Cuts may force mergers

A possible merger between Flinders and Adelaide universities is being considered by both vice-chancellors on the grounds that a merged university would be better able to compete against major universities in the eastern states for research dollars and the lucrative export education industry.

Merging the relatively small campuses of Flinders and Adelaide, which have 8000 and 12,000 students respectively, has been discussed before. Massive student and staff opposition narrowly defeated the proposal in 1989.

Students at Flinders have expressed concern that a merger would mean conforming to the situation at Adelaide University, which has fewer formal academic rights and up-front postgraduate fees across the board.

Resistance student activist Emma Webb told Green Left Weekly, "Universities will be under pressure to cut staff, close whole faculties, reduce student services and government/HECS-funded places, and restructure universities to compete for students and research dollars. The merger is being discussed in the name of increased `efficiency', but not the sort that means a better deal for staff and a better education for students."

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