The RMIT University Student Union (RUSU), is the peak representative body for students enrolled at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The Student Union is independent of the university and operates under the direction of annually elected student representatives. According to the constitution, all students are automatic members of the Student Union but may choose to become a financial member.
The Student Union offers a range of services, including student rights advocacy, campus activities and events, funding student media including RMITV & Catalyst as well as hosting Women's, and Queer student lounges. RUSU is also responsible for funding and supporting over 100 clubs & societies that are either Academic, Cultural, Political, Social or Spiritual based. RMIT Student Life, which is run by the university (not the Student Union) funds and manages all Arts and Sports clubs. RUSU has offices at the three major Melbourne campuses and sites of RMIT University. RUSU is an affiliated body to the National Union of Students.
History John Storey Junior helped found the Student Representative Council in 1944, acted as its first President, and lobbied for the establishment of a central library. His studies were cut short when he was diagnosed with leukemia and died in 1947, aged just 22. His recognition of service to the RMIT community lives on with one RMIT's most striking buildings – Storey Hall – in tribute to John Storey Junior and his father Sir John. Over the years since its founding, the student union has continued to grow and expand into more areas to become an integral part of the student experience on campus.
In 2006, with the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation, the Student Union underwent a major reorganisation. Most of the staff were made redundant, the organisation's three separate campus councils were merged, and several services such as the second-hand bookshop were abandoned. While the organisation suffered a drastic funding cut (from $3.9 million AUD to $1.3 million AUD) as a result of VSU, it managed to survive the cutbacks and continue providing services, advocacy and representation to students.
In 2010, the RMIT University Student Union adopted the acronym and rebranding of RUSU. The student union had become formally incorporated in 2021, leading it to achieve a non-for-profit status.
Current structure As of 2024, the Student Union Council has 28 voting members, who are elected by RMIT students at annual held elections. Each Melbourne campus of RMIT (Brunswick, Bundoora and City) has a campus coordinator and a general campus representative as part of the 28 voting member structure.
Councillors are typically elected in the second week of September and hold November to October terms. Ex-officio (non-voting) members may be appointed to the Student Union Council at its discretion. All members of the Student Union Council must be financial members of the Student Union.
The Student Union Council meets regularly, and it is also responsible for electing the President and Communications Officer, as outlined in the Student Union Constitution. A smaller group of student office bearers, known as the Secretariat, meets more regularly to discuss day-to-day operational, staffing, and other urgent matters.
In addition to having student representatives as board directors of the organisation, the Student Union employs professional staff to help deliver key programs and services, and assist in governance. All staff members are supervised by an elected student representative as determined by the Secretariat.
Leadership
+ Presidents of the RMIT University Student Union No. Portrait Name Term Election year General Secretary53Peter Barker1 November 1996 – 31 October 19971996Andrea Maksimovic54Andrea Maksimovic1 November 1997 – 31 October 19981997Mandi Scott55Mandi Scott1 November 1998 – 31 October 19991998Lizzie Minchin56Jess Latimer1 November 1999 – 31 October 20001999Kristin Godby57Jonathan Wilkinson1 November 2000 – 31 October 20012000Danny Bouvong58Emily Anderson1 November 2001 – 31 October 20022001Ty Capach59Emily Anderson1 November 2002 – 31 October 20032002Kittisak Muckaprom60Dinesh Rajalingum1 November 2003 – 31 October 20042003Duc Hieu Le61Sridaran Vijayajumar1 November 2004 – 31 October 20052004Duc Hieu Le62Dan Thomas1 November 2005 – 31 October 20062005Taylor Wright63Patrick O'Keeffe1 November 2006 – 31 October 20072006Priyanka Erasmus64Robert Harding1 November 2007 – 31 October 20082007Priyanka Erasmus65Jessica Hall1 November 2008 – 31 October 20092008Natasha Ferroff66Emma Henderson1 November 2009 – 31 October 20102009Thomas Ayers67David Swan1 November 2010 – 31 October 20112010Cortney Bruch68Hovig Melkonian1 November 2011 – 31 October 20122011Jian Zhong69James Michelmore1 November 2012 – 31 October 20132012Gabriel Brady70James Michelmore1 November 2013 – 31 October 20142013Ariel Zohar71Himasha Fonseka1 November 2014 – 31 October 20152014Ariel Zohar72Ariel Zohar1 November 2015 – 31 October 20162015Abena Dove73Abena Dove1 November 2016 – 31 October 20172016Emily Hansen74Abena Dove1 November 2017 – 31 October 20182017Ella Gvildys75Ella Gvildys1 November 2018 – 31 October 20192018Aditya Sharma76Daniel Hoogstra1 November 2019 – 31 October 20202019Beatrice Co77Akshay Jose1 November 2020 – 31 October 20212020Jarred Armitage 78 Adam Steiner 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2022 2021 Sheldon Gait 79 Beth Shegog 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023 2022 Mark Morante 80 Ella Byrne 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024 2023 Dhweep Shah 81 Finbar Bray 1 November 2024 – 31 October 2025 2024 Dulan Ariyathilaka82Samuel Coombs1 November 2025 – 31 October 20262025Bunny Wadhwa83Daiyan Mustansir1 November 2026 – 31 October 20272026Vishwa Aadhith
Student Union Council
+ RMIT University Student Union – 83rd Student Union Council (elected 2026) Position Name General Secretary (Chair) Vishwa Aadhith Office-bearer Yash Pandey Office-bearer Lucas Read Office-bearer Kangnan Ying Office-bearer Thansidh Kirthan Office-bearer Era Chaudhary Office-bearer Baylin Thompson Office-bearer Raven Garrett Office-bearer Zarah Yakubu Office-bearer Maddie Quail Office-bearer Rafyat Shafiq Office-bearer Ace Tran Office-bearer Uday Mandhan Office-bearer Abdullah Faisal Office-bearer Jhalak Agarwal Campus Coordinator Taniya Chandrasekaran Campus Coordinator Divyanshi Grover Campus Coordinator Ananya Revi Campus Representative Angel Mehta Campus Representative Saily Kamble Campus Representative Aardhra Krishna Campus Representative Manas Manish Bhannaria 1st-elected General Representative Daiyan Mustansir 2nd-elected General Representative Gemma Seymour 3rd-elected General Representative Yuvraj Singh Rathore 4th-elected General Representative Max Parritt 5th-elected General Representative Nivedita Dharan 1st Alternate General Representative Uttamjit Kaur 2nd Alternate General Representative Aditya Kamal Ahom +RMIT University Student Union – 82nd Student Union Council (elected 2025)PositionNameGeneral Secretary (Chair)Bunny WadhwaOffice-bearerShaina KhannaOffice-bearerSaiansh SharmaOffice-bearerFeifei WuOffice-bearerIshi AhmedOffice-bearerAngela FenechOffice-bearerBaylin ThompsonOffice-bearerMaya SzyszkoOffice-bearerZarah YakubuOffice-bearerLachlan WillsOffice-bearerManaal SoomroOffice-bearerMandeep SharmaOffice-bearerBushra YaminOffice-bearerVishwa AadithOffice-bearerDaiyan MustansirCampus CoordinatorSnigdha GargCampus CoordinatorMathy SivakumarCampus CoordinatorAce TranCampus RepresentativeAmira SommarivaCampus RepresentativeZoe AvotinsCampus RepresentativeFelipe ChaparroCampus RepresentativeNasih Moopan1st-elected General RepresentativeSamuel Coombs2nd-elected General RepresentativeGemma Seymour3rd-elected General RepresentativeAmarli Winter4th-elected General RepresentativeHolly Medlyn5th-elected General RepresentativePrem Maniyar1st Alternate General RepresentativeMei Ting Su2nd Alternate General RepresentativeDarcy Moloughney
Student media The RMIT Student Union funds the student-run magazine Catalyst & student television on-campus production studios RMITV. It continues to have strong ties with SYN radio station located within RMIT, however there is no formal or funding relationship between the separate organisations.
Catalyst Magazine was first published in 1944, the same year the Student Union was established. It is one of two official student magazines and news sources on RMIT campus.
+RMIT University Student Union – Catalyst Editors (elected 2026) Position Name Catalyst Editor Vismaya Gejjala Catalyst Editor Huda Shehzad Catalyst Editor Kanishka Sharma
References
External links RMIT University Student Union website RMIT University website