From the VE Departments Desk
By: Daiyan Mustansir
Starting university can feel overwhelming, and for many Vocational Education (VE) students, that feeling’s often amplified. VE students learn very early not to expect much.
Not much flexibility. Not much visibility. Not much patience.
VE students come to RMIT from all walks of life. Some are studying straight out of school; others are returning after years in the workforce. Many are balancing paid work, family responsibilities, long commutes, and study all at once. The university experience isn’t the same for everyone, and the VE Department exists to recognize that reality and respond to it.
At its core, the VE Department is about making sure VE students feel supported; not just on paper, but in their day-to-day lives on campus.
That starts with food and connection; these two things quietly shape whether students feel like they belong or not. Every Monday, the department runs weekly VE Smokos, where students can drop by for bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, vegan sandwiches, and the occasional halal meat pie or vegetarian pasty. Alongside the Smoko lunch, we distribute around 500 kilos of fresh vegetables each week, so students can take something worthwhile home as well. These are simple meals that we give out, but they make a real difference to how long students can stay on campus, how supported they feel, and whether university feels manageable rather than exhausting.
On Wednesdays, we follow that up with weekly free breakfasts; banana bread, carrot cake, fresh fruit, and more. These breakfasts are there for students with early classes, long commutes, or simply not enough time in the morning. No sign-ups, no explanations required (no RUSU memberships needed either, but hey, we fund all this with RUSU memberships to begin with… sooo consider getting one!).
For pathway students, particularly those studying through RMIT UP, the department continues to support fortnightly RMIT Mingle & Munch lunches, creating a regular space for students to eat together, connect, and feel part of the broader RMIT community in Building 85. Looking ahead, there’s been a strong push to expand this support, potentially pushing to have regular free breakfasts for RMIT UP students IF we can get the funding, which is something I’d currently be annoying management about this year :p
A tight community matters just as much as the regular food we give out too. That’s why we also run our famous weekly VE Brews & Banter!! It’s our relaxing morning coffee catch-ups where students can grab a free coffee or milkshake or tea (milkshakes are a fan-favourite with tradies, it’s insane), enjoy a bikkie or a muffin, and spend time with other VE students they might not otherwise meet. These catch-ups are pretty informal, and we got like 35-40 students coming each week last semester (shout out to Coffee on Cardigan cafe, cause I don’t know how they survive the weekly waves of students I bombard them with).
Alongside these weekly touchpoints, the department also worked on structural improvements that make study fairer and more predictable. One of the most meaningful wins this year has been the introduction of universal online submission times for VE students. All online assignments are now due Sunday at 11.59pm, replacing a system where deadlines varied widely across courses and fell at unpredictable times. This change recognises that VE students often juggle work and caring responsibilities (I know some parents found this especially helpful), and that consistency matters.
Still though, there’s still more to do.
The VE Department is currently pushing for Canvas-based extensions for VE students, similar to systems already available in parts of higher education. Moving away from manual PDF forms would make the process clearer, faster, and more accessible. There is also ongoing work to advocate for an RMIT Trade Fair designed specifically for VE students, helping connect students with employers and job opportunities aligned with vocational pathways. These aren’t abstract ideas; they are practical steps to make life during and after your studies far better than what we have now.
Everything the VE Department delivers is shaped by student feedback. The most valuable insights don’t always come from surveys or formal submissions, they come from simple conversations. That’s why students are always welcome to reach out, especially at my VE Brews & Banter. If something at RMIT’s not working for you; an assignment process, a policy, a timetable issue, or frankly something that just feels unnecessarily difficult, you’re encouraged to come by, grab a coffee (or a milkshake), and talk about it. I’m always here for it every week :]
If you’re new to RMIT, welcome. You’re not going to have everything figured out from the get-go, so the VE Department’s here to support you, advocate for you, and build spaces where you feel comfortable being yourself; whether that is over a sandwich on Monday, breakfast on Wednesday, or a coffee with other VE students before class. University works best when students feel heard. This department exists to make sure that happens.
