‘Student-centred learning’ at the University of Wollongong is a Farce

In the most recent edition of the University’s propaganda publication, ‘Campus news’ (March 2005 - http://media.uow.edu.au/campus-news) the University announces that it has the highest rate of graduates employed in the two months after graduation and the lowest first year drop-out rate of the other Australia’s universities. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton has attributed the University’s success to its "student-centred" approach. In response to this claim, I would like to bring your attention to the following.

In 1997, the Liberal party increased HECS at an unprecedented rate. This gave our University more money to spend on students and would have allowed it to become student-centred. Over the eight years since then, the number of students in tutorials has risen from about 17 to about 22. Students were unfairly slugged by the GST in 2001 and the 8% textbook subsidy that was supposed to offset the 10% GST on textbooks has since been removed. The financial support that students have received during this period has fallen, in real terms, both in their study entitlements such as youth allowance and Austudy and in their pay rates for casual and part-time employment. The student-welfare support mechanism such as WUSA, WUPA and the University’s counseling service has been undermined by the government through VSU attacks in 1998 and 2005 and through the systemic underfunding by our University. In their February meeting, the University Council voted almost unanimously (only three people voted against it) to increase HECS by 25% starting in 2006. If the University is centred on students, then why do they get less education and support but have to pay more for it?

In the very publication that the University makes the outlandish claim of being student-centred, there are sixteen articles:

1. About a faculty Dean,

2. About an Associate Professor,

3. About the $15 a head Suzuki lecture that would have seen more staff attend than students,

4. About the late Dr Ray Cleary - former head of the Shoalhaven campus,

5. About the former Vice-Principal (Administration) and his relationship with Thailand,

6. About the UoW Dubai campus,

7. About the new CEO of the Dubai campus,

8. About State Minister Frank Sator and water recycling,

9. About a business deal between UoW and the University of Queensland to commercialise research,

10. About the Medical School and how in the future we will be able to "train super students",

11. About a herbarium,

12. About awards (a former UoW student, the UoW’s sub-company’s record as an employer, a Professor and Associate Professor, and a lecturer),

13. About a mental health project,

14. About an Ambassador who has recently enrolled in a Masters at Wollongong (a student yes, but hardly the type of student who needs the University to centre on his needs),

15. About the dubious ‘student-centred’ claim and finally

16. About students (its about the new WUPA publication Rhizome and is on the top of the last page or at http://www.uow.edu.au/wupa, if anyone is interested).

Why does it appear that over 17,000 UoW students did only one relevant thing in three months? Why are students getting completely outgunned by the staff? Come on people lift your act.

The VC’s claim that the excellent drop-out rate is because of something the University does is farcical. People stay at Uni in Wollongong because if they don’t they are unemployed and still live in Wollongong. I wouldn’t have thought it was rocket science to link the two. I suspect that the VC has ignored this and has taken the opportunity to try to boost the University’s reputation. The one thing that links all 16 articles is the University’s reputation.

The Liberal party has attacked students for over nine years now and we attend a University that does not defend its students from these attacks, let alone centre on them. I think it is about time students demand that the University come good on its propaganda. I put it to the VC – Either change the name of ‘Campus News’ to ‘Reputation-centred learning’ so that it reflects the nature of the publication or come good on your promises. If you’re appalled by the University’s rhetoric and want to do something about it, please email WUSA’s Education Campaigns Coordinator at education@wusa.uow.edu.au.