The State Government will introduce a Bill in Parliament this December to amend the current Victoria University Act. We expect that the provision to be amended will be the objectives section, that currently includes a commitment to the western suburbs. It is proposed that these sections will be removed and that the commitment to the west will be mentioned in the preamble to the new Act.
Friends of Victoria University is seeking advice from its membership on whether to oppose the change and would appreciate any responses or opinions you might care to share.
(Please indicate whether you would like these views shared with the entire mail list or kept private if you reply)
The current objectives of the Victoria University Act are as follows.
Victoria University of Technology Act 1990 – SECT 6
Objects of the University
6. Objects of the University
The objects of the University include-
(a) the development of an institution with excellence in teaching,
training, research and scholarship, with particular emphasis on
technological development and applications of knowledge;
(b) the provision of high quality educational, research, residential,
social, recreational, sporting and other facilities;
(c) the promotion, advancement and transmission of knowledge and its
practical application by research and other means, the dissemination
by various means of the outcomes of research and the commercial
exploitation of the results of that research;
(ca) to promote critical enquiry within the university and in the general
community;
(d) the provision of a wide range of programs and courses of study in
post-secondary education, including courses of instruction or training
relevant to a trade or other skilled occupation and facilitation of
articulation between programs;
(e) the participation in commercial ventures and activities;
(ea) the conduct of teaching, research, consultancy and development
activities within and outside Australia;
(f) the fostering of the general welfare and development of all enrolled
students;
(g) the conferring of prescribed degrees and the granting of prescribed
diplomas, certificates and other awards;
(h) the offering of opportunities for development and further training to
teaching and other staff of the university;
(i) the development and provision of educational, cultural,
professional, technical and vocational services to the
community and in particular the fostering of participation in
post-secondary education for persons living or working in the
Western Metropolitan Region of Melbourne;
(j) the provision of programs and services in ways which reflect
principles of equity and social justice;
(k) generally the development and carrying on of a university providing
such appropriate and accessible academic and other programs, courses
of study and research activity as the Council considers necessary for
the attainment of the foregoing within Victoria and elsewhere.
The current Bill before Parliament would strip out objectives (i) and (j) from the Act which guarantee the commitment of the University to provide equitable postsecondary education for persons living in the Western Metropolitan Region of Melbourne.
We think the removal of the commitment in the object section may have future implications for the University’s stance towards regional western campuses in the future (e.g. St Albans, Werribee) and the commitment to ‘equitable’ education ( cost and access) in the region. Moreover as a statement of principles it is clearly important that VU remains a university of the West.
The change to the legislation is occurring is because of a State Government desires to standardise Acts and objectives for each of the Universities. However there is much to lose here by what is essentially a bureaucratic move by the State Government which will have the effect of squashing diversity and local regional connection to the University.
Friends of VU would be most interested in what you think about this change.
Regards
Raoul and Paul
Friends of Victoria University
http://friendsofvu.org.au/
January 26th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
The 1990 Act included Sunbury and Broadmeadows in the definition of “Western Metropolitan region” of Melbourne. VU had a statutory obligation to provide programs but didn’t stop the “sychophants and toecutters” in management (Don Nardella Parliament Oct 2008) closing campus. The definition should remain and be expanded to include Broadford and Kilmore (Sunbury the only Uni option for that area) but reality is campus is gone. Leased to a Private School in 2010! Jon Hickman hailed this as a “great result” – the school gets great facilities ($45m) paid by taxpayerss to provide post secondary education for Sunbury and Macedon Ranges (1993 report gifting campus to VUT) and the site still used for education purposes (which is, of course, what VU really wants. Ha Ha) Clears the way to sell off vacant land and ensure site will NEVER be suitable for post secondary campus at any time in the future, as it appears Vu would hate to see LaTrobe or anyone else providing competition. “we are catering for the needs of “Sunbury” students by providing places at campuses “to which they have access”" Bollocks. Is it a coincidence that as the Outer metro campuses close VU continues to move into the CBD. (law to CBD, hair and beauty soon off to footscray). Of course not, this is an Institution which under current management has totally lost sight of the reasons for which it was established.