The students were protesting against an internal review into technical support staffing for the school of communication that has recommended significant cuts. The review suggests that some staff are producing students with skills above the entry-levels required by industry.

“The cuts are symptomatic of the university's pragmatic response to a budgetary crisis”, Students' Representative Council education vice-president Jessie Price said. “They are saying students must be taught less to save money... Management is becoming desperate as debts increase due to federal funding being pulled. They are 'dumbing down' the School of Communication as a money saving exercise.”

The Bathurst campus has long been recognised as one of Australia's best journalism training centres. This year an undergraduate journalism student was nominated for a Walkley Award before graduating, for her work at Radio National. Her prior work experience came from the university's broadcast newsroom, a facility under threat from staff cuts.

“We are asking why is management bending to the funding dictates of government and not standing up and making more of a noise”, Price said.

A copy of the staff review and its recommendations can be found on the web at <http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/arts/commun/outoforder/fix3.html>. Background information and live students web broadcasts can be found at <http://proddieplanet.cjb.net>.

From Green Left Weekly, June 19, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page. 

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