Sydney University sells economics course

By Emily McCosker

SYDNEY -- There was widespread student concern last week over the news that Sydney University's Economics 1 course has been sold to a private college. Up to 50 students who complete the private course with a credit or better will be guaranteed acceptance in the university's second year course.

Stephen Salisbury, the dean of the economics faculty, has suggested in an open letter to students that the ``alliance'' between Sydney University and the Universal Education Centre is a direct result of a 12% academic pay rise.

There are many questions as to how this course, which will be available to overseas students for a price of $12,000 a year, will be administered, and what quality of education can be guaranteed. Two weeks before the course was due to start at the Universal Education Centre, staff had still not been appointed to teach it.

With 50 students from the UEC course guaranteed admission to the second year, pressure will be placed on class sizes, particularly if the revenue raised will go towards paying existing staff, not employing more. Classes will either be more crowded, or more government students will receive failing marks in order to make room for fee-paying students.

Salisbury said that the deal will provide extra student services and will be instrumental in funding the pay rise academics won this year, since federal operating grants have been cut.

Given the likelihood that Sydney University will be accepting local fee-paying students next year, such justifications will be more and more prevalent in an attempt to deflect hostility to a ``user pays''.

The University of Sydney has been approached by other institutions interested in similar ``alliances''. It is essential that pressure is put on the university not to simply comply with the cuts and seek to find revenue through privatising education, but to demand that the federal government reverse the cuts to higher education funding.

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