Draft Template

A fellow student, Anna L, wrote this letter to her MP and she is happy to share with other students who might like to use the template. Thanks Anna.

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Date

[Name of Elected Federal MP for your area],
Federal Member of Parliament,[your electorate name]
Electorate,[address of MPs office in electorate][postcode]
(you can google this info once getting name from AEC)

Dear [MP’s name],

I am a resident of the [your electorate name, (look up in AEC website)] Electorate, and the (friend, sibling, parent, employer) of a social work student of Victoria University. I understand that effectively 1 in every 5 staff members, or 270 staff in total, will be cut from VU courses, and that smaller courses will be lost to the students of VU.

Victoria University was established to be accessible and to accommodate the learning needs of students who come from very diverse backgrounds and experiences. This had the flow on effect of encouraging professional employment and opportunities for individuals and families to not only improve their life prospects and escape the poverty trap, but also to reduce their dependency on social security payments, and to instead contribute to the economy through gainful employment.

VU gave hope to the community, hope to families that through appropriate education their children may have greater opportunities in life and a very realistic chance that they would be offered a place at a local campus in a wide variety of courses offered. The variety of courses and pathways catered to the needs of students who live or work in the western suburbs and therefore encouraged engagement in higher education and meaningful activity. Many of these students cannot afford a lot of travel on a daily basis, nor to live away from home in order to access a university education. Furthermore, many students both work and study within the western region and contribute to and strengthen local community.

Welfare and social work are key services to the western suburbs and many students complete the field education component of their studies within this region, and some then gain employment at these workplaces on completion of their placements; unpaid placements which amount up to a year’s worth of free service to the community. The Social Work course at VU sends students into the community field education placements each year, therefore creating strong and viable community links. If the social work course, or indeed staff from within it, were lost from VU, its service and contribution to the community would also be largely lost. Furthermore the welfare sector in the West may struggle to find employees and to provide the services required by residents. I believe the loss of jobs especially across social work and welfare related courses will prove to be detrimental not only to students but also to the western suburbs, and the economy over the longer term.

If major cuts occur Victoria University will no longer be a “New School of Thought” within the western suburbs of Melbourne. Such action will exclude many disadvantaged students from obtaining tertiary qualifications.

I appeal to you to lobby in support of retaining staff and courses at all campuses of Victoria University, particularly in the areas of Social Work and Welfare, and on behalf of many VU students who live or work within your electorate.

Yours sincerely,

(your name)