The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice

1. Background

a. This Memorial Scholarship was established by the family of David ('Dave') Burnett, BA 07 a promising undergraduate Arts / Law student and active contributor to the University of Sydney community, who died in a tragic accident at the ancient archaeological site of Petra Jordan, in January 2008.

b. A former State President and National Vice-President of the Australian Union of Jewish Students, David was also active in the NSW Young Labor organisation, in University of Sydney student politics and other areas of the community. David was committed to promoting and acting upon principles of social justice, tolerance and inter-community harmony.

2. Eligibility

a. Applicants must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident and currently be enrolled full-time in a Bachelor of Laws in the Sydney Law School at the University of Sydney.

b. Applicants must also be a member of the Sydney Law School Social Justice Program.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, curriculum vitae and a personal statement which demonstrates the applicant’s:

I. prior commitment to and participation in community service and social justice,

II. why they would be a fitting recipient for the award, and

III. how the financial assistance will help them to advance their studies and make a positive impact in the areas of community participation and social justice.

b. The Scholarship will be awarded on the nomination of a selection committee consisting of the Dean of the Sydney Law School, or their nominee and at least one other member of staff from the School.

4. Value

a. The Scholarship is valued up to $3,000 payable as a one-off payment. The Scholarship value may be shared if more than one recipient is awarded the Scholarship in any given round.

b. The Scholarship value will be paid after the census date of the semester the Scholarship is awarded for.

c. Deferral of the Scholarship is not permitted without the prior permission of the Associate Dean and it is not transferable to another University school, faculty or university.

d. The Scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funds.

e. No other amount is payable.

5. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:

I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,

II. withdraws from the Social Justice program the only exception being extenuating medical or compassionate grounds

III. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application,

IV. any other provision as indicated in these terms that would lead to termination.

b. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

c. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or the scholarship is terminated due to any clause in section 5 above, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.

6. Other

a. Upon completion of the Scholarship, which is at the conclusion of the semester in which it was awarded, the recipient is required to submit a 500 word report to the Dean of the Sydney Law School, outlining the impact of the Scholarship and their experiences relating to the Social Justice Program.