A Brief History of the AUAC

by Neville Webb, University of New England

The initial meeting to discuss the formation of the Australian Federation of University Graduates AFUG) was held in 1965 at the Melbourne University Graduate Union. As a result, the Foundation meeting took place the following year at the University of Adelaide. The first Annual Meeting was held at Monash in 1967, and subsequent meetings have been held ever since, the location rotating among the states. The organisation's name has been changed since its inception. It became the Australian University Graduate Conference (AUGC), then the Australian University Graduate Council, and in about 1991 assumed its present name. The change to the term "alumni" occurred because many of the members of the Council were Alumni Associations, which defined the word "alumni" in a number of different ways.

For about twenty years, the AFUG was an association solely for the volunteers. With the establishment of Alumni Offices during the eighties, the AUGC decided that the professional officers had much to offer, and many were keen to participate in the Conference's activities. They were therefore, invited to attend as observers or delegates. This decision was bitterly opposed by representatives of certain universities at the time.

The issue surfaced again at the 27th Conference at VUT in 1993, where the matter was finally put to rest. Some graduate organisations had feared that the AUGC would become merely an in-service training conference for professionals, since the turn-over of alumni officers has typically been quite rapid. It has certainly been the intention to provide opportunities for the professional development of both Alumni Officers and Honorary Officers as provided under section 3 (b) (iv) of the Constitution.

However, the balance of interests has been the subject of debate.

The future of the Council would appear to lie in maintaining and extending the participation of both professionals and volunteers. Universities are now planning to engage alumni support in ways not seen in the past because of the evermounting pressure to gain access to fresh sources of finance, and thus the fostering of cooperative activities between the professionals and volunteer bodies is essential.

Since the early nineties, it has been recognised the alumni are significant stakeholders in the future of Higher Education. This was stated in the important DEET document "The Quality of Higher Education" in 1993, and the arguments set out in favour of this view follow those made in the AUGC submission to the Committee of Inquiry. Since 1992, the Council has regularly made submissions to Federal Ministers of Education, DEETYA and the Prime Minister on issues of Higher Education.

The AUAC received nation-wide media publicity in 1996 at the time of the formation of the Higher Education Alliance, which represented all major interested parties, from the AVCC and the Academies to the staff and student unions. The AUAC was recognised as the voice of well over a million graduates who have a stake in the status and future of Higher Education.

Since that time, the AUAC has made submissions to the Senate Inquiry and the Council's representative was invited to present the Council's case at one of the hearings. The Council has also made a submission to the Victorian Government's Inquiry into University Governance.
For some years the Past Presidents Advisory Group has provided the major input into the area of national policy issues. The Special Interest Groups were also set up to provide a forum for those wishing to discuss and make recommendations for action on matters of particular concern.

Conference sessions have generally been informative and useful for both professional and honorary officers. At times, it has been felt that the program has contained too many lectures at the expense of participation sessions. When sessions on education policy have been provided, they have been regarded by many participants, particularly the honorary officers, as being the most stimulating because of the opportunity for the vigorous exchange of views that has ensued following the presentation of an issues paper. It is suggested that a session devoted to Higher education policies, even if it is scheduled at the same time as an alternative session, would be of interest to some members. Such forums have resulted in AGM resolutions which have been sent to the media and to governments.

In the light of the changing nature of the sector, it would seem clear that the fostering of networking and the exchange of information between both professional officers and alumni organisations needs continued encouragement. The Council will gain strength both in the effectiveness of communication with alumni and in advocacy if it can regain the membership of university organisations which have been lost.

They need to be convinced that there is value in belonging. The intensive work that has been put into this activity in recent years must be continued if the Council is to grow and prosper. There is no doubt that the Council has a significant role to play in promoting the greater engagement of what is now a very substantial body of alumni in supporting their own universities and in voicing their views concerning the future of Higher Education.