Protest Blocks Uni Board Meeting
The Age
Monday July 30, 2007
Melbourne University students have prevented a meeting of the elite institution's academic board, blocking the entrance in protest over planned cuts to the arts faculty and next year's introduction of a US-style teaching model.
Dozens of students last week stormed the old law building to prevent the meeting of senior university management and faculty deans.The incident came two weeks after the university announced a cut of up to 12 per cent to the arts staff budget - predicted to cost dozens of jobs - to halt a growing internal deficit.The university is also preparing to adopt the so-called Melbourne Model, under which it will offer just six broad undergraduate degrees and a number of graduate professional programs - such as law, engineering and health science disciplines - from next year.University spokeswoman Christina Buckridge said the academic board had to abandon the meeting to avoid a confrontation."It would not be a university if students didn't protest, but it is disappointing that the elected student representatives who are members of the academic board deprived students of a voice," she said.But University of Melbourne Student Union president Bree Ahrens said student politicians had tried to talk with university management about the changes and felt they had been misled."I consider (the protest) a success - there were a lot of students there with very specific concerns about what is happening with their course," she said.It is understood there was some damage to the building during the protest.It is the second time in three months that students have obstructed a university event.In April they blocked the entrance to the official launch dinner of the Melbourne Model.The National Tertiary Education Union, representing academic and general university staff, said it appreciated the support from the students, without backing the decision to stop the meeting."They are badly affected and they know that we are badly affected," union branch president Ted Clark said. "I think some people are having trouble coming to grips with the amount of change that is being foisted on them at the moment."The university has said there will be job cuts in both arts, due to budget problems, and education, which will teach fewer students as it goes from being an undergraduate school to a graduate school.Vice-chancellor Glyn Davis last week revealed in an email to staff that the university's budget was $7 million above target due to record revenue this semester from international and domestic students' fees.Melbourne University now brings in more revenue from full fees than funding for HECS students allocated by the Federal Government."Such figures demonstrate how reliant public universities have become on private-fee income - and, therefore, how vulnerable we are to changes in the market," Professor Davis said.There would be an average budget rise across all faculties of 8 per cent, he added. -- ADAM MORTON, higher education reporter
© 2007 The Age