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Alternative Faculty

Handbook

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CONTENTS Arts Union Representatives .................................................................................................................................... 3

President – Emma Brede .................................................................................................................................... 3

Social Vice-President – Henry Austin .................................................................................................................. 4

Education Vice-President – Rob McCloud .......................................................................................................... 4

Admin Vice-President - Hannah Gifford ............................................................................................................. 5

Equity Vice-President – Vacant ........................................................................................................................... 5

Admin Vice-President – Hannah Gifford ............................................................................................................. 6

Senior Social – Thomas Chadwick ....................................................................................................................... 7

Senior Social – Sofia T-Chenko ............................................................................................................................ 7

Senior Education – Adaena Sinclair .................................................................................................................... 8

Senior Education – Tom Beyer ............................................................................................................................ 8

Sports Rep – Michael Morrisey ........................................................................................................................... 9

Sports Rep – Jess Murray .................................................................................................................................... 9

Careers – Daniel Kirkby & Corey Walsh ............................................................................................................ 10

Majors ................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Archaeology ...................................................................................................................................................... 11

English ............................................................................................................................................................... 11

European Studies .............................................................................................................................................. 11

French ............................................................................................................................................................... 11

German ............................................................................................................................................................. 12

History .............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Italian ................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Philosophy ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Psychology ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Political Science ................................................................................................................................................ 13

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ARTS UNION REPRESENTATIVES

PRESIDENT – EMMA BREDE

Being an arts student at UWA will be one of the most

amazing and rewarding experiences of your life. The

university culture UWA offers is incredible and a one of a

kind and its entirely up to you to make the most of it. You

are about to embark on the greatest years of your life and

trust me it goes to quickly.

The UWA Arts Union is here to help you make the most of

your university life. We represent the 6000+ students from

Arts, Humanities and Social Science in a variety of ways;

We provide you with a liaison with the university, we assist you in taking care of any

equity issues that may arise and we run heaps of events throughout the year. I

personally represent you sitting on three university boards as well as the UWA Student

Guilds’ Education Council.

Now for the fun bit; our awesome events! The UWA Arts Union is renowned for our

variety of educational, equity and social events held each semester. Our events range

from arts showcase, a charity gala, mock parliament, quiz nights, a braveheart themed

pub-crawl, the Arts Ball and of course our annual PoopDeck pirate themed party in the

tav. In semester one we are also having a combined event with the University Engineers

Club on Oak Lawn for the end of summer. Past Arts Union presidents and myself agree

that the Arts Union’s catalogue of creatively themed events aims to appeal and reflect

the diverse and multifaceted nature of the UWA arts student.

It is true that the course structure is probably the most removed from life at school,

here you are no longer spoon fed to do study and there are far less contact hours, but do

not fall into the trap of slacking off, its not worth it in the long run. Its true that arts

units give the impression of being fairly easy, but this in a misconception, if you want to

do well you have to put the effort in to work hard. What you really need to do is find

that balance between work and play, because university life here at UWA is a mix of

both. Work hard on that essay and reward yourself with that courtyard show.

One final piece of advice; GET INVOLVED! Join every club you can, go to every party you

can afford and be a part of fantastic university culture UWA has to offer.

“If you leave UWA with simply a degree, then the university has failed you”

– Alan Robson

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SOCIAL VICE-PRESIDENT – HENRY AUSTIN

Hey buddy, welcome to the Arts Union and welcome to the Social Report! My name is Henry, your Social Vice President for 2013. My job (with a subcommittee, woo) is to plan the parties, and it is your job to attend them!

The Arts Union has a long, sweaty history of

Braveheart Pub-crawls, Pirate parties at the Tav

('Poopdeck') and classy balls. So buy a kilt, a pirate

costume and your gender-specific cocktail attire in

preparation for these events. And keep them, it will

save you money when you lose track of time and

realise this is your sixth Poopdeck. Really, it happens.

Your opportunities with the Arts Union are almost boundless. Join us for things such as

Prosh, Relay For Life (see the Equity Report, and begin practicing your milk sculls) and a

plethora of events, social and otherwise, to complete your university experience.

Everyone loves new faces, so come, chat, debate, laugh and be social in the common

room. You have made a fine choice in picking up this Alternative Faculty Handbook, and

an even better one in joining the Arts Union. We hope we can provide the guidance and

giggle that you need. Don't be a stranger.

EDUCATION VICE-PRESIDENT – ROB MCCLOUD

Hey there, my name is Rob McLeod and I am your

Education Vice-President of the Arts Union for

2013! I am currently in 4th year studying

Anthropology and History and can usually be

found around the Arts common room or the Arts

building in general. As your Education VP, my job

is to represent Arts Students on education issues,

that be issues with your units, results, majors or

any disciplinary or appeal issues. Not only that,

but any worries or concerns you may have with

anything to do with your university education or

even university life, come and get into contact

with me! As Education VP, myself and the Arts

President Emma Brede sit on the Education

Council of the Guild, meaning that any issues for

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Arts Students can be given a sturdy platform from which they are raised. In this position

I also intend to unfold some new initiatives and begin work on issues affecting current

Arts Students, such as tutorial sizes and anonymous assessment structure. There is

more to the education portfolio than just student educational representation,

throughout the year the Education Portfolio is responsible for a few events!

Showcase:

No matter what you are told by others around the university, Arts Students, without a

doubt, comprise the most talented, free thinking and outside the box thinking, artistic

students throughout the university. As such it is with great pleasure to tell you that

there is a platform from which any willing student can perform or display any art work

they are willing to share with like-minded people in a supportive and fun environment.

However, this year we intend to change up the routine by combining Showcase with

our other event, the Charity Gala, to create a bigger audience and a better event!

Mock Parliament:

If debating and politics are your passion, look no further than the first semester Mock

Parliament night. Mock Parliament is a serious, but fun event in which students take

sides and attempt to see who can trash talk the other side the hardest whilst trying to

address real world issues. You should also feel free to come along and spectate, as

sometimes the most fun to be had is watching the mayhem and arguing unfold.

Back to School Quiz Night:

Back to School Quiz Night assesses you on all of the general basics, including questions

from school, and come wearing your school uniform again, to make sure you are ready

for the upcoming testing of your knowledge. It is a great night to go along to with your

friends, whether you are just in it for the drinking and the good company, or create your

solid dream-team to try and take out first place and the prizes that come with that. It is

also good news if you are (like myself), one of those with a later birthday in the year,

this events position in second semester offers a better chance of being 18 years old and

able to attend with your amigos.

EQUITY VICE-PRESIDENT – VACANT

This position is currently vacant, but if you’re

interested in social justice, charity and all things

equitable keep an eye out for our elections

happening early in semester 1!

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ADMIN VICE-PRESIDENT – HANNAH GIFFORD

Minutes and money. Yeah, it really is

that awesome! I take all your dolla billz

and make sure they turn into great

events. And then I make sure you all

know about what’s going on through

Arts Union emails and our facebook

page!

Some things you should know about me

is that I love Arts Union milk Mondays,

dirty common room couches and

cooking delicious food for the masses.

The Arts Union is a faculty society that not only makes your year amazing with all our social

events but gives you career options, educational advice and advocacy and overall, helps you

make lifelong friends! Being a part of the Arts Union is the best decision you can make

when you’re a UWA student so make sure you become a member and get involved! If you

ever have any questions about getting involved in the Arts Union, our general

administration (YAY!!) or just want a buddy to hang out and have a D&M with in the

common room, come at me bro! I’ll always be keen to spend time with you <3

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SENIOR SOCIAL – THOMAS CHADWICK

Hey kiddlywinks ;) Welcome to the Arts Union! Well

done on picking up this Alternative Faculty

Handbook, it’s a cracking good read. My name is

Thomas Chadwick and I am one of your Senior Social

Reps for 2013. I’ve been a general hack in the UWA

community for 5 years now and I’ve reached the

point where all I want to do is drink, and help you

drink by organising awesome social events.

This year is going to be an excellent year for fun! We’ve got the classic tav parties and

pub crawls, but we’re also adding some new events to the line-up including a pyjama

party! We’re also working hard to make the common room a more inviting and social

place for everyone to come and hang out. Make sure you get involved by coming to our

events, hanging out in the common room and liking the UWA Arts Union on Facebook!

Did you know that tigers cannot stand the smell of alcohol and are more likely to attack

you if they can smell it on your breath? True facts. Thank me later.

SENIOR SOCIAL – SOFIA T-CHENKO

Hey guys, I’m Sofia T-chenko and I’m the Senior Social Representative on the Arts Union

2013 committee. University will change your life and if it doesn’t you aren’t doing it

right. Especially with an Arts degree. From classy goon to cheeky lecturers, Arts will

make your life so much more exciting. No more annoying teachers, terrible subjects and

far too much drama. Arts is the degree to do if you want to have the best university

experience ever and the most

exciting future career. I mean

everyone wants to know where a

Greek Mythology degree could take

you. And with Arts it can take you

anywhere you want. So come get

involved with the Arts Union,

(attend ALL the events, they sell out

fast!!), hang out in the Arts common

room and get ready for the best time

of your life :)

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SENIOR EDUCATION – ADAENA SINCLAIR

Hey everyone, welcome to the Faculty of Arts and the Arts Union! I’m Adaena Sinclair

and I’m one of your 2013 Senior Education Representatives. The best advice I have for

you is to get involved in university life. I know everyone may tell you this, but if you

leave university with just a degree and you’ve never been involved in any clubs or

societies on campus then you haven’t truly experienced university. Please come to chat

with me about any issues involving

your education whether that is

concerns with your tutorials or you

think that you’ve been treated unfairly

in an assessment. Rob, Tom and I are

here to represent you! Have a fantastic

fresher year and I’m sure I’ll be seeing

you at all the fantastic Arts Union

events throughout the year!

SENIOR EDUCATION – TOM BEYER

Hey all! I’m one of your senior education reps for 2013. University is the time of your

life and you’re doing it wrong if you don’t immerse yourself in the great social life we

have at UWA. However you’re also here for an education and that’s where I step in.

Myself and my Ed counterparts here in the Arts Union have the job of representing you

and making sure you have a voice a clear avenue to deal with any grievances or issues

you may have. Despite the

common misconception I’m a

nice friendly guy so don’t have

any hesitancy to come visit me

in the common room or whilst

sauntering around campus if

you have need a hand with

anything. I look forward to

meeting you throughout the

year.

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SPORTS REP – MICHAEL MORRISEY

Listen up maggots, if you are one of these scum suckers

who thought you could get out of sport by choosing to

study an Arts degree – you’re mostly right!

It is the job of Jess and Michael here as your sports

representatives to try and organise a group of you soap

avoiding, unemployable and alcoholic hippies (Arts

students) into a hardened team of athletes ready to battle

against the evils of Science and Engineering! You will be

dragged unwillingly out of the common room at 1pm on

Wednesday afternoons and onto the sporting battlefield in

a similar manner to how Australian boys were dragged out

of their homes to fight in the Vietnam War!

SPORTS REP – JESS MURRAY

HAI GUYS I am Jess. I don't wear pants.

I'm super excited about being Sports Rep this

year to get to know all you new freshers and

because I am always been an endorphin addict

with a swimming, running, horse riding and

cycling array.

Start getting ready for some rough "non-

contact" sports and bowing down to Pavlich

during footy time or you better gtfo.

As Michael said before, any questions about

sports or anything else (drinking is a speciality

of mine ;)) just ask. I am also a veteran of

broken bones so never fear about your injuries

:)

GET KEEN!

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CAREERS – DANIEL KIRKBY & COREY WALSH

Careers and arts, two terms most people refuse to

accept are synonymous. Clearly these people don’t

understand the simple joy derived from being a

sandwich artist. But seriously though, Corey insists

to me that apparently archaeology is a real career

and apparently it’s a major being taught through the

arts faculty, personally I just feel privileged to be

working with the Indiana Jones of our generation.

Myself (Daniel Kirkby) and Corey Walsh will be your

careers reps for the coming year. We are pretty

passionate about throwing mad stacks and thus

have a desire to generate earning potential in our

lives, a passion we want to share with all of you.

Careers is a really new portfolio and we are really

excited to run a bunch of new initiatives next year,

we are also passionate about surprises and thus

refuse to reveal the content or nature of these

initiatives at this point. What we can tell you though is that we will be working hard

with the Uni and business/government departments who have a habit of hiring arts

students (like maccas) and putting you in contact with them. If you have any questions

please don’t hesitate to come find either myself or Corey, we spend our entire time in

the arts common room. Just remember though, law may prepare you to be a lawyer, and

engineering might prepare you to be a grease monkey, but just because the job title isn’t

in the name of the degree doesn’t mean there aren’t useful skills and gainful

employment to be had through an arts

degree. Plus we will teach you how to drink

goon, thrift shop and consume cheap coffee at

which point one has to question what’s the

point in having some fancy suit wearing job in

the first place.

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MAJORS Note: if a major isn’t listed here it just means we didn’t have anyone

knowledgeable enough to write about it, so you should do some of your own

research.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Are you planning to pick this unit to be like Indiana Jones,

running around shooting things and finding cool ancient things?

Or to find a dinosaur? Then this is not the subject for you. The

reality is you will spend the majority of your days dusting sand of

rocks or digging up old beer cans at a beach. The course is a good

mixture theory and practical work focusing on human development and human history.

This unit ties in well with history and anthropology units as you will spend the majority

of your time writing long complicated essays on things you probably won’t understand.

ENGLISH

“ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!” If you didn’t enjoy speaking or

reading or quoting in High School English then I can’t recommend studying University

English – hell if you hate large amounts of reading you probably shouldn’t be studying

Arts. However if you want to study novels and films instead of endless journal drivel

then English could be for you! In addition to what you might expect from English units

at UWA, there are several exciting creative writing units and other units specifically for

the study of films or theatre which is a nice break from all those books you have to read

in other units. And as a bonus most English units after first year don’t have exams; even

more reason to consider studying English!

EUROPEAN STUDIES

If you’re the type of student who enjoyed English, Politics and History in High School

but can’t decide which path to follow at UWA, then European Studies will satisfy all your

cravings. Imagine a blend of all three where you learn the History and Politics of Europe

through the same study methods used in English classes. It is an orgasmic mix that

should be tried by all, especially if you’re looking to try some new units to make up your

credit point requirements. Naturally a love or interest in Europe and/or European

languages will only make these units even more enjoyable.

FRENCH

Parlez-vous français? French truly is the sexiest and most romantic language on earth

and studying. French at UWA is the best decision I have made. Whether you’re a

beginner, you’ve studied French at school or you’re a near-native speaker, there is a

class for you! My advice for you is to not be freaked out by the unit outlines and

descriptions. When they say that you’ll be studying French literature, they really mean

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that you’ll be reading shorts plays, short stories or novels that don’t require a great

array of vocabulary. In addition to the literature and culture class, you’ll do grammar

and conversation classes which will not push you much more than school French did.

The lecturers are all native speakers but in my experience they are some of the most

approachable professors that you will have at university. They are really lovely and are

genuinely interested in seeing you get the best out of your French units. And if some of

you are still hesitant about French literature, let’s just say that English copies of all the

novels and plays are available in Reid Library. If all of this hasn’t already convinced you,

my final reason why you should take French is that after first year, French doesn’t have

exams!

GERMAN

German is a whole new level of awesome. Not only do you get to learn words that

consist of 23 letters (or more), you get to be able to have the ability to speak one of the

most hoarse languages in the world. And if anything, I have one piece of VERY important

advice. German exams (at the very least Beginners German exams) do NOT allow a

dictionary in the exam. There, I have warned you way before your exam. Because let me

tell you, finding that out a week before the exam and learning the whole course in that

week, is not fun. Or good for your grade. Learn from my mistakes kids, check your unit

outlines at the start of semester.

HISTORY

People have been known to ask what’s to be gained by studying something that has

already happened. The answer is loads. Studying history gives you perspective and an

understanding of the world around you, how we’ve arrived at where we are and what

will likely happen in the future. It’s also just really interesting! If you’re looking to

expand your horizons and learn a little about what’s been happening in the world over

the previous several hundred years then the level one units could be great for you,

however if you’re a committed history student with a good core knowledge then you

might find these tedious and exasperating. That said, don’t be too disheartened, things

get a lot more interesting in second and third years and it’s well worth sticking around

long enough to experience these joys.

ITALIAN

L’Italiano… ma che cosa mi dice? Italian is a language full of passion and humour and

studying Italian at UWA is a decision that you certainly won’t regret! Whether you’re a

beginner, you’ve studied Italian at school or you’re a near-native speaker, there is an

Italian course for you. You’ll have culture classes, grammar classes and of course

conversation where you get to wave your arms around while pretending you’re

stringing a sentence together. My number one piece of advice for you is make sure you

get the English copy of the novel you’ll read (obviously as well as the Italian copy) so

when it comes to translation work, you’ll breeze through it. The Italian professors are

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mostly native-speakers and they are all lovely and approachable, although they aren’t

the most organised department so patience is key! Don’t stress about language tests

with no dictionaries either, they don’t expect you to know everything and will often not

even mark you based on your vocabulary. In second year, there is also the option to

replace one of your core units with a four week Italian course in Bergamo, a town just

outside of Milan, with other UWA students. If all of this hasn’t already convinced you,

my final reason why you should take Italian is that after first year, there are no exams!

PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is an emotional rollercoaster of a major, you can go from discussing topics

as heavy as abortion euthanasia and whether life has any meaning at all, to discussing

things as fun as why science can’t really teach us anything and why morality is just an

artificial construct created by society. So yeah I lied, very few topics in philosophy are

full of rainbows or kittens. Having said that studying philosophy is one of the most

rewarding things you can do at Uni. The pure intellectual rigor and the gauntlet that is

thrown down in front of you when engaging in tute discussions or writing philosophy

essays is truly a thing of beauty. Word to the wise though, if you don’t want to be

classified as a professional masturbator remember

to confine the infinite wisdom you will learn in your

philosophy degree to the classroom.

PSYCHOLOGY

Being the study of human behaviour, Psychology is

really fun. Especially first year Psych. - your exams

are all MCQ and you get to watch a video of some

adorable narcoleptic dogs (aww, bonus). You can

major in Social & Applied Psych. or

Neuropsychology & Cognitive Science. Or both.

Interesting, enjoyable and you'll be very employable.

Just watch out for the crazies.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Do you enjoy reading the newspaper and watching the news? Want to have a more

informed opinion about politics and current affairs? This is the major for you! Units

cover a range of topics including political philosophy, political history, human rights,

environmental issues, international relations, the media and politics, the Australian

system and American politics. A political science major can be very interesting and

relevant. It can also do wonders for your employability. The best unit I’ve ever done was

run by David van Mill. He is a massive babe who will challenge your world view and

charm you with his sexy British accent.