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Coffee with our new postgraduate Fellow of Senate

14 July 2016
First-year Doctor of Medicine student, Joshua Preece has been appointed the new Postgraduate Fellow of Senate

We sat down for coffee with Josh to find out what he drinks (a mocha) and what we can expect from his time on the Senate.

Joshua Preece, 爆料王 postgraduate Fellow of Senate.

Doctor of Medicine student, Joshua Preece is the new 爆料王 postgraduate Fellow of Senate.

What is the Senate and how does it affect students?

"The Senate is like the 鈥榖oard鈥� of the University, so it affects students by making high level decisions like program and structural changes. That鈥檚 one of the things that excite me, I鈥檝e never really had access to that sort of high level decision making before.

"As the Postgraduate Fellow on the Senate, I鈥檓 almost entirely concerned with looking out for postgraduate interests."

How does your background prepare you for this role?

"I鈥檝e been involved in student advocacy for many years now, predominately in advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. I think it鈥檚 important to be consultative with students and find out what concerns them 鈥� you鈥檝e got to take your cues from the people that you represent, which is something that I鈥檓 hoping to do over the next few months."

What鈥檚 some advice you can share with other students?

"I think students should try and get involved in the things that they鈥檙e passionate about. For me, that鈥檚 student advocacy, but it might be photography or water polo, or things like that. It鈥檚 very easy in an academically rigorous program to just let your life become 100 percent reading textbooks, but I think it鈥檚 important to make sure that you鈥檝e got different facets to your life and are doing things that you think are important."

You studied an economics degree and are now studying medicine 鈥� what was behind that switch?

"I was quite focused on the corporate path at one stage, and I certainly learned a lot during my undergraduate studies, but I鈥檇 also been thinking about medicine ever since high school. I think the same things that motivated me to pursue my undergraduate studies 鈥� wanting to understand the world, work in teams and help people鈥� are very much the same things that motivate me to study medicine. I鈥檓 thoroughly enjoying the program so far."

Do you have any particular priorities for your time as a Fellow?

"I鈥檇 like to be a constructive voice where I can be. I know one of the priorities at the moment is addressing college culture, and I鈥檓 keen to assist with that where I can and I鈥檓 aware that the former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has been brought on recently, so that鈥檚 something that I have a part to play in as a college student.

"Also, ensuring that the merger of the Sydney College of the Arts has postgrad interests protected during that transition period. I think that those issues are an area that I have some interest in through my work at the ."

Where do you see yourself in the future?

"I think I鈥檒l always be an advocate for something or another, I鈥檓 always motivated to try and change things that aren鈥檛 working or to advocate for people鈥檚 interests that are perhaps being threatened or compromised. Even in the field of medicine you鈥檙e an advocate for your patients."