Read the transcript of the ABC radio program

Read The Australian article

MEDIA RELEASE

April 30, 2009

CONCERN CUTBACKS TO UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSES REFLECT A BROADER TREND

Mr Sam Afra, Chairperson of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) expressed concern today that extensive cutbacks to Victoria University’s foreign language program reflected a broader decline in the opportunity to study languages other than English (LOTE) in Victorian tertiary institutions.

“The announcement that Victoria University students will no longer be able to study Japanese, Chinese or Spanish on campus is deeply disappointing and already a source of alarm to current and prospective students,” Mr Afra said.

On Tuesday it was confirmed that from 2010 only one LOTE course will be on offer at Victoria University – Vietnamese, with arrangements made for Victoria University students of Chinese, Japanese or Spanish to continue their language studies at the University of Melbourne.

“While I appreciate that many tertiary institutions are struggling with increased competition for a shrinking pool of available finances, too often it is Humanities courses such as foreign languages and cross-cultural studies that suffer first and suffer hardest,” Mr Afra said.

Mr Afra noted that Mandarin and Japanese were among the target languages identified by the Australian Government’s own National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP).

“As recently as December last year, the NALSSP was setting a 2020 timeline for one in eight Australian students exiting Year 12 with sufficient fluency in one of these languages to engage in trade and commerce in Asia and/or pursue further university study.”

“The obvious question arising from the cutbacks at Victoria University is: where will this expectant surge in bilingual Year 12 students go ?”

Mr Afra also expressed concern that shuttling Victoria University LOTE students across to the University of Melbourne was not a viable option in the long term.

“I understand that at the moment, second and third year Spanish students at the University of Melbourne already have to transfer across to La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus to complete their studies,” Mr Afra explained.

“So that means from 2010, a Victoria University student wishing to complete an Honours degree in Spanish can expect to hopscotch between three different Universities around Melbourne. Clearly, this is not the most conducive system for living or learning. Nor is it in keeping with the hard-earned image of Victoria as a prime destination for international activity and home to cultural diversity.”

Mr Afra said that if Universities needed to explore ways of pooling resources to deliver LOTE courses, then greater effort was needed to ensure the availability of an adequate number and variety of LOTE spaces to meet demand without causing undue inconvenience to students.

Related posts:

1. Australian Mathematical Science Institute says cuts to Maths staff at VU will lead to teacher shortages in West Australian Mathematical Science Institute says cuts to Maths staff at...
2. VU increases staff workloads and reduces support for students Victoria University management has recently moved unilaterally increase workloads of...
3. Keep Languages in the West The Victoria University NTEU branch, and Friends of VU, are...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Friends of Victoria University have thrown their support behind industrial action at the western suburbs university.

“We fully support the decision to take this action, without the academics there are no courses, no students and less opportunities for our young people,” Friends of Victoria University (FoVU) co-convenor Raoul Wainwright said.

“At the moment the only thing standing in the way of campus closures and course reductions is the industrial action of the NTEU.”

FoVU were scheduled to hold discussions with the University on March 5, however as this is now a day of action, the meeting has been postponed.

FoVU co-convenor Cr Broden Borg called on all staff, students and the community to support the strike action.

“We need to do all that we can to keep the Melton and Sunbury campuses open and people need to understand that the fight isn’t over.”

FoVU called on Victoria University to immediately release details on what courses were being considered for closure.

“Students, parents and career advisers are making decisions every day about course options for young people. Without this information students may be aiming for a course that is targeted for termination,” Mr Wainwright said.

“The University must consult openly and honestly with the community, before decisions are made.”

- Ends –

Related posts:

1. VU increases staff workloads and reduces support for students Victoria University management has recently moved unilaterally increase workloads of...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Friends of Victoria University representatives met with VU Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Peter Creamer yesterday.

Friends of Victoria University Co-Convenor Raoul Wainwright said the group called on the University to immediately release information on what courses are under threat for 2010.

“VU should outline clearly what courses will be impacted by cuts so that students and parents can make informed decisions about the future,” Mr Wainwright said.

“Our group has also called on VU to reverse the decision to close the Melton on Sunbury campuses. We have called on the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor to make themselves available for community meetings in Melton and Sunbury.”

VU should suspend its decision to close the Sunbury and Melton campuses while it engages in a consultative process with those communities and other stakeholders.

“Our meeting with Prof Creamer was amicable and constructive and we discussed how we can work together in the future.”

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Read The Age article here.

Read the NTEU media release.

Chancellor undermines freedom of speech at Victoria University

This is a very sad day for Victoria University today.

If you have not seen the Age (see below), the Chancellor of the University appears to be seeking to take defamation action against the staff representative on VU Council and NTEU State President Dr. Jamie Doughney over his comments made about the University budget.

The right of any staff member to raise criticisms about the University budget should be clearly a basic right at any university in Australia.

The Chancellor’s decision to threaten Dr. Doughney with defamation action clearly undermines the ability of staff members in the University to raise criticism or questions in any of the governance forums of the University or indeed within the class room – the critical role of this University has been seriously damaged and therefore the quality of education and inquiry which Victoria University is able to provide.

Senior management of Victoria University also continues to show that it is only able to work in a threatening way and is unable to problem solve or work with the community, staff and students in a constructive fashion.

This is extremely worrying for the future of the University.

I am appalled by this most recent development.

– Paul Adams
– Secretary of Friends of VU

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.