Friends of Victoria University forms, calls on VU Vice-Chancellor to step down7 November
A packed community hall in Footscray last night unanimously called on the Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Harman to immediately stop its massive job cuts and campus closures, and to resign.
“Victoria University staff and students are buoyed by the enormous support from community members,” said Matthew McGowan, Victorian Secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union.
“Over 200 community members packed into the Footscray community church hall last night to stand up for the Western Suburbs, which is being abandoned by Vice-Chancellor Harman,” he said.
The meeting was chaired by Cr Michael Clarke (Maribyrnong Council), and addressed by Joanne Duncan MP, Member for Macedon and Colleen Hartland, MLC for the Western Metropolitan Region.
“There is real anger towards the senior management amongst the community at the decision to engage in the largest mass-redundancy program in Australian university history,” Mr McGowan said.
The meeting also heard from Dr Jamie Doughney, a Victoria University Council member and President of the Victorian NTEU, who explained the concocted financial crisis that Vice-Chancellor Harman has been using to justify the job cuts and closures.
Friends of Victoria University, a group dedicated to support and defend Victoria University as a valuable community asset, will be established as a result of a unanimous vote.
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