University of Western Sydney (UWS) students have returned to their campuses after the semester break to discover significant course cuts and other changes and restrictions to their degrees. The Bankstown UWS campus has been especially hard hit. Green Left Weekly’s Stuart Munckton spoke to Megan Conner, the Bankstown UWS education officer about the attacks on the campaign being built against them.
What are the changes on Bankstown UWS?
They are huge. Up to 80% of students will be affected by course and subject cuts or their transfer to other campuses. The communications/arts course will be transferred to the Penrith campus and converted to a communications degree. Chinese medicine and naturopathy students have been transferred to the Campbelltown campus and education, aviation, Indonesian, and information technology courses will no longer be offered at the Bankstown campus. Any subject with less than 16 students enrolled will have its funding withdrawn. Also planned is the privatisation of on campus security and significant staff cuts.
How have students reacted to these attacks?
Students are really angry. There is definite sense of shock, but most students, especially those most directly affected, such as the communication students, are really pissed off. We have had students telling us that if their course is moved to another campus like Penrith they wont be able to afford to travel there, they simply wont be able to do those subjects. Other students are reporting that instead of a lecturer they are watching videos because there aren’t enough staff.We had well over a third of the student population sign a petition against the attacks in no time at all. Students were taking the petitions away to their classes and coming back with pages signed.
What is being planned in the campaign against these attacks?
The campaign is urgent and requires the full weight of the Student Representative Council behind it. On August 18 there will be a protests on campuses around the country. We will be holding a Student General Meeting (SGM) on Bankstown. The aim is to get the greatest number of students in the one place at the one time to condemn the attacks and call for their reversal. Also, the mass meeting will be able to discuss how to fight back.
The week after the SGM the UWS Board of Trustees will be meeting on Penrith UWS campus. The SGM will discuss how Bankstown students can respond, such as whether or not there is support for a part day student strike.
There is a history of successful struggle against attacks on Bankstown campus. In 1999, a mass campaign and student occupation won a series of demands around conditions on campus. If we organise, we can repeat that success.
[To get involved in the campaign, phone Megan on 0419 117 606. Megan Conner is a member of the national executive of the Resistance socialist youth organisation.]
From Green Left Weekly, August 18, 2004.
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