UWS staff welcome decision to reject student fee hike
But real solution must be found to funding crisis.
NTEU has praised the University of Western Sydney’s decision yesterday, to rule out any increase in student HECS fees in 2005.
The decision not to increase fees has been made despite the University’s funding crisis, which if not addressed, will have significant implications for the quality of education for students in Western Sydney.
“We are very happy that the University has made this decision which signals that, unlike many other Universities, it does not see slugging its students as a proper and sustainable means of addressing the funding crisis brought on by years of inadequate Government funding”, said Robyn Moroney, President of the UWS Branch of the NTEU, which represents over a thousand academic and general staff of the University.
“This decision recognises the important role of the University to the Western Sydney region and the opportunities that it provides for students of low socio-economic backgrounds. A fee hike in the order of 25 per cent, such as those which have been approved by other institutions, would have had a disastrous effect on the ability of potential students from the area to pursue higher education”, Ms Moroney said.
“Nevertheless, we are still gravely concerned with the ongoing funding situation at UWS, particularly in light of media reports on Wednesday of this week which suggested that the University could face an unexpected deficit of $19m for 2004”, she continued.
“The failure to provide adequate funding to public universities has serious implications for access and quality, from increases in class sizes, to lack of availability of resources, significant clinical/field placement reduction and courses and programmes being cancelled. At the same time, the overall trend is for students to meet an ever increasing proportion of the costs of running Universities, resulting more and more in a system where your ability to attend University is determined by ability to pay, rather than your academic potential.”
“What is needed is a real commitment from a Federal Government to ensure adequate and indexed public funding of our University”.
“We urge other members of the Western Sydney community to take note of the track record of their local candidates on higher education in the upcoming Federal election. Voters should keep in mind the influence their vote may have in determining the ability of people in Western Sydney to attend UWS and ensuring it doesn’t become a cash strapped institution providing an inferior University experience for its students” concluded Ms Moroney.
Contact:Robyn Moroney, President, NTEU UWS Branch,
(02) 4570 1931 or 0417 651 945