RMIT staff and students in historic vote on up-front university fees
3 October 1997
The staff and students of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University will be casting their votes next week in a historic referendum on up-front fees for domestic undergraduate students.
According to the President of the RMIT Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), Mr Matthew McGowan: \"This is the first time that members of a university community have been given a chance to have their say about whether or not they want up-front fees\".
Mr McGowan continued: \"Earlier this year, the RMIT Academic Board - in its capacity as the principal advisory body on academic matters within the University - voted against these fees. However, the University’s governing body, RMIT Council, ignored this advice. Now, staff and students have been given a direct chance to tell the Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Beanland and those members of the RMIT Council who voted for the fees, whether or not they support them\".
\"I urge all RMIT staff, whether or not they are NTEU members, to take this historic opportunity. A decisive ‘No’ vote will be an important step in our campaign to overturn the RMIT Council’s decision\".
To launch their campaign against the fees, the RMIT NTEU Branch and the RMIT Students’ Union Council have organised a public meeting on Monday October 6 with prominent speakers and entertainment to be held in Bowen Street in the RMIT grounds (off La Trobe Street) from 12.30pm.