Introduction

Hi! My name is Chamika (he/him), and I am running to be your next ISD President, because I believe that ISD must be a powerful, proactive, and vocal advocate for international students.I am a 2nd year Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) student. Although I am from Sri Lanka, I have lived & studied in the UK and India, and have experienced the many challenges that come with being an international student, from social & cultural barriers, to being denied opportunities because of your visa status.I joined the International Students’ Department in my first semester at ANU as an Education Representative, and am now the Education Director. During my time in ISD, I have worked to create accessible & informative resources for international students like the recent COVID-19 vaccine infographics, organise advocacy efforts like the #BringBackCRS campaign, and engage closely with the remote student community. After nearly two years in ISD, I have an intimate understanding of how this department operates, what works, and what doesn’t.I am motivated by my commitment to the international student community, my passion for advocacy, and my anger at the second-class treatment international students are forced to endure. As international students, we choose to study in Australia, and at ANU in particular, not just because of academic rankings or the quality of education. We come here because we are promised a plethora of enriching experiences and fulfilling opportunities.However, for many of us, this is also one of the most turbulent and insecure times we will go through, as we navigate the experience of living away from home in a foreign country, while balancing our studies, work, and extra-curricular activities. All the while, we are treated like cash cows, given fewer rights & opportunities than our domestic peers, and left vulnerable & unsupported during the most difficult of times.This experience has been noticeably worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in racism, Prime Minister Scott Morrison telling international students to leave Australia, and Australia’s draconian border closures, have all forced international students to endure a period of great hardship and uncertainty. International students abroad have been forced to study remotely, unable to access the on-campus academic resources, social networks, and wellbeing support that they require. Meanwhile, international students still in Canberra have been cut off from our families for extended periods, often for years, as the uncertainty of Australia’s border restrictions prevent us from travelling.The situation demands an ISD that is a powerful, proactive, vocal advocate for international students. As President, the rights and interests of international students will be my first priority. Please read on to learn about my policies, and how I plan to achieve my objectives.

1. Placing ISD at the Forefront of Student Advocacy

As the peak representative body for international students at ANU, I believe that ISD must also be the peak advocacy body. ISD must be at the forefront of meaningful advocacy efforts which bring tangible benefits for international students.Expanding Academic Support – The quality of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been inadequate, particularly for remote students. Additionally, students in countries hit hardest by COVID-19 have struggled to get extensions, special consideration, etc., because they are unable to produce supporting documentation such as medical statements.
As President, I will:
- Work to ensure that the reduced supporting documentation requirements introduced in 2021 are continued in 2022.
- Advocate for further reductions to supporting documentation requirements where applicable, including the acceptance of personal statements for remote students.
- Advocate for the continuation of CRS/CRN in 2022, at least on a partial/selective basis for remote students.
- Liaise with Academic Colleges & ANUSA College Reps to ensure that reasonable tutorial and exam times are available for all remote students.
- Work with ANUSA College Reps and course representatives to create a best-practice guide for the remote delivery of lectures & tutorials.
- Advocate for better VPN for students who are otherwise unable to access ANU systems & resources.Securing Mental Health Services for Remote Students - Currently, remote students are unable to access the services provided by ANU Counselling, as staff licensing prevents them from offering their services to students not located in Australia. This is an equity issue as much as it is a mental health issue. It disadvantages remote students who are denied the support they require to perform optimally in their academic, social, and professional lives.
As President, I will work closely with the ANUSA President and Welfare Officer to:
- Explore the possibility of partnering with universities and counselling services in cities with large numbers of remote students, to provide an alternative to ANU Counselling.
- Explore the possibility of ANU Counselling hiring counsellors who are not limited by the same licensing restrictions, and can provide their services to remote students.
- Promote other available mental health & wellbeing resources, such as ANU Thrive, and the TalkCampus App, while acknowledging that these are not adequate substitutes for a professional & confidential counselling service.Fighting Wage Theft & Exploitation - In March 2020, the Canberra Young Workers Centre reported that 77% of young workers in Kambri experienced wage theft. International students are particularly vulnerable to wage theft, as well as workplace exploitation such as not being paid overtime, having superannuation withheld, and being denied a payslip.
As President, I will fight to end the exploitation of student workers by:
- Creating resources to increase awareness about workplace rights and exploitation.
- Promoting ways for students to take action against exploitation, such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, ANUSA Legal Service, and Young Workers Centre.
- Creating an anonymous reporting tool for students to report known instances of wage theft and workplace exploitation.
- Advocating for a comprehensive & independent audit of employment arrangements and workplace practises in Kambri.
- Liaising with the ANUSA President and Education Officer to coordinate and facilitate student activist efforts.Returning International Students to ANU Campus - The return of international students to ANU campus is the only way to end the disadvantages that remote students face.
As President, I will:
- Continue ISD’s call for the return of all international students to campus as the earliest possible date.
- Work closely with relevant ANU offices to support efforts to return international students to campus.
- Provide information & regular updates about Australia’s border restrictions, as well as travel arrangements available for international students, such as pilot programs, quarantine arrangements, charter flights, etc.
- Provide support & resources to international students who have obtained, or are seeking to obtain, travel exemptions to return to Australia.

2. Facilitating Remote Students’ Transition to Life in Australia

As Australia meets its vaccination targets, we are optimistic that borders will reopen, and remote international students will be allowed to return in large numbers over the course of 2022. However, two years of remote study have deprived many international students of the opportunity to experience on-campus learning, gain work experience, form social & professional networks, understand Australian culture, and much more. Returning remote students will not only have to transition to life in Australia. They will also have to catch up, to avoid falling behind students who have been in Australia during the past two years.As President, I intend to facilitate this transition and catch-up process in four key areas.In-Person Learning - Effective in-person learning requires different skills compared to online learning. As President, I will collaborate with ANU Academic Skills and the Academic Colleges to organise workshops & webinars specifically for returning remote students, focusing on study skills such as note-taking and time management, to make the transition from online learning to in-person learning as smooth as possible.Socialisation Opportunities -Helping returning students form social connections and find support networks will be a priority for ISD in 2022.
As President, I will pursue this objective by:
- Bringing back large-scale social events, such as International Students Welcome Evening (ISWE), and the ISD Ball.
- Hosting regular in-person meet-ups and events for returning students, and in particular for those who choose to live off-campus.
- Publishing regular updates about clubs & societies at ANU, and an easily accessible events calendar.Finding Jobs & Internships - As ISD President, I intend to support returning students’ in their career development objectives, and in finding casual/part-time work, by:
- Collaborating with ANU Careers to organise orientation workshops on job & internship search strategies, specifically for returning remote students.
- Increasing the visibility and accessibility of the ANUSA Skill Up Program, which equips students with skills & certifications for casual employment.
- Publishing regular updates about careers events and professional networking opportunities on campus.Securing Suitable Accommodation – ANU residential halls have chosen to prioritise current residents over new residents for 2022 accommodation applications, and have advised current remote students to not apply for on-campus accommodation. This creates a risk that, should borders reopen, remote students will not be guaranteed or prioritised for on-campus accommodation. It is disappointing that after two years of being denied the on-campus experience, there is still no certainty for remote students.
As President, I will:
- Liaise with ANU Accommodation Services to clarify instructions for remote students to apply for on-campus accommodation in 2022.
- Advocate for returning remote students to be prioritised for on-campus accommodation.
- Advocate for students to be permitted to easily cancel their contracts should travel restrictions prevent their return to campus.
- Ensure that students are aware of their legal rights as tenants in the ACT.

3. Creating an On-Campus Autonomous Space for International Students

Although international students comprise 25% of all ANU students, and are one of the largest autonomous communities, we do not have an on-campus autonomous space. Several departments, including the Women’s Department and the Queer* Department, have created such spaces, and have used them to provide resources and organise events for their respective communities.
With international students’ return to Australia likely in 2022, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to create an autonomous space for international students.
As President, I will coordinate with ANU and ANUSA to:
- First, trial a small-scale autonomous space on a temporary basis.
- Second, seek to establish a larger, permanent autonomous space, should the initial trial be successful.Creating an on-campus autonomous space for international students offers number of benefits. It would:
- Operate in accordance with the Safer Spaces Policy, and provide a safe space for international students to study and socialise.
- Be an inclusive, multicultural space, where ISD, as well as cultural clubs & societies, can host regular social events.
- Provide a venue for regular collective meetings.
- Serve as a one-stop shop for ISD services and resources.

4. Expanding Opportunities for Remote Student Participation in Clubs & Societies

A relatively COVID-free Canberra lead many clubs & societies to shift from hosting online events in 2020, to hosting in-person events in 2021. While beneficial for students on campus, this has left remote students with fewer opportunities to participate in clubs & societies, explore their interests, and build networks. While the current Canberra lockdown has taken us back to online events, a return to mainly in-person events is likely once the lockdown ends. A medium-to-long term framework to expand opportunities remote students participation in clubs & societies is necessary.This year, ISD liaised with ANU Clubs Council to create an initial plan for just such a framework.
As President, I will bring this plan to fruition, and create a framework based on:
- Creating a new Clubs Award, to be awarded jointly by ANU Clubs Council and ISD, for the club/society that has done the most to engage remote students.
- Providing grant funding for clubs to buy the online tools and/or licensed software necessary to host innovative virtual events.
- Providing information to clubs about already-available online resources, such as free or unlicensed software, websites & browser-based tools, etc.
- Regularly consulting with clubs to understand their requirements and constraints in hosting virtual events.

5. Increasing the Transparency & Approachability of the Position of ISD President

As the ANUSA International Officer, the ISD President is the primary voice for international students on the ANUSA Student Representative Council (SRC). Currently, students can reach the ISD President through email or during office hours.However, I believe that it must be straightforward for international students to directly contact the ISD President with their issues, concerns, and proposals, and easy to understand what work the President does.As President, I will increase the transparency and approachability of my position by:
- Announcing President’s office hours and how students can attend through ISD social media.
- Continuing the newly-launched ISD Focus Groups, to provide an open forum for international students to raise issues & proposals, consult, provide feedback, and find solutions through collaborative discussion.
- Allowing for anonymous submissions of issues & proposals through a confidential form, as part of ISD Focus Groups.
- Closing the feedback loop by following up on all issues & proposals within a reasonable time.
- Publishing updates both before & after SRC meetings to apprise international students of ongoing work and discussions.

6. Fostering the Inclusion of Postgraduate International Students

Postgraduate international students are an integral part of the international student community at ANU. As PARSA lacks a postgraduate equivalent to ISD, an amendment to the ISD Constitution in 2020 made postgraduate international students eligible for associate membership of ISD.While extending full membership of ISD to postgraduate international students would require extensive constitutional amendments at both the ISD and ANUSA levels, as President I will seek to foster meaningful postgraduate student inclusion by:
- Informing postgraduate international students of their eligibility for associate membership of ISD.
- Involving postgraduate international students in ISD’s social events.
- Liaising regularly with the PARSA International Officer, including inviting the PARSA International Officer to ISD collective meetings to discuss common issues and concerns.
- Exploring the possibility of creating a Postgraduate Officer position on the ISD executive, to be elected by postgraduate international students.

Introduction

Greetings legends it’s me again.My name is Hebe (she/her) and I am a first-year BIR student studying remotely in Nanjing, China. I don’t have too much to stress regarding myself this time, all you have to know is I have been devoting all my heart into the well-being and engagements of remote international students throughout the year. I care about every one of them from the bottom of my heart.Instead, I would like to focus a bit more on my policies.After working in the ISD, firstly as Social Rep, then elected as VP in late August, I identify this role as someone who not only helps the president oversee the department, but also should take the responsibility of making the department more vibrant and more lively. After listening to the stories of our international students all over the world, as well as being in a solid cooperation with ANU Service Experience team (ANU SE) & ANU China Liaison Office (CLO), here are the specific things I plan to work on in 2022: