2016 Student Association Club Awards

The inaugural Student Association (SAUNDA) Clubs Awards were established to recognise the contributions of individuals or clubs to our Notre Dame student community in 2016.

Recipients of each award was announced at SAUNDA's Annual Notre Dame Ball held at Doltone House, Hyde Park, on 22 September 2017.

Community Service Award - Notre Dame Rural Health Organisation (ROUNDS)

The Rural Health Organisation of the University of Notre Dame Sydney (ROUNDS) has been an excellent contributor and example of Notre Dame's fostering of community and social justice. In 2016, ROUNDS has been keen to actively engage in the community and to further the interests of rural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. SAUNDA recognises ROUNDS' contribution to the community, including:

• ROUNDS, alongside not for profit organisation Culture is Life, invited by the Galupa Marnarr Suicide Prevention Group to help repair the Galupa Safety House;
• Through funding, ROUNDS has restored the road connecting the town to the Healing Place, got the community car operational so at-risk youth can be easily taken out of town to the Safety House and the Yudu Yudu Healing Place;
• Raised more than $10,000 for building materials and to fly up tradespeople, labourers and Notre Dame students to re-build the Galupa Safety House;
• Involvement in 'Bush to Beach' - teaching indigenous children safety around water;
• Involvement in the CWA Bake Off to raise funds for the CWA Disaster Fund; and 
• Conducting Rural High School visits to inspire those living rurally to attend university and to give them information about health careers.

Collaboration Award- Notre Dame Rural Health Organisation (ROUNDS)

The Rural Health Organisation of the University of Notre Dame Sydney (ROUNDS) has been an excellent student club which has made collaboration as part of top priorities for the year in its furtherance of community. Not only has ROUNDS continued to provide for its members but as a club ROUNDS has collaborated with other student clubs on campus and with community organisations. SAUNDA recognises ROUNDS' initiative to develop a positive and collaborative student culture on campus. 

Outstanding Administration Award - Ben Bravery

Ben is a second year Bachelor of Surgery/Bachelor of Medicine student and was the 2016 Chair of the General Practice Students' Network (GPSN). As GPSN's leader, Ben has shown incredible skill and attention to the needs of the club. Despite the National GPSN program being defunded, Ben overcame this adversity to successfully restructure the club and expand the number of Committee roles in order to expand its membership base and scope of activities to remain an engaging presence on campus. Ben restructured GPSN to reflect core themes in primary care and general practice and align these themes with core curriculum covered in first and second year. SAUNDA recognises Ben's outstanding leadership to grow and develop his club, which includes achievements such as:

• 85% membership penetration (an increase from 30-40% in previous years);
• Facilitating workshops with his team towards a shared goal, purpose and set of priorities to lead a focused team to operate financially and administratively independent for the first time;
• Developed relationships with local businesses to continue to run events, including securing donations;
• Strengthened GPSN's collaboration with other student groups, including MANDUS and ROUNDS;
• Organised events that have added real learning value to students, including a evening with cystic fibrosis and diabetes patients; and
• Innovate new ways to engage students using low-cost techniques.

Best Club Event Award - Surgical Association Notre Dame University Sydney (SANDUS)

The inaugural SANDUS Surgical Challenge saw 50 contenders involved in history, examination, anatomy, and surgical suturing stations. SAUNDA was impressed by the initiative in bringing an interactive and practical competition aimed at giving medicine students an excellent forum for academic preparation and skills review ahead of exams.

It engaged students from multiple year levels and career interests within the Medicine School. It engaged academic and skills progression in a fun and rewarding environment with positive feedback available to students in order to better equip them for future interactions with patients. Centring on a culture of positive reinforcement of a student's ability as opposed to the long standing negative reinforcement culture that has plagued medicine in the past, the team environment encouraged teamwork and collaboration -  a critical pillar in a physician's career.

Best Club Award - Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

The Notre Dame Sydney Law Society (NDSLS) in 2016 and under the administration of it's President, Elyse Di Stefano, has excelled in proactively fostering community and enriching the student experience. SAUNDA has been impressed by the quality of NDSLS' leadership through not only being dedicated to serving the Notre Dame Law School but also contributing to and collaborating with the University community as a whole. This includes collaborating with other clubs and increasing the pride in our university.

The NDSLS has  sought to increase its engagement with a bigger cross section of its membership. SAUNDA recognises the NDSLS' impressive achievements this year, including:

• Its biggest Careers Expo with commercial and non-commercial institutions and the introduction of the CV workshop to bring careers information to law students;
• The most number of competitors across 5 different legal skills competition (i.e. Negotiation, Client interview, Witness Examination, Mooting, and Paper Presentation);
• Near doubling of subscribers to the Weekly Newsletter and an 82% increase in merchandise sales;
• Central focus on Health and Wellbeing - Wellbeing lecture on skills to look after students' mental health, yoga on campus, Women in Law Evening;
• Annual Law Ball tickets sold out in 24 hours; and
• 20% increase in sponsorship with 4 new sponsors for the year and the efficient use of funds which meant more funds could be used for unsponsored events.