USASA Student Board 2018

The USASA Board, made up of 14 elected UniSA students, is the peak decision-making committee at USASA. The student board is passionate about representing the students of UniSA.

The Board has an overarching responsibility to manage the conduct of USASA's business and affairs. It is also responsible for the management and control of USASA’s funds and property.

Meet Your Reps

Click on a student rep’s image to view their contact details and profile to learn more.

National Union of Students

NUS works to protect the rights of all students and is the national VOICE on all student related issues. Comprising of more than 600,000 students, NUS represents almost every student organization in Australia.

Our NUS Representatives:
Tom Gilchrist
Jordan Mumford
Qihua Zheng
Natrydd Sigurthur
Kate Riggall
Bridget Barletta
Abid Hasan

Student Representative Blog

To find out what our student reps have been up to, visit the student rep blog at usasaboard.wordpress.com

Student Representative Profiles

What are you studying?
Bachelor of Aviation

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
Having spent my first two years at university involved and engaged in campus life, I decided to run to become a campus representative for Mawson Lakes in 2016. After spending a productive year on the USASA board, I felt like I still had more work to do, so I decided to run to be your 2018 student president. 

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018? 
I hope to work productively with the rest of the 2018 board to ensure that USASA is an organisation which is relevant to the needs of UniSA students. Some of my key goals are to provide better funding and support to clubs, increasing student engagement, as well as expanding the free breakfast program.

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students?
Make sure to get involved in the non-academic side of campus life, where you can learn new skills and meet great people. Whether it is joining a USASA club, going on a study tour or overseas exchange, or seeking out volunteering opportunities, there is so much to campus life than lectures and tutorials.

Where is your favourite place to go in Adelaide/Whyalla/Mount Gambier?
​I love the Adelaide Hills, and there is nothing better for clearing the mind than a drive through the hills. 

View Jordan's board blog posts here.

What are you studying?
My research aims to investigate a potential EEG biomarker of healthy cognitive development in children, which might mediate the relationship between home environment, cognitive performance and learning outcomes, and might one day be used to identify children at risk of poor development, and inform the timing and nature of interventions to support their development. 

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
I was inspired by the dedication and passion of the previous representatives, who I know through my study and through my involvement in student clubs. I saw the potential to create positive change, particularly by advocating for disadvantaged or marginalized students, and to give something back to an institution that I feel privileged to be a part of.

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018?
I'm passionate about student safety and wellbeing, connecting students to the services they need, creating a level playing field for minority and marginalized students, increasing student input and engagement with the university and student union, and providing events to suit postgraduate lifestyles, so we can engage in campus culture on our terms. I will aim to cement and build on the achievements of the previous representatives, to take concrete steps towards these goals. I also aim to advocate for a UniSA that's responsive to student needs and priorities, and focused around students' well-being and success. 

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students?
Take the time to look after your mental and physical health during your studies; it's far more difficult to retain information when you're under stress, so this is the best investment you can make in your learning success. 

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? 
Probably sleep anyway.

View Kate's board blog posts here

What are you studying? Psychological Science (Counselling and interpersonal skills)

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
I wanted to become a student representative to hopefully make some change and improve the voice of indigenous students at university and hopefully make sure all campuses indigenous students have what they need.

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018?
I am hoping to aim to have a larger presence on campus as an indigenous representative. And also to aim to have a higher knowledge of indigenous topics around university and make sure there is communication between the three major universities of South Australia.

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students? 
Find your balance between both uni and social life. If you don’t have the right balance, no matter what way it skews, you will crash and burn.

What are you studying? Masters of Professional Accounting

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
To give something back to UNISA and to be a voice for all international students and achieve something that will have a lasting impact in the university.

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018?
More inclusive events that cater to the sensitivities of our diverse group of students. Work towards boosting base line club funding and make sure club executives are properly trained and accountable to its members.

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students? 
Do not, follow any advice - including mine. It is your life, set your priorities and have YOUR adventures, make YOUR mistakes and learn from them. Have no regrets.

City East Representative

Natansh Modi
modnd001@mymail.unisa.edu.au

What are you studying?
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) & Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science Double Degree

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
I wanted to continue to build upon the good work I did last year for City East Students.

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018?
I want to make sure that more student voices are present on a whole range of different forums, because vast majority of decisions being taken by the University directly affects the students. Ensuring that the students have a fair say in decision making process is an integral part of USASA’s vision.

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students?
Steering clear from platitudes, i would like to advise that it is always important to keep track of your journey. Compare your study behavior from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and this can be done by keeping a journal where you compile your study behavior. Once you look back properly, you will able to make correct adjustments which will help in your studies for next year.

What’s your best tip to de-stress? 
Do whatever you feel like, whether it is playing games, taking naps or watching television that does the trick. Do not try to follow someone else’s de-stress tip. Experiment and figure out the most optimal trick for you. 

View Natansh’s board blog posts here.

City East Undergraduate Representative

Sopor Tan
tanpy045@mymail.unisa.edu.au

What are you studying?
Bachelor of Pharmacy

What made you want to become a Student Representative?
An opportunity to directly contribute to an improvement of UniSA student experiences in and outside of classrooms.

What do you aim to achieve for UniSA students in 2018?
I’m aiming to help improve basic facilities for the City East campus.

What's your best piece of advice for your fellow students?
Explore the possibilities! You’ll be surprised of the opportunities that UniSA got to offer.

What’s your best tip to de-stress? 
Listen to your body messages and response to its needs, i.e. spoil yourself once in a while when things get tough.

View Sopor’s board blog posts here.