Our Board
The Board of Directors is composed of 14 Directors, including 11 student Directors elected at the Annual Elections each year, two Senate-appointed Directors and the Immediate Past President. There is currently one vacancy on the Board.
Announcements and statements from the President:
• USU update media release: COVID-19 (March 24, 2020)
• The appointment of Alexis Roitman to the position of Chief Executive Officer at the USU.
• The Affiliation Agreement between USYD and the USU.
• Statement on August 2019 student attack on USYD Campus.
• The Board's commitment to sustainability and Climate Strike action.
Board meetings are where the operational and strategic business of the USU is discussed. At each Board meeting there is an opportunity for members to bring issues to the attention of the directors and senior staff of the USU. *All members are welcome to attend and observe these meetings.
Board Meeting Dates 2020
In accordance with article 11.2(b) of the Constitution.
Ordinary Meetings
Friday 28th February 2020 – Cullen Room, Holme Building
Friday 27th March 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 24th April 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 29th May 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 26th June 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 31st July 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 28th August 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 25th September 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 30th October 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Friday 27th November 2020 – Online via Zoom*
Special Meetings
Thursday 4th June 2020 (Special Meeting of the Incoming Board) – Refectory, Holme Building
Friday 4th December 2020 (Special Meeting of the Board regarding the Budget) – Online via Zoom*
*Given the global pandemic, the USU Board will be meeting online on Zoom until further notice. If you wish to connect to USU Board meetings, please contact Dane Luo at boardsecretary@usu.edu.au.
For copies of Minutes from previous meetings of the Board of Directors, please contact the Board Secretary.
For copies of Annual Reports, please click here.
Connor Wherrett - President
Contact: c.wherrett@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: President
What are your favourite things about the USU? Revues! Campus comedy! Anything that makes you stay back at university after class and enjoy yourself.
If you could have one wish granted for every student at The University of Sydney, what would it be? To have the original Jacaranda back. 1928-2016 may she rest in peace.
What is something you can’t live without and why? Consistent laughter and jokes. No matter how dire the situation, the ability to laugh at what’s happened and at yourself is SO important.
Lachlan Finch - Vice-President
Contact: l.finch@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: Vice President
Tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m a USYD tragic with a penchant for getting around everything. Love dogs, love people, love exercise. Hit me with Seinfeld, miss me with Friends. Always up for banter.
What are your favourite things about the USU? I love the community, the people and the coffee. The USU has such an awesome culture for students, and the outlets (and cheap coffee) make Uni that much better!
What is something you can’t live without and why? I couldn’t live without my daily exercise. Sounds cliché, but it really is the key to staying focused, happy and grounded for me!
Decheng Sun - Honorary Secretary
Contact: d.sun@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: Honorary Secretary
Tell us a little bit about yourself? Love animals and musicals, a parent of a puppy, a fan of Peppa Pig.
What are your favourite things about the USU? I really like the risotto at Courtyard, and also the tea pot while I enjoy an earl grey!
What is something you can’t live without and why? The willingness to listen, as we sometimes only correct ourselves
Maya Eswaran - Honorary Treasurer
Contact: m.eswaran@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: Honorary Treasurer
What are your favourite things about the USU? The debating program; opportunities for performing arts like revues, student media and events. Plus, clubs and societies, which are fun and importantly, student-run!
If you could have one wish granted for every student at The University of Sydney, what would it be? A safe campus free from harassment and assault, as well as, affordable food because it’s expensive to simply survive in Sydney, let alone do well!
What is something you can’t live without and why? I can’t live without my headphones because sometimes it’s inappropriate to listen to Kanye West out loud in public.
Benny (Yinfeng) Shen - Board Director
Contact: y.shen@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
Tell us a little about yourself? Explorer, photographer, burger hunter with a 4.84/5 openness to experience and willing to try everything!
What are your favourite things about the USU? Diversity and respect, where you can meet and make friends with people from every corner of the world!
What is something you can’t live without and why? Photography, it’s my language.
Caitlin (Cady) Brown - Board Director
Contact: c.brown@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
Tell us a little about yourself? I love my dog, a crisp meme and anything that sparkles. I’m the typical virgo, i’m from the country, and I love seeing a need, and doing something about it.
What is something you can’t live without and why? Definitely my laptop. It was broken for 6 weeks and I definitely cried at least 18 times a day in its’ absence. I'm a very organised gal, and trying to do admin and work on my phone was a nightmare.
What are your best memories of your time with the USU? Getting to work with the USU throughout my election I would say is a pretty definitive time in my life, and will be forever. But priorly through the Palladian Program- getting a Captaincy and volunteering my time to teach dance at College was so rewarding.
Di Eve Wang - Board Director
Contact: d.wang@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
What are your favourite things about the USU? Love dogs, love cats, love to meet people with different stories.
What is something you can’t live without and why? My phone. It reminds me of my classes and important things to do every day.
What are your best memories of your time with the USU? My first welcome week. That’s my first time to know we have so many diverse clubs and societies catering to students with a whole range of passions and interests.
Nick Forbutt - Board Director
Contact: n.forbutt@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
Tell us a little bit about yourself? I'm 21, a Virgo and I love to have fun. If I were trapped on a deserted island, I would bring a mixtape consisting only of Untouched by the Veronicas, the Communist Manifesto and Courtyard’s caramelised onion & brie pizza.
What is something you can’t live without and why? That euphoric feeling I get when a friend tags me in a meme! It keeps me happy and the quality of memeage is low-key how I value friendships.
What are your best memories of your time with the USU? Debuting in Queer Revue! The identity revue season is so empowering, and for me, it was an experience that reinforced the importance of the need for acceptance and compassion in our community.
Ruolin (Irene) Ma - Board Director
Contact: r.ma@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
What are your favourite things about the USU? Too many… Courtyard, Manning bar, the free access to clubs and societies, the variable themed revue, and can’t emphasis this enough --- the ginger fish with rice at ABS café!
What is something you can’t live without and why? Friends! I just can’t imagine one’s life without friends!
What are your best memories of your time with the USU? Would it be cliché of me to say Club and Society?
Zizheng Bai - Board Director
Contact: z.bai@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: USU Board Director
Tell us a little about yourself? Always curious about the world, with some fearless romanticism, justice of heroism, practical rationalism, revolutionary optimism.
What are your favourite things about the USU? Gather the energy of every peer and make some meaningful ideas come true.
What is something you can’t live without and why? Friend, companion, comrade. Without their support, dreams can only be dreams, which is disappointing.
Liliana Tai - Immediate Past President
Contact: l.tai@usu.edu.au
Position on Board: Immediate Past President
What are your favourite things about the USU? Is it too cliche to say Courtyard? But in all seriousness, probably the breadth of clubs and societies available to students, the various themed weeks we have every year and the diverse range of food outlets on campus!!
What is something you can’t live without and why? Probably my phone.... I just don't even know how I would get anywhere on time or at all without Google Maps to be honest.
Jane Drummond - Senate Appointed Director
Contact: drummond_jane@hotmail.com
What are your favourite things about the USU? Everything! The broadness and diversity of what USU offers makes it so special. There is something for everyone to get involved in.
If you could have one wish granted for every student at The University of Sydney, what would it be? A USYD jacaranda snow globe.
What is something you can’t live without and why? The news. I just need to know what's happening in our world.
Marie Leech - Senate Appointed Director
What are your favourite things about the USU? It provides many and diverse opportunities to be involved in Uni life beyond the lecture theatre, opportunities that range from fun to fulfilling to fantastic.
What is something you can’t live without and why? The search for the meaning of life, the universe and everything via interactions with family, friends, politics, religion, socialising, the music of Richard Wagner, social justice, literature, and much more.
If you could have one wish granted for every student at The University of Sydney, what would it be?
That their experience at The University of Sydney would be such that it would be remembered forever as one of the happiest and most enriching times of their lives.