Why join the Guild Senate? Rewards, skills, and the support you’ll receive

The Senate is your gateway to meaningful impact on campus, valuable personal development, and a supportive environment that helps you grow as a student leader.

Honoraria and recognition

Senators serve for one academic year, with roles including the President, General Secretary, four Vice Presidents, and Departmental Officers across a range of portfolios. In recognition of the leadership and responsibility involved, roles carry honoraria (Financial compensation). For example, the President’s honoraria is substantial, reflecting the level of leadership and the breadth of duties involved, while the General Secretary and other key roles also receive corresponding honoraria. These payments acknowledge the commitment required to steward student representation, manage governance processes, and deliver on the Guild’s priorities for the benefit of the student body.

What this means in practice is more than personal remuneration. The honoraria recognises the trust placed in you by your peers and the University to act as the lead voice for students. It’s a formal sign that your contributions are valued and that you are contributing to a credible, student-led system of governance.

Honoraria provided as follows:

• President: $4,056.19 per month
• Secretariat (General Secretary and Vice Presidents): $2,028.08 per month
• Departmental Officers: $793.19 per month

Experience and skills you’ll develop

Joining the Senate provides extensive opportunities to develop a broad and transferable set of skills. You will:

Governance and policy development

You’ll contribute to shaping policy positions on key student issues, learn how policy is created, refined, and implemented, and understand how governance bodies operate within a university setting.

Stakeholder engagement and advocacy

You’ll engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including University executives, faculties, student representatives, clubs, and external partners. You’ll learn how to build coalitions, present compelling evidence, and negotiate outcomes.

Strategic planning and budgeting

You’ll help set strategic priorities for multiple departments, oversee budget processes, and monitor performance against plans.

Project management and delivery

You’ll oversee programmes and campaigns, manage milestones, coordinate cross-department collaboration, and ensure timely delivery of events and initiatives.

Financial literacy and governance

You’ll gain hands-on experience with financial reporting, compliance, risk assessment, and ensuring adherence to financial delegations and standing orders.

Communication and public speaking

You’ll prepare and present updates at meetings, write submissions, draft statements for media, and communicate with students through various channels.

Analytical thinking and evidence-based advocacy

You’ll gather student feedback, interpret data, and translate insights into actionable policy and programme proposals.

Team leadership and collaboration

You’ll work with a diverse team of peers, Departmental Officers, and operational staff, learning how to lead, delegate, and collaborate effectively.

Transparency and accountability

You’ll participate in reporting to students and maintaining open, accountable governance practices.

Support and development you’ll receive

The Guild provides a robust support framework to help you succeed in your role:

Professional operational support

A dedicated team handles day-to-day delivery—from finance, events, and marketing to HR, compliance, and facilities. You’ll have access to professional guidance as you implement priorities and manage projects.

Training and development

Governance, WHS (work health and safety), and finance training are standard. You’ll receive structured handovers and ongoing guidance from the Operations Manager and your fellow Senators.

Clear processes and documentation

There are established processes for submissions, risk assessments, event approvals, media handling, and reporting. This helps you focus on strategy and impact rather than getting bogged down in administration.

Transparency and safeguarding

There are clear codes of conduct, conflict-of-interest declarations, and confidentiality practices to protect both you and the Guild.

For information on how to nominate, please visit our elections page at ecuguild.org.au/elections