Graduates Association
A group of male graduates of the University decided in 1935 to work towards the establishment of a Graduates Association which, they believed, could play an important role in university government. Accordingly, a committee, headed by Percy Spender, was set up and a constitution drafted for the new Association. A general meeting of graduates was called at which the draft constitution was to be presented. The meeting, of about 100 graduates, held on 24 July 1935, agreed to form an Association with a number of objectives, but which was intended to only represent male graduates. As a result of the discriminatory nature of the objectives there was widespread dissent to this constitution.
Eventually, a meeting of Convocation was summoned for 12 September 1935. This meeting, which was attended by 1,100 graduates, passed a motion to form a more representative association and also established a provisional committee to draft a constitution for the new association. The committee members were RC Teece, HG Carter, PC Spender, Kevin Ellis, Dr RAM Allen, Dr AM Davidson, Dr I Clunies Ross, Jessie Street, and Monica Flower.
On 10 June 1936, a further meeting of Convocation was held, which adopted the recommendations of the provisional committee and established the Graduates Association as consisting of all members of Convocation. The meeting passed resolutions providing for the election of a standing committee of Convocation, with at least a quarter of its members being female, and requesting Senate to make the necessary by-laws and regulations to bring into effect the decisions of Convocation. After lengthy delays, caused in part by opposition to the Graduates Association from staff and Senate, Convocation was again summoned to meet on 7 October 1938. This meeting, attended by 105 graduates plus some Fellows of Senate, adopted the draft constitution drawn up by the provisional committee and passed a resolution requesting the Senate make the necessary changes to accept the Constitution by adopting the draft by-laws of the provisional committee. At its meeting of 7 November 1938 Senate reaffirmed its earlier decision that acceptance of the Constitution of the Graduates Association would be by resolution of Senate, and not by changes to the by-laws. However, in December 1938 Senate found it necessary to rescind this decision and adopted new by-laws for establishing Convocation. The first standing committee of Convocation was elected in November 1939, with JP Tivey as President, Dr RAM Allen as Deputy President, JM Gosper as Honorary Secretary, and five other members.
Perhaps because of the World War II, little was achieved by the Standing Committee, and little use was made of it by either Senate or graduates, and the Graduates Association never came into existence.