My name is Charley Ellwood (he/him), and I am a third year student from the Gold Coast studying a double degree of PPE/Public Policy. I am currently the President of Burgmann College, a Board director for Inspire Tomorrow Education, and the 2025 ANUSA Undergraduate Coursework Officer (UGCO). Having been on the SRC for two years, both as a Gen Rep and now UGCO, I feel immensely passionate about ANUSA, the work we do currently, and the work that we must continue to do. That is exactly why I am running to be your 2026 ANUSA President.

As students, we find ourselves more than ever needing representation and a strong voice for our education. As a union, ANUSA has the opportunity and the obligation to be that voice for students. As your President, I will commit every day to fighting for you, to hearing your story, and to advocating for our education. Rage for ANUSA is committed to fighting for you by:

Providing the Services you Need

ANUSA must provide for students and for years, that’s exactly what we have done. Financial Assistance Grants, Subsidies, and the recently opened Union Pantry are all indicative of this responsibility and as President I will continue building on this.

Standing up for your SSAF: In 2026, the agreement for ANUSA’s funding expires and it will be up to those running the union to renegotiate how much we get. As your President, I will work closely with the 2026 Treasurer to push for our fair share. We currently receive 55% of the SSAF pool on a 3 year rotational deal. Previously this has been even lower, and sometimes negotiated on an annual basis, providing limited certainty over our unions funding. Alongside our Treasurer candidate Eloisa, we will demand an increase of the term from 3 to 5 years to provide more security for our funding to keep students’ money in student hands, and we will push for an increase to ANUSA’s percentage allocation to accommodate the growing demand for ANUSA’s services. By working with the Treasurer and the Communications Officer to compile quantitative records of ANUSA’s service uptake, we can show the university why we deserve our fair share.
Expanding the Union Pantry: Rage will expand the Union Food pantry for students. Doubling opening times, and providing a wider selection of products will keep the pantry a crucial support mechanism for students. By continuing our relationships with our current suppliers and branching out to new ones, we can ensure that students get access to the groceries they need during the cost of living crisis. In collaboration with our Clubs Candidate Dylan Adams, we will extend ANUSAs volunteer base through outreach to all students, to bring people into the service provision side of our union and support initiatives like the Union Pantry, thus sustainably supporting our expansion.
Union Jobs Board: Rage will explore establishing a Union Jobs Board for ANU students with postings for a range of jobs in Canberra that are targeted towards university students. From hospitality and retail jobs, to entry level internships and graduate programs, the jobs board will lean on the rich network of opportunities in Canberra and connect these to students. Rage will post weekly updates of the latest Jobs and Internships available for students. These jobs will also be backed by an Ethical Framework developed by students to provide the best opportunities for students.
Greater Support and Connection to ANUSA Departments: As President, I will work with the Vice President, and Welfare Officer to improve connection between the departments and the central union, providing support and uniting on campaigns. I will ensure that departments can lean on ANUSA when needed and support and advocate for their communities.

Building the Campus you Want

With an on-campus population of over 6000 students from across the country, the ANU should have one of the most vibrant on-campus cultures in the nation. We should be tapping into this and building the campus you want.

Bringing Life back to Kambri: As a central precinct, Kambri should be a bustling hive of activity year round. We see during the day hundreds of students passing by and we know this is an opportunity we must tap into. More gigs on Campus, More nighttime events, pushing the university to fill Kambri spaces, and more connectivity for off-campus students. By making Kambri the beating heart of our university, we can continue to make your university experience what it should be.
Supporting our rescoms**:** As a current Rescom President, I have fought tooth and nail against the Rescom Review this year and as ANUSA President I will keep pushing against the university’s top-down intervention and an attack on student representation. I will work very closely with the IHC through monthly IHC Meetings, supporting ResHall advocacy, and connecting all residents to the services of ANUSA through a Daley Road roadshow, and use my experience as a Rescom President to support our Rescoms in their valuable work. Rage will also force the university to prohibit any Head of Hall disallowing ANUSA Resource Materials in their halls.
Opposing the Poster Policy: Rage has, and will continue to, oppose the poster policy. As co-convenor, our Clubs Candidate Dylan Adams has fought tirelessly against the oppressive and impractical. As President, I will continue to call the university out for what the Poster Policy is - another top-down, oppressive intervention that stifles student activism and hurts our Club scene.

Fighting for the Education you Deserve

Our university is in crisis, and our education is under attack. As the 2025 ANUSA Undergraduate Coursework Officer (UGCO), I have seen first hand the shameful direction that our university is following. RenewANU is not just a job-slashing scheme that spits in the face of staff and guts our education, but represents a larger trend of university corporatisation that is in direct contradiction to our universities purpose as a public good.

Fighting the Cuts at ANU Council : As the only Presidential candidate to have sat on an academic university committee having sat on both the Academic Quality Assurance Committee and University Research Committee, I have seen first hand how the ANU is in a governance crisis where bureaucracy stifles criticism and exonerates accountability. I have received agenda packs 1500 pages long with less than a week before meetings, I have sat in rooms where I have been undermined, and I have been characterised as an ‘agitator’ by university management. I know how the university systems operate and I know how to fight against them.
As your Undergraduate Member on ANU Council, I will use my seat to fiercely advocate for students and call out university executives intimidating behaviour where it exists. With a new Vice-Chancellor appointment imminent, it is vital that the selection is done with students at the table, and our voice is heard by the new VC early.
Student Governance Training: As President, I will provide tailored Committee Training to all ANUSA Reps on Committees to ensure they are aware of the universities systems and equipped to fight for students. By using my experience within the university, I will demystify the governance processes of the ANU and allow for students to use their seats at the table to effectively fight for students. Additionally, I will establish clearer reporting pathways to stockpile information from these committees to better inform our advocacy
Standing in Solidarity with Students: 2025 has shown us crystal clear that students care about their education and their university. ANUSA should be fighting against the cuts, while ensuring that students who are affected aren’t left behind. As UGCO, I have personally supported students who have had their degrees gutted and their university pathways railroaded. When students have been turned away by the university, I have supported them. As President, I will continue to ensure that ANUSA’s Student Assistance Team and Coursework officers are prepared and equipped to support everyday students who are affected by the cuts. Additionally, I will work with all students across all areas of our campus to unite against the cuts and show that students won’t stay silent in the face of attacks.
As UGCO, I have worked with the ANU Governance Project to look at tangible solutions to the ANUs governance crisis. Developed by staff, these recommendations are fundamental shifts in our governance structures that will embed staff and student voice in all university decision-making. As President, I will continue to support the ANU Governance Project and stand in solidarity with staff fighting RenewANU.
Working with the Education officer, I will develop a campus-wide report on Trust in the University and Impacts of the Course Cuts. By collating data from student experience, governance committees, admissions, and other metrics, we can show the university the extent of the crisis and show where they need to rebuild.
Joining the National Fight: The crisis at the ANU is severe, but it also represents a broader attack on the higher education sector. Chronic underfunding of research, policy failures like the Job Ready Graduate Scheme, and continued corporatisation are all attacks on universities across the country. As President, I will work with other student unions, The NTEU, the National Union of Students and all other relevant bodies to launch coordinated campaigns to call on the federal government to address these issues both here in the ACT and nationwide.
A Fairer, More Equitable, More Accessible Education Experience: At a time when our education is under attack, we know that there are students who are disproportionately impacted. As President, I will work with the Education Officer and Coursework Officers to address fundamental barriers to educational access. Prohibiting in-lecture assessments, mandated lecture recordings, clearer class summaries, and fairer assessment weightings.

Having been a student at the ANU for three years, I feel deeply passionate about our education and our students. At the same time I have been an advocate for our education, I have directly felt the experience of the cuts. I moved to this university for a reason, to contribute to the development of innovative and nationally-impactful policy; more and more this motive feels out of reach.

If given the chance to lead ANUSA as your President, I will pledge to work every day for our students and to restore faith in the reasons for why we all chose the ANU. I will work to Provide the Services you Need, Build the Campus you Want, and Fight for the Education you Deserve.

Ultimately, it is the students and the staff that make this university and I feel deeply passionate about using our voice to shape the ANU in the best possible way. It is an honour to ask for your support and for your confidence in electing me as your 2026 ANUSA President.