Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations
Encyclopedia
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, or CAPA, is the peak representative body for postgraduate students
in Australia
. Founded in 1979, CAPA provides member associations
with representation to the Federal government
, and peak bodies such as the Australian Research Council
and Universities Australia, on issues affecting postgraduate students in Australia.
Recognising the dual roles of many postgraduate students, CAPA works in collaboration with the National Union of Students
where matters impact on all students (such as voluntary student unionism
and funding for higher education), and with the National Tertiary Education Union
regarding issues of employment in the tertiary education sector, particularly on the casualisation of the academic workforce.
CAPA works remotely, but has a PO Box in Melbourne, Victoria. Its Annual Council Meeting (ACM), where organisational issues and policy directives are decided, is hosted by a different constituent organisation each year.
There is an Executive Committee, consisting of the President (chair), Vice-President (National Operations), Vice-President (Equity), National Secretary, Treasurer, Policy and Research Officer, Indigenous People's Liaison Officer, and one nominee from the Equity Committee and one from the National Operations Committee.
The Equity Committee, chaired by the Vice-President (Equity), consists of the President, Women's Officer, International Officers, Disability Officer, Indigenous Officer and the Queer Officer.
The National Operations Committee, chaired by the Vice-President (National Operations), consists of the President, Vice-President (Equity) and all of the Regional Secretaries.
CAPA employs one staff member, a Project Officer (Organisational Development and Research Support).
The National Indigenous Postgraduate Association Aboriginal Corporation (NIPAAC) is a separate constituent organisation, representing Indigenous students. NIPAAC employs an Indigenous Research Officer, based at the CAPA offices.
National postgraduate representative body
A national postgraduate representative body exists in many countries representing postgraduate students/researchers undertaking their doctorate or postdoctoral research. Some have a broader remit to represent all postgraduates, including those taking Master's degrees...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Founded in 1979, CAPA provides member associations
Student unionism in Australia
Australia's universities are home to a variety of different student union groups, providing a range of political, commercial and other services to students...
with representation to the Federal government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
, and peak bodies such as the Australian Research Council
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council is the Australian Government’s main agency for allocating research funding to academics and researchers in Australian universities. Its mission is to advance Australia’s capacity to undertake research that brings economic, social and cultural benefit to the...
and Universities Australia, on issues affecting postgraduate students in Australia.
Recognising the dual roles of many postgraduate students, CAPA works in collaboration with the National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
where matters impact on all students (such as voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
and funding for higher education), and with the National Tertiary Education Union
National Tertiary Education Union
The National Tertiary Education Union is an Australian trade union for all higher education and university employees. It is an industry union and the only union working exclusively in the Australian university sector.-About the NTEU:...
regarding issues of employment in the tertiary education sector, particularly on the casualisation of the academic workforce.
CAPA works remotely, but has a PO Box in Melbourne, Victoria. Its Annual Council Meeting (ACM), where organisational issues and policy directives are decided, is hosted by a different constituent organisation each year.
Organisation
Each year, at the Annual Council Meeting, the Council elects office bearers. For 2011, these office bearers are:- President - John Nowakowski
- Vice-President (National Operations) - Phillipa Hunter
- Vice-President (Equity) - Meghan Hopper
- National Secretary - Joe Provenzano
- Treasurer - Priscilla Rogers
- Policy and Research Officer - Tammi Jonas
- Women's Officer - Meghan Hopper
- Disabilities Officer - Tony Williams
- Indigenous Officer - Adrian Hepi
- International Students' Officers - Xiaocui (Catherine) Lou & Cham Thuy Ha
- Queer Officer - Angelus Morningstar
- Eastern Regional Secretaries - Alex Chung and Areti Metasamate
- South-Eastern Regional Secretaries - Harry Rolf and Adrian Soh
- Southern Regional Secretary - Joe Provenzano
- Northern and Western Regions - To be confirmed
There is an Executive Committee, consisting of the President (chair), Vice-President (National Operations), Vice-President (Equity), National Secretary, Treasurer, Policy and Research Officer, Indigenous People's Liaison Officer, and one nominee from the Equity Committee and one from the National Operations Committee.
The Equity Committee, chaired by the Vice-President (Equity), consists of the President, Women's Officer, International Officers, Disability Officer, Indigenous Officer and the Queer Officer.
The National Operations Committee, chaired by the Vice-President (National Operations), consists of the President, Vice-President (Equity) and all of the Regional Secretaries.
CAPA employs one staff member, a Project Officer (Organisational Development and Research Support).
The National Indigenous Postgraduate Association Aboriginal Corporation (NIPAAC) is a separate constituent organisation, representing Indigenous students. NIPAAC employs an Indigenous Research Officer, based at the CAPA offices.
Regions
The Council is broken into five administrative Regions, each with its own Regional Secretary:- South-Eastern (comprising VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
), representing students from:- Deakin UniversityDeakin UniversityDeakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
- La Trobe UniversityLa Trobe UniversityLa Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
- Monash UniversityMonash UniversityMonash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
- RMIT UniversityRMIT UniversityRMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
- Swinburne University
- University of BallaratUniversity of BallaratThe University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
- University of MelbourneUniversity of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
- Victoria University
- University of TasmaniaUniversity of TasmaniaThe University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
- Deakin University
- Eastern (New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
), representing students from:- Macquarie UniversityMacquarie UniversityMacquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
- Charles Sturt UniversityCharles Sturt UniversityCharles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
- University of Western SydneyUniversity of Western SydneyThe University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- University of Newcastle
- Southern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross University is a university based on the North and Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional University with more than 14,000 students. The University's primary campus is in Lismore, with other campuses located at Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads.The University is...
- University of SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
- University of New EnglandUniversity of New England, AustraliaThe University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
- University of New South WalesUniversity of New South WalesThe University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- University of Technology, SydneyUniversity of Technology, SydneyThe University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
- University of WollongongUniversity of WollongongThe University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
- Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
- University of CanberraUniversity of CanberraOver the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
- Macquarie University
- Northern (QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
), representing students from:- Charles Darwin UniversityCharles Darwin UniversityCharles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
- Central Queensland UniversityCentral Queensland UniversityCQUniversity is an Australian public university based in Queensland. Its main campus is in North Rockhampton Queensland. However, it also has campuses in Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone and Mackay, as well as operations throughout Asia-Pacific. For instance, Melior Business School is one of its...
- Griffith UniversityGriffith UniversityGriffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
- James Cook UniversityJames Cook UniversityJames Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
- Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
- University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
- University of the Sunshine CoastUniversity of the Sunshine CoastThe University of the Sunshine Coast is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Having opened in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College with 524 students, the institution was renamed the University of the Sunshine Coast in 1999. In 2011, the student body was...
- Charles Darwin University
- Southern (South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
), representing students from:- University of AdelaideUniversity of AdelaideThe University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
- Flinders UniversityFlinders UniversityFlinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
- University of South AustraliaUniversity of South AustraliaThe University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
- University of Adelaide
- Western (Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
), representing students from:- Edith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
- Curtin University of TechnologyCurtin University of TechnologyCurtin University is an Australian university based in Perth, Western Australia, with additional campuses in regional Western Australia and at Miri , Sydney and Singapore...
- Murdoch UniversityMurdoch UniversityMurdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
- University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
- Edith Cowan University