NTEU welcomes La Trobe University Green Paper but awaits details
MEDIA RELEASE
25 July 2007
NTEU La Trobe University Branch President Bill Deller today provided qualified support for the Vice-Chancellor’s Green Paper, welcoming the open process for discussion but expressing concern that much rests upon detail that is yet to come.
The analysis attached to the Green Paper is particularly welcome, because it is based on the history and strength of La Trobe University. La Trobe has been a haven for many students who were the first in their family to attend university.
Mr Deller said, “The encouragement of cross-faculty or interdisciplinary approaches to teaching, research and community engagement is to be commended.”
“The proposal to redevelop the budget and publicise it in a more transparent manner is long overdue.”
“There will, however, be tensions that arise in relation to the delivery of first year and undergraduate courses more generally. The proposed consolidation of undergraduate courses threatens to undermine one of La Trobe’s most attractive features - the diversity of offerings that have been available.”
The development of program support for early career academics is critical for the future of La Trobe’s research output.
The Union favours collegial processes for allocating teaching and research loads and does not support the creation of teaching-only positions that are isolated from research activity.
The Vice-Chancellor’s student-staff ratio figures are inclusive of sessional academic staff who are disadvantaged in terms of conditions, pay and resources.
References to the Workplace Productivity Program identify possible administrative efficiencies. However, there will need to be appropriate levels of support if the university is to expand undergraduate, and in particular, post-graduate courses so that they will be attractive to international students. The Union has consistently opposed fixed targets for staff reductions yet these have been included in a funding submission to government.
While the detail of the proposals will be difficult to work through, the community as a whole will welcome the process and will engage actively around it. There will be serious debate about the position of La Trobe and the Union will assist members in discussions with the Vice-Chancellor over the coming months.
For information and comment:
Bill Deller, Branch President,