Regional Universities Experience Funding Crisis
Staff Cuts at Charles Sturt University Highlight the Problem
Planned staff cuts to the Bathurst campus of the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Communication are an example of the funding crisis gripping a number of regional universities as a result of reductions in Government funding to Australia’s higher education system.
A recent review by CSU management of their School of Communication has foreshadowed the reduction of three technical staff at their Bathurst campus in rural NSW.
The review emphasised the budgetary problems facing the School of Communication, in particular that “the decline in real discretionary Government funding over the last five years of approximately 25% has placed enormous pressure on the Faculty’s (of Arts) budget.”
The review goes on to state: “curriculum requirements must be set in the context of the budgetary pressure facing the school”.
“Such staff cuts impact directly on teaching quality and threaten to undermine the high reputation of courses run by CSU,” said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President.
“In addition to the impact on the three staff who could lose their jobs there will be a host of other negative flow on effects, including increased workload for the remaining staff and deterioration in future course quality.
“The NTEU supports the calls of local staff and students for a freeze on the staff cuts until an independent external review of the School of Communication can be completed.
“Although this may appear a small story nationally, it illustrates a much bigger story about the difficulties facing many regional higher education institutions from successive years of funding cuts by the Federal Government.”
For further information and comment
Dr Carolyn Allport
NTEU National President
Tel 03 9254 1910, Mob 0419 349 064
Lochlan Simond
NTEU CSU Bathurst
Ph 0421832697
Australian Council of Trade Union’s President Sharan Burrow will conduct a doorstop on the situation at CSU Bathurst campus at 1pm, June 26, next to ‘The Grange’ – headquarters of CSU Vice Chancellor Ian Goulter – near the campus main entrance.