UQ Interfaculty Competitions (UQIC) facilitates and administers sporting competitions among the faculties and schools at the University of Queensland, with the goal of promoting friendly rivalry and networking opportunities between students.

On March 1st, 2022, UQIC received communication from The University of Queensland Student Union (UQU) that UQIC funding was frozen pending an investigation by the UQU. 

This investigation was based on a complaint “which UQIC may have inappropriately use of SSAF (Student Services and Amenities Fee) funding”.

UQU claims “Some information was provided to back up the complaints”.

Over the past 11 weeks UQIC has made several reasonable requests to have this matter resolved and funding restored to UQIC.

UQIC has on multiple occasions (via phone call and email) requested the following:

• UQIC requested the original complaint(s) and the complaint(s) with personal information redacted
• UQIC has requested the evidence to support the complaint
• UQIC has requested the details of resolution sought
• UQIC has requested if the above cannot be provided that the investigation be dropped completely or handed over to UQ. 

UQIC’s requests have been ignored by UQU. 

UQU has failed to provide even a single piece of evidence against UQIC. 

UQU has failed to preserve the presumption of innocence. 

UQU is treating UQIC as if it were guilty until proven innocent. 

The freeze to UQIC’s funding has seen coaches lose their jobs, staff reductions, game reductions, state championship teams cut, Sunday TRL teams cut, new equipment reductions, competitions moving off campus, executive members having to resign jobs and drop University subjects to pick up work that was formally done by UQIC staff. 

This freeze to UQIC’s has already negatively impacted over 1000 students and their experience at UQ and is set to impact more than 2000 by the end of May as UQIC is now forced to significantly increase its registration price for our Semester 2 sporting competitions. UQIC has had to make cuts in all portfolios of its operations and scrap several events in 2022 to ensure it has enough funds to pay staff, bookings and other expenses. The freeze to UQIC’s funding has caused a significant negative impact on its 2022 operations and the UQIC image in the sporting community at UQ and the wider Brisbane area. 

UQIC petitions UQU to unfreeze UQIC’s funding in full. UQIC requests that UQU provide UQIC with the $90 000 AUD that was agreed for the year of 2022 and provided to UQU as part of the UQ SSAF funding allocation.

If this funding is not restored the future of UQ Interfaculty Competitions and its 104-year tradition of facilitating faculties competing for the Steele Cup (Faculty Cup) at risk. UQIC will have to reduce its sports offerings, increase registration prices further, move more sports off campus and make more cuts to its portfolios. This will significantly impact students and their experience at UQ. 

If this funding is restored in full UQIC will be able to resume its full operations, provide cheaper registrations to students and continue to maintain and improve its presence at UQ.

Please note that the University of Queensland is not responsible for UQIC’s funding freeze, and the responsibility solely lies on UQ Union.

If you would like to reach out to UQIC to offer support, community sponsorship or advice please contact UQIC on Facebook @theUQIC