Ethan Floyd
Faculty/Degree Held
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Year of Studying/Conferring
III
USU Positions
Member - Queers of Colour Society (QoCo) 2023-2024
Volunteer - FoodHub 2023
Secretary - Mandelbaum House Residents' Society 2023
Member - Sydney Arts Students' Society (SASS) 2022-2024
Member - Mandelbaum House Residents' Society 2022-2023
Client - SULS Client Interviewing competitions 2022
Witness - SULS Witness Examination competitions 2022
USYD Positions
Undergraduate Student Representative - Academic Board 2024
Undergraduate Student Representative - FASS Faculty Board 2024
Councillor - Students’ Representative Council 2024
First Nations Officer - Students’ Representative Council 2024
FASS Student Partner - Indigenous Strategy and Services 2023-2024
Peer Mentor - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences 2023-2024
Member - Queer Action Collective 2023-2024
Editor - Honi Soit 2023
Contributor - Honi Soit 2022-2024
Member - Education Action Group 2022-2024
Other Interests
Marang ngarin (hello)! Yuwin ngadhi (my name is) Ethan and I’m a third-year Arts student, majoring in Politics and Indigenous Studies. In my time away from study, you can find me in the SRC on City Rd, organising for important causes (i.e. Palestine, student housing, etc). If I’m not there, I might be relaxing in the Gadigal Centre on Science Rd, or practising my (very far south of fluent) Wiradjuri, which I’ve been learning for the past five years. Funnily enough, I haven't yet gotten around to telling my parents I'm running in this election (oops).
Candidate Policy Statement
ELECTRIFY WITH ETHAN
ELECTRIFY Student Welfare
a) Improve access to menstrual products, drug and sexual health self-test kits through Foodhub
b) Expand FoodHub’s staffing and hours to support students facing cost-of-living pressures
c) Expand the USU's $6 After 6pm program to more USU outlets
d) Offer USU-subsidised courses on campus in RSA, First Aid and Mental Health First Aid
e) Ensure accessibility at every level for disabled USU members; prioritise development of the DIAP
ELECTRIFY Decolonisation
a) Lead a ‘Pay the Rent’ mutual aid campaign to support Indigenous-owned organisations
b) Fast-track the USU’s Reconciliation Action Plan, including a dedicated advisory committee
c) Decolonise USU spaces by renaming the Wentworth Building and removing other monuments commemorating colonisers on-campus
ELECTRIFY Student Unionism
a) Improve the USU’s ethical investment framework, including implementing BDS principles
b) Extend hours and improve access to autonomous spaces (eg. Ethnospace, Disabilities Room, Queerspace, etc.)
c) Strengthen USU Board support for SRC and SUPRA campaigns (eg. Opal concessions)
ELECTRIFY Student Governance
a) Strengthen student ownership of the USU, particularly by expanding student-held portfolios (eg. establishing a First Nations portfolio)
b) Remove red-tape around C&S application and approval processes
c) Improve student journalists’ access to Board meetings and USU decision-making
d) Encourage unionisation amongst USU staff and expand mentoring and L+D opportunities
Describe the key roles and responsibilities of a USU Board Director
USU Board Directors are responsible for ensuring that the USU remains a truly representative organisation, and that – in the face of increasingly opaque governance processes – students’ interests remain the focus of the Board’s decision-making. They must be uncompromising in their commitment to student safety and wellbeing, and ensure all students’ voices (particularly those voices which often go unheard) are heard at the highest levels of the organisation. It’s understood that Board Directors are responsible for the student experience. This means making sure students enjoy their time at university, and being able to take action when students aren’t.
How will you ensure that you can commit the time required to be an effective Board Director?
As an elected representative for students’ interests, a USU Board Director has to be willing to make the commitment. If elected, my responsibilities as a Board Director will be one of my top priorities. I have great organisational skills, which I’ve managed to develop through juggling my degree, multiple jobs (part-time and casual) and a number of previous elected student positions. If needed, I’m also prepared to underload my studies (I did so last year, when I was an editor of Honi Soit), and reduce my other commitments so I can be a highly effective Board Director.
How will you represent the best interests of the student community, while also representing the best interests of the USU?
The best interests of students are often aligned with the best interests of the USU, simply because the function of the USU is to improve students’ experience while at university. However, there will be times where decisions taken by the board – often related to either governance or staff interests – are in conflict with students’ interests. This is why greater transparency with the USU’s membership, a more genuine consultation process and increased student governance are crucial to avoiding situations where the USU compromises on issues that are important to students without exploring or considering alternatives.
Identify an area of the USU where you would like to see improvement and explain how this will be of benefit to the organisation and/or students
Anti-racism and decolonisation must be a focus of the USU Board. We are the oldest university in so-called Australia, yet only 0.9% of students identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. There are significant barriers to First Nations students’ participation in USU events (including C&S). The USU doesn’t have a Reconciliation Action Plan, doesn’t provide cultural competency training for C&S members, and doesn’t have a plan to Indigenise its physical spaces and venues. Lemon myrtle pancakes at USU food trucks aren’t enough, and (if elected) I will work to make the USU a culturally-safe space.
Nominator 1
Grace Street
Arts and Social Sciences IV
Nominator 2
Harrison Brennan
Arts and Social Sciences IV