Mandatory student fees fund activism on campus

Jewish students at the University of Sydney are being forced to fund pro-Palestinian protests through their mandatory university fees.

Jewish students at the University of Sydney are being forced to fund pro-Palestinian protests through their mandatory university fees as undergrads and community leaders hit out at the funding allocation.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the USYD student body’s representatives have actively attended and “resourced” pro-Palestinian protests and events, funded by the university’s mandatory student services and amenities fee.

A concerned student, who did not wished to be named for fear of retribution, sounded the alarm over the use of student services fees for highly politicised, pro-Palestinian protests.

Meanwhile, Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip labelled the use of mandatory student fees for activism “unacceptable”.

Pro-Palestinian rally and tent city at Sydney University. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Activists within the elected students representative council (SRC) were responsible for establishing the infamous pro-Palestine encampment, while also supporting and resourcing student strikes, a rally in front of Labor offices and an Israeli apartheid week.

A USYD student familiar with the workings of the SRC expressed serious concern fees collected from Jewish students were being used for anti-Israel activism on campus.

Mr Ossip backed the concerns.

“It’s unacceptable that compulsory student fees are being directed to incendiary and divisive political activities,” he said.

“Students shouldn’t have to pay fees for activities which undermine their safety and wellbeing.”

David Ossip labelled the use of mandatory student fees for activism as “unacceptable”. Picture: NewsWire

The university collected more than $22m in student services and amenities fees in 2024, slugging each student $174 a semester, with funds distributed to various university organisations.

The SRC in 2024 received almost $3m in student funding.

University of Sydney SRC reports tabled to the council last year revealed resources were committed to “organise, support and endorse the National Week of Action for Gaza”.

The event was organised at the university in collaboration with the National Student Union and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Youth.

The breakdown of the 2024 budget showed that while the majority of SRC funding went to casework and administration costs, $54,000 was allocated to the various student collectives which, according to the SRC website, “campaign and provide space and resources to student communities”.

A report to a council meeting last April showed the SRC-overseen education office, which was allocated $20,000, had dedicated the entire month of March 2024 to Israeli Apartheid Week, which hosted “teach-ins, film screenings and rallies on campus”.

Pro-Palestinian rally and tent city at the University of Sydney. Picture: NewsWire

The SRC-managed women’s office, during the same meeting, detailed how they had supported and attended the National Day of Action for Palestine in February.

“(The Women’s Collective) has continued in fighting for Palestinian justice, with one of the women’s officers chairing the recent land day rally and speaking at the Tel Aviv sit-in and ZIM (shipping) blockade,” the minutes read.

The global solidarity officers, the environment officers, the ethno-cultural officers, the welfare officers, the refugee officers, the social justice officers, the queer officers, and the disabilities officers all detailed in the same minutes how they had endorsed, promoted or attended various activist action for Palestine.

The funding for these collectives totalled $23,920 in 2024.

President Angus Fisher defended the SRC’s use of student services funds, comparing it to “taxation and federal government spending”.

While he noted the majority of funding went towards administrative costs, he confirmed funds were used “to facilitate the campaign’s run by each office bearer’s collective”.

“Office bearers are paid for their time writing policy submissions to the university and government, attending conferences, organising events e.g. reading groups, and facilitating peaceful demonstrations,” he said.

University of Sydney SRC president Angus Fisher.

“Each collective has a budget that goes toward materials for such.”

The student body defended its overt support for Palestine, citing frequent inclusion of Jewish speakers at events “organised around anti-racism generally”.

Mr Fisher failed to provide an example of any event resourced by the SRC that aimed to address anti-Semitism on campus or support Jewish students.

The SRC’s September 2024 minutes show it carried a motion calling on it to publicly reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism because it “seeks to blur the lines between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism”.

This is despite all 39 members of Universities Australia, including USYD, adopting a working definition that “aligns closely” with the alliance’s definition.

The university also did not rule out that student services and amenities fees were being used for activist purposes, instead pointing to university policies and codes of conduct, including a module called “engaging with civility”.

“We annually survey all students as to their priorities around SSAF spend and expect our student organisations to take this into account,” a spokeswoman said.

Several high-ranking SRC members, who are paid annual stipends with fees collected from students, are organising members for the Students for Palestine Coalition and had an active hand in the pro-Palestine encampment that was disbanded in June last year.

Originally published as Mandatory student fees fund activism on campus