A little bit of history....
Student Representation at La Trobe University is as old as the Uni itself with the first Student Representative Council (SRC) being established in July 1967 and the more encompassing Student Union in 1971. Student representation has literally helped shape the University, by using compulsory Union funds to build many of the iconic university structures from the Sports Centre to Union Hall and by providing vital services such as Student Advocacy and the Food Bank. Over the years, La Trobe has been renowned for its student activism, helping fight for the rights of students and the wider community.
In 2006, with the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) funding to the Union was severely restricted, resulting in a loss of services and many staff redundancies. The Union was split into three bodies -the Guild, the SRC and La Trobe Postgraduate Association (LUPA). Despite the challenges faced by impoverishment, the elected (mostly unpaid) representatives of the SRC continued to work tirelessly for the students of La Trobe.
LTSU Today...
The current La Trobe Student Union (LTSU) was established in 2011 following the introduction of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). LTSU incorporated the SRC, the Guild, LUPA as well as International Students Collective (ISC) and Mature Age Students Organisation (MASO) into one body. Since that time, the LTSU has grown from strength to strength, re-establishing many of the student services that had been ripped away under VSU. The LTSU is a vibrant, forward thinking organisation where students and LTSU staff work together to make the student experience at La Trobe University an empowered one.