News

OUSA President Harriet Geoghegan has resigned mid way through her second year in the role, leaving the association without a President and a permanent General Manager with the prospect of Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) looming.
Geoghegan told Critic that a combination of factors had led to her decision, which she says is a purely personal one. In reflecting on her time working for OUSA, Geoghegan says that “most of the things I set out to do have been done,” and describes the time she spent on the Executive as “the most challenging and equally [the] most rewarding period of my life to date.”

 
With the VSM Bill before Parliament, OUSA is being forced to face the reality of lesser membership - and revenue - in 2012. Geoghegan says that the Executive has a lot of options in the works for this, including proposals for funding not sourced from levies, which OUSA would be lacking next year in the face of students having the choice of whether or not to join the association.

 
Geogehegan acknowledges that there has been criticism about the timing of her resignation. She responds that, “sometimes you have to step back and look at your own life. The organisation doesn’t rely on me being here, it has been around for years and I’ve only been involved for two of those.”
 

She said that she didn’t anticipate resigning, and that the decision to run for office again at the end of 2010 was based on a desire to implement changes the Executive had worked on, including the constitution, online voting, and the changes to the Executive structure. Geoghegan believes that the new Executive governance structure has taken a lot of the intense workload off the President, and should contribute to a smooth handover period following her resignation.

 
Geoghegan says she would “never have considered resigning” if she felt things were going to crumble as a result. In her resignation letter, she says that she is “very confident that the Association is in good hands, with an exceptional team of Executive and Staff members who are incredibly well equipped and prepared to take on the challenges facing us, and ensure OUSA continues in to the future.”

 
From the outset of her time as President, Geoghegan says she has been keeping detailed notes in order to ensure a comprehensive handover for the future, and she is currently working on compiling an “OUSA Bible.” This will endeavour to outline OUSA’s current position on important issues, with a view to minimising the chances of anything “slipping through the cracks.”
 

Administrative Vice-President Brad Russell is to act as President until a by-election can be held for the position, which Critic understands is likely to be sometime in August. Geoghegan is confident that “Brad will step in just fine, and that we have a really good team of staff as well.”