remain with student-run bodies that exist to support students, rather than being transferred to the University.

The amendment also brings the USASA Constitution into line with standard practice by allowing members (not an external organisation) to determine the future of the association’s resources.

"NO" Case

The University is better positioned to manage USASA’s surplus assets and should retain the authority to decide where they are transferred. The original clause was established with intent and should not be altered merely for convenience.

Additionally, changing the Constitution would require members to take on further responsibility by selecting a successor student association.

What would change in the Constitution?

Section 21.2 is the relevant section dealing with surplus assets upon the winding-up of USASA.

If the referendum passes, it proposed that the current section 21.2 would be replaced by the proposed section 21.2 below.

Current section 21.2

On the winding-up of the University of South Australia Student Association the surplus assets (as that term is defined in the Act) will not be distributed amongst the Members or former Members of the University of South Australia Student Association but will be transferred to the University, to be held by it on trust for the association of Students approved by the University under the University of South Australia Act 1990 as the successor to the University of South Australia Student Association or (if no such association then exists and none has come into existence within one year of the date of the resolution to wind up the University of South Australia Student Association) for founding a scholarship trust fund for award of scholarships to Students of the University, with half of the income to be re-invested and half to be applied to such scholarships. The trustees for such scholarship trust fund will be the Chancellor of the University and two councillors from the University Council elected by the University Council who will report at least annually to the University Council.

Proposed new section 21.2

On the winding-up of the University of South Australia Student Association the surplus assets (as that term is defined in the Act) will not be distributed amongst the Members or former Members of the University of South Australia Student Association but will be transferred to an organisation deemed to be the successor of the University of South Australia Student Association provided that such an organisation has rules which prohibit the distribution of its assets and income to its members. Such successor organisation shall be identified and determined by a resolution of Members in a General Meeting.