BY KATE CLUGSTON
BATHURST — On July 30, Charles Sturt University (CSU) students protesting the proposed cutbacks to the Communications school will have taken action for 50 continuous days. The "Out of Order" campaign has now held the second longest student occupation of university grounds in Australia.
The longest student occupation was the 55-day sit-in to save the Aboriginal Education Unit at the University of Western Sydney (Milperra campus) in 2001.
The Out of Order campaign is calling for an independent, external review into the arts faculty's finances to address what they are calling a "mismanagement crisis". The university administration has justified cutting resources to the faculty on the basis of a lack of funds.
A protest camp site and "student consulate" has been built on the hill beside university management offices and the protesters have also been occupying the campus media centre.
On July 24, students held an "Out of Water" festival and public demonstration to celebrate 44 days of the occupation and to call for broader support for the campaign. More than 200 students and community supporters attended the rally.
NTEU representative Michelle Rangott condemned CSU's lack of consultation with staff during its human resources review and its subsequent cuts to technical and support staff in the school of communications.
CPSU representative Ian Gallaway made a $500 donation to the campaign and stated that they would continue to offer financial support where it was needed.
The Out of Order campaign has released allegations of academic misconduct which it says proves that the university is being grossly mismanaged. The allegations involve a staff member awarding grades to students without seeing all of the assessable work.
A statement issued by the university denied that it was failing to take action on the matter. It said the university had "put in train a process to examine the allegations and establish whether a case exists, allowing a full investigation to proceed".
The university administration and Vice-Chancellor Ian Goulter have made few attempts to work with the Out of Order campaign.
The Out of Order campaign is unlikely to simply roll over after almost two months of fighting. Students have now begun preliminary negotiations with the university and professional mediators are to be brought in to assist in resolving the dispute.
[For more information or to send messages of support, visit <http://proddieplanet.cjb.net.au>].
From Green Left Weekly, July 31, 2002.
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