By Dominic Giannini, Online Sub-Editor
It has been announced that UNSW plans on “disestablishing” 236 jobs in finance, external relations functions and at the Australian Graduate School of Management.
UNSW hasn’t elaborated on what “disestablishing” means, claiming: “UNSW has an ambitious strategy to 2025 which will create 8% more jobs at the university. Indeed, since we began implementing the strategy, professional staff numbers have grown by over 4%. However, to achieve our strategic goals, UNSW needs to change and future-proof the way it deploys its professional services”.
UNSW made no mention about the 236 figure in statement to Campus Morning Mail.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has called for a national day of protest tomorrow, to combat higher education budget cuts.
“With the federal budget having confirmed the government intends to swindle students by charging more for degrees at the same time as cutting teaching funding to universities, the NTEU has called the National Day of Protest under the banner of ‘Pay More Get Less’ to highlight impacts on staff and students,” explained NTEU National President, Jeannie Rea.
“If the government’s higher education reform package passes the Senate, there will be an immediate detrimental impact on staff and students, through job losses, bigger class sizes, less course choice, more support services cut and even more employment insecurity.”
Ms Rea explains the rationale for tomorrow’s protest and general opposition to the cuts.
“More jobs require university qualifications than ever before and so we have more students in higher education than ever before,” she said.
“More people are struggling with repaying HECS/HELP debts. International students are contributing millions of dollars to the Australian economy.
“Yet Australian public investment in higher education remains amongst the lowest of advanced economies while tuition fees are amongst the highest.”
Tomorrow’s protest, which will take place at 12pm on the Library Lawn, will be an event attended by both staff and students alike.
“We are calling on politicians to heed the calls of the sector – staff, students and, in a welcome show of unity, vice chancellors – to stand up as defenders of higher education, and oppose the government’s measures,” said Ms Rea.