Chinese community Council rally

Dear Friend of VU

Attached media release from Chinese community Council rally today opposing closure of Languages other than English at VU.

Between 100-200 attended – in what was a rousing and vocal rally – in attendance also was Sam Afra Chairperson of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (see another media release below), and the secretary of NUS and Hong Lim, parliamentarian.

The rally appears to have also concerned Victoria University’s administration enough to have K Block, the administrative block in which the Vice Chancellor’s office is housed, locked down for the duration of the rally.

Regards
Paul
www.friendsofvu.org.au

Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria

MEDIA RELEASE
April 30, 2009

CONCERN CUTBACKS TO UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSES REFLECT A BROADER TREND

Mr Sam Afra, Chairperson of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) expressed concern today that extensive cutbacks to Victoria University’s foreign language program reflected a broader decline in the opportunity to study languages other than English (LOTE) in Victorian tertiary institutions.

“The announcement that Victoria University students will no longer be able to study Japanese, Chinese or Spanish on campus is deeply disappointing and already a source of alarm to current and prospective students,” Mr Afra said.

On Tuesday it was confirmed that from 2010 only one LOTE course will be on offer at Victoria University – Vietnamese, with arrangements made for Victoria University students of Chinese, Japanese or Spanish to continue their language studies at the University of Melbourne.“While I appreciate that many tertiary institutions are struggling with increased competition for a shrinking pool of available finances, too often it is Humanities courses such as foreign languages and cross-cultural studies that suffer first and suffer hardest,” Mr Afra said

Mr Afra noted that Mandarin and Japanese were among the target languages identified by the Australian Government’s own National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP).

“As recently as December last year, the NALSSP was setting a 2020 timeline for one in eight Australian students exiting Year 12 with sufficient fluency in one of these languages to engage in trade and commerce in Asia and/or pursue further university study.”

“The obvious question arising from the cutbacks at Victoria University is: where will this expectant surge in bilingual Year 12 students go ?”Mr Afra also expressed concern that shuttling Victoria University LOTE students across to the University of Melbourne was not a viable option in the long term.

“I understand that at the moment, second and third year Spanish students at the University of Melbourne already have to transfer across to La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus to complete their studies,” Mr Afra explained.

“So that means from 2010, a Victoria University student wishing to complete an Honours degree in Spanish can expect to hopscotch between three different Universities around Melbourne. Clearly, this is not the most conducive system for living or learning. Nor is it in keeping with the hard-earned image of Victoria as a prime destination for international activity and home to cultural diversity.”

Mr Afra said that if Universities needed to explore ways of pooling resources to deliver LOTE courses, then greater effort was needed to ensure the availability of an adequate number and variety of LOTE spaces to meet demand without causing undue inconvenience to students.

Chinese Community Council Demonstration

Dear Friend of VU

The Chinese Community Council of Victoria is organizing a demonstration of 100-200 people to protest against the closure of Chinese languages and Languages other than English (LOTES) this Monday 4th May at Victoria University with the exception of Vietnamese.

Can you please consider supporting this protest. Details are as follows: Chinese Community Council Demonstration against closure of Chinese Languages

Time: 1 pm,
Day: Monday
Date: 4 May
Place: Outside K Block, Footscray Park campus, outside K Block, Ballarat road, Footscray

Closure of LOTE

Closure of Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
at Victoria University

LOTEs offered at Victoria University include Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Spanish. From 2010, with the exception of the Vietnamese, Victoria University will have no further intake into first year LOTEs programs and these programs will be gradually taught out.
This would be a considerable loss for Victoria University which has one of the most diverse student populations in Australia.

In a recent public statement Victoria University has indicated that it will be negotiating from 2010 for students at VU to undertake LOTEs at Melbourne University. However, it remains to be seen whether students at VU will be able to undertake these languages without restriction (e.g. only students with sufficient enter scores) and/or whether there will sufficient places in language units at the University of Melbourne for all VU students who may wish to undertake a language. The current LOTE have been developed at VU since the 1990s in response to national language policies, and to the needs and demands of employers for graduates with qualifications in world and community languages. Chinese, Spanish and Japanese are 3 of the major world languages. LOTE also receives a much higher level of funding per student than other Arts units of study.

Reasons for retaining LOTE at Victoria University
There will be an increased need for LOTE teacher training at VU from 2009, because of recent Federal Government initiatives.
The National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools program starts in January 2009. This $62.4m program targets Asian language learning in schools, specifically Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, Korean.
This program supports: additional Asian languages classes in high schools; teacher training and support to increase the number of suitably qualified teachers; specialist curricula for students who display advanced abilities in Asian languages and studies. (The most acute area of Asian language teacher shortage is Japanese.)
The Rudd Government has identified all languages as part of the second tranch of national curriculum development. (Eg. The National Curriculum Board will work with the States and Territories from 2009 to provide incentives for school students to become proficient in a language.)

SIGNIFICANCE OF LOTE:Australian employers consider the ability to speak a second language makes a potential employee a more attractive employment prospect. 72% of employers surveyed (73 companies across 10 industries) considered that a second language enhanced a candidate’s employment prospects (International Education Association of Australia & QETI, 2006.)

The languages considered most useful by employers are: Chinese; SE Asian languages; Spanish; Japanese. (Chinese is now the most spoken language in the world; in the next decade, Spanish and Hindi will overtake English as the second-most spoken languages.) LOTES provide opportunities for internationalisations: VU students studying abroad, exchanges and attraction of international students. The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of Languages. Unesco states:

‘Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet . . . When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity . . . In this context, it is urgent to take action to promote multilingualism [. . . ] allowing each speaker community to use its mother tongue in private and public domains of language use and enabling the speakers to learn and use additional languages: local, national and international. Mother-tongue speakers of national or international languages should be encouraged to learn and use other languages of the country and regional and international languages.’

Alternatives to closing LOTE
Enrolment numbers in later year LOTE units at VU have been smaller than other Arts units because:
· The tight structure of vocational degrees at VU means that students can take only a small number of electives. Business and Law students usually take first year LOTE units, and not later year units.
· LOTE delivery does not accommodate vocational degree students (ie. Nursing) not at Footscray Park campus.
· LOTE have not been offered to Education students as teaching methods. (Japanese has VIT approval for 2009.)

However, there are a range of alternatives which have not been fully considered.
1. LOTE could be made available to a larger cohort of students. All LOTE could be offered as teaching methods in Bachelor of Education (HBED). Better timetabling to enable more students to choose LOTE; evening and burst mode delivery; more online support. All LOTES could be offered winter semester. Opportunities for students in vocational degrees and in cross-sectoral courses could be increased (ie. Liberal Arts) to study LOTE.
2. Delivery costs could be reduced for LOTE. Implement evening, burst mode and online delivery.
3. LOTE could be internationalised.·
Double degrees developed specifying LOTE (ie. degrees combined with BA, International Studies - ABA).Increase opportunities for study abroad and student exchange, particularly with China, Japan and Vietnam. (Current opportunities could include: China and Vietnam Study Tours; exchange agreements with 7 universities in Spain and Mexico, Utsonomiya University in Japan.) Expedite current exchange negotiations with Liaoning University (China) and Tokyo Gakugei University (Japan).

LOTEs must be retained at Victoria University.
Please consider sending a protest email to Elizabeth Harman Vice Chancellor Victoria University elizabeth.harman@vu.edu.au, emailing your local parliamentarian (see below), or writing a letter to your local newspaper.
Gillard Julia The Hon Ms MP Lalor
Vamvakinou Maria Ms Ms MP
Calwell Roxon Nicola The Hon Ms MP Gellibrand
Shorten Bill The Hon Mr MP Maribyrnong
Kosky Lynne The Hon Ms MP Altona
Brumby John The Hon Mr MP Broadmeadows
Languiller Telmo The Hon Mr MP Derrimut
Maddigan Judy The Hon Ms MP Essendon
Thomson Marsha The Hon Ms MP Footscray
Kairouz Marlene The Hon Ms MP Kororoit
Pike Bronwyn The Hon Ms MP Melbourne
Nardella Don The Hon Mr MP Melton
Duncan Joanne The Hon Ms MP Macedon
Noonan Wade The Hon Mr MP Williamstown
Eideh Khalil The Hon Mr MP Western Metropolitan
Hartland Colleen The Hon Ms MP Western Metropolitan
Madden Justin The Hon Mr MP Western Metropolitan
Pakula Martin The Hon Mr MP Western Metropolitan

For further information, please contact Friends of Victoria University.
www.friendsofvu.org

Community Forum 1 April 2009

Dear Friend of Victoria University

Official Community Forum to discuss the closure of the Victoria University Melton Campus hosted by the Shire of Melton.

When: 1 April, 7.30 pm
Where: Melton Community Hall,
232 High Street Melton, Next to Melton Shire Civic Offices


(More details soon)

Reply to Vice Chancellor Harman

Dear Friend of Victoria University

In response to a letter sent to all western region politicians by Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Harman attempting to justifying campus closures and the decision to sack 270 staff, Friends of Victoria University have recently sent a letter in reply. For your interest and edification, please find a copy of the letter below and attached.

Regards
Paul


Wednesday 18 March


Dear ___________________


The Friends of Victoria University (FoVU) is a community group formed to represent the interests of the community, students and staff. FoVU is dedicated to working cooperatively with the University to maximise educational opportunities in the western suburbs.

On March 6 2009 the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University (VU) wrote to you concerning campus closures and staff redundancies. In 15 pages of material the Vice Chancellor sought to defend the VU Council’s decisions of late October 2008. The Friends of Victoria University want to take this opportunity to provide a brief response to the Vice Chancellor’s letter.

A Flawed and Secretive Process

The Vice Chancellor does not address one of the central criticisms that has been levelled at VU Council and management, that of a lack of consultation. As early as 28 October 2008 Don Nardella MP, Member for Melton enunciated this view in the Legislative Assembly:

“Professor Harman does not care, does not undertake real consultation or listen to reason, and is callous about sacking 270 people, with real families, just before Christmas. ….. For an intellectual, Professor Harman has not done any hard thinking in conjunction with local communities, students, staff and other stakeholders to build this institution, not to disassemble it and weaken it…”

FoVU believes that the secretive way that the campus closures was considered and decided upon is constitutes unacceptable behaviour from a major public institution. VU failed to consult the local communities, Commonwealth, State and Local Governments, staff and students.

The timing of the decision, to coincide with the completion of the academic year, was also ill-considered. The criticism in relation to process is not a point-scoring exercise about the past. Currently the University is considering which courses will continue to be offered.

VU refuse to be open with the community about which courses may be cut. Again, it is their intention to make a decision first and notify the community last.

Education in Sunbury and Melton

The Vice Chancellor seeks to justify the decision to close these campuses. One of the factors she points to is the proportion of local students at the campuses. Our response is that the central purpose of VU is to help overcome the long-standing under-representation of Western Suburbs students participating in higher education.

The goal should be to increase the proportion of local students, and VU and stakeholders should do the ‘hard thinking’ required to achieve that. Context is also important here, and while the current proportion of local students is not high enough, it will be zero when the Melton and Sunbury campuses close.

And of course our major consideration should be those students, present and future, who will be lost to higher education altogether due to this decision.

FoVU feels that one thing is certain; closing the Melton and Sunbury campuses will reduce the level of participation in higher education within those communities. This runs counter to the legislated objectives of VU and counter to the policy of the Commonwealth Government, announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on March 9 2009.

“I want to announce today that the Government will pursue vigorously the ambition that by 2020, 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at undergraduate level should be of people from low socio-economic backgrounds. … Equity is an essential element of reform. We want to see our higher education institutions giving every Australian the opportunities they deserve and the nation needs.”

We believe it is not too late for VU to reconsider their decision to close the Melton and Sunbury campuses.

Worsening Student-Staff Ratios: Disadvantaging low SES students in the west

In October 15 last year the Vice Chancellor announced 270 academic staff would be retrenched or one quarter of the entire academic workforce which would give Victoria University, if carried out, the equal worst student/staff ratio in Australia (with CQU). At the present time the University has the sixth worst student/staff ratio in Australia.

The Vice Chancellor also claims that employee costs are too high. However, VU’s academic teaching pay scale is ranked 30 out of 37 in Australia. The poor student-staff ratio and relatively low pay rates makes VU academic staff the sixth most productive academic workforce in Australia.

The Vice Chancellor claims in her letter that ‘many staff understand’ the need for retrenchments at the University. In fact in a recent industrial ballot conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission over 90% of NTEU members voted to take industrial action, as a result of the the proposed retrenchments among other things.

We call on you to write to the VU Council and ask them to embark on a process with the community and Governments to develop an alternative strategy.

We also want to take this opportunity to invite you to become an Associate Member of FoVU to recognise the unique role that the community played in the formation of VU and the vital role that we need to play in ensuring a strong future for our university.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely
Raoul Wainright and Broden Borg
Friends of Victoria University Co-Convenors
www.friendsofvu.org.au

FOVU Stop Press: Industrial action suspended at Victoria University

Dear Friend of Victoria University

Industrial action which was scheduled by the NTEU at Victoria University for Thursday 12, Friday 13, Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18, Monday 23, and Friday 27 March has been suspended.

President of the VU NTEU Richard Gough indicated in a recent email to staff that substantial progress in negotiations for a new collective agreement was made at a meeting with management today.

The NTEU remains concerned about the processes associated with Sustainable VU and the possibility of retrenchments.

However, the NTEU believes at the present time sufficient progress has been made to warrant suspending industrial action for the time being.We will keep you updated on developments. Once again the support from students, the community and staff has been decisive in this positive outcome.

Best
Paul
www.friendsofvu.org.au

INDUSTRIAL ACTION CALLED OFF AT VU

Dear Students

I am pleased to advise that proposed industrial action at Victoria University has been called off and that classes and services will continue to be provided without disruption.

The issues in dispute have been worked through in a series of productive meetings between the University and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

Further discussions between the University and the NTEU are planned in order to reach agreement on the details of the new Agreement and we remain optimistic that this semester can continue without the threat of disruption through industrial action.

I thank students and staff for their patience throughout these processes.

Professor John McCallum
Acting Vice-Chancellor and President
10 March 2009

Stephen Weller
Pro Vice-Chancellor Students

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
03-9919-5460
stephen.weller@vu.edu.au
www.vu.edu.au/people/stephenweller

VU strike action temporarily called off

Dear Friend of VU

Thank you all your offers of terrific support received this week from students and the local community in support of staff taking industrial action at Victoria University this week.

Industrial action has been temporarily suspended on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March this week to allow for further discussions, following some initial helpful negotiations between the NTEU and senior management of the University.

Industrial action for Thursday and Friday this week will therefore be delayed for 1 week, but unless significant progress continues strike action will again proceed from Thursday March 12 and Friday March 13.

This suspension comes following helpful, but not conclusive, negotiations with senior management of the University.

However, there still remains significant differences between the parties on a number of issues, including the need for the current forced redundancy processes which the University has refused to step away from entirely for 2009.

Other issues such as class sizes, campus closures and VU’s worsening student/staff ratio also remain live issues for the quality of education at Victoria University, and Friends of VU will need to remain vigilant. We will keep you informed as matters progress.

Regards
Paul
www.friendsofvu.org.au

VU academics to begin rolling strikes

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25101161-12332,00.html

Andrew Trounson February 24, 2009

VICTORIA University is facing a campaign of rolling strikes after academics voted in favour of an indefinite industrial campaign against the university's redundancy plans.

Members of the National Tertiary Education Union will from next week strike for two days a week at different campuses.

With students already back on campus some classes may be disrupted. The NTEU said it would aim to minimise disruption for student by staggering stoppages.

The union says it is taking protected action to seek job security provisions under a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

"We want the university to back off on its current redundancy plans and deal with this more through negotiation," NTEU Victorian secretary Matthew McGowan told The Australian Online.

VU deputy vice-chancellor Jon Hickman said the strike action was disappointing given the university believed most items on the EBA had been agreed.

"The main points of difference with the NTEU remain with their demand that the new agreement include a clause committing the university to no forced redundancies during the life of the agreement," Mr Hickman said.

"Given the university's commitment to financial sustainability, it would be irresponsible for us to commit unequivocally to a no-forced-redundancies provision without potentially impacting negatively on the university financial status and staff's long-term job security," he said.

VU vice chancellor Elizabeth Harman is seeking $27 million in annual cost savings that she says are need to make the university sustainable in an environment of rising costs outstripping revenue increases.

After last year initially flagging compulsory redundancies and up to 270 job losses, the VU has so far limited job losses to a voluntary programme from which it has secured $7 million worth of savings.

But further job cuts remain on the agenda. Earlier this month Professor Harman warned staff that while VU's staff-student ratios were close to national averages, it was paying more staff at senior lecturer level and above than other universities.

"Therefore we will have to be careful in making decisions on staff changes and redundancies in order to solve the financial problem," Professor Harman said.

But the NTEU says redundancies are unnecessary given a surplus last year of $17 million. It also notes that the university is set to get an extra $10 million to $20 million in funding from 2010 if the federal government implements the Bradley Review of higher education that seeks to encourage universities like VU in Melbourne's lower income western suburbs to expand. But Harman said the extra money would not change the need to cut staff costs.

"We must act now to change this so that we are able to use any new money to help more low SES (social economic status) students to succeed at university," she said.

Motions for Industrial action

Industrial action to begin at Victoria University next week

Victoria University staff voted at a meetings on Monday and Tuesday to begin a campaign of industrial action which will begin from next week. The two motions which were passed are included below.

Supported motions from NTEU meetings 23rd February Footscray Park and 24th February, St Albans.

1. That we, Victoria University’s staff, record our dismay at the University management’s failure to negotiate a settlement with the Union that would restore job security, acceptable workloads, a fair pay outcome, and decent working conditions for all staff.

Management’s refusal to negotiate such a settlement means that VU’s general and academic staff are all at risk from the largest program of lay-offs, proportionally speaking, in Australian university history — and that the workloads of staff who remain will become a serious risk to health and morale.

Noting the impending release of the federal government’s response to the Bradley review and the University’s $17 million surplus in 2008, we are convinced that the proposed lay-offs are unnecessary.

Further, the changes to workloads are drawing staff time away from the core business of the University, while ongoing faculty restructures will reduce the productivity of general staff and reduced opportunities for sessional staff will undermine the University’s long-term staff development.

This meeting reiterates its lack of confidence in the Vice-Chancellor and the senior management of the University.

2. That we, the Victoria University Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, resolve to take rolling strike action in the form of two consecutive 24-hour strikes at all campuses in each week, commencing in Week 2 of First Semester until further notice.

Strike action will be staggered across a roster of days each week, in order to maximise the pressure on University management and minimise the impact on particular groups of students and staff.

This meeting directs the Branch officers to convene a meeting of members in the week starting 16 March, to review management’s response to date and to agree on dates for further strike action.

If genuine and significant progress is made in negotiating our claims, this meeting authorises the Branch President to suspend or vary the above schedule of strike action.

Finally, we note this is the first time that staff have ever taken such significant rolling strike action at an Australian university — but we also note that no Australian university has ever before treated its staff and students with such contempt.

Industrial Action

Victoria University Staff Vote to Re-start Industrial Action
MEDIA RELEASE
25 February 2009

Staff at Victoria University voted to re-start industrial action next week to protect jobs and keep class sizes low, the NTEU announced today.

“Strikes will commence next week and continue for the next three weeks, unless the Victoria University senior management genuinely negotiate for a collective agreement with job security and reasonable workload management,” said Richard Gough, President, Victoria University NTEU Branch.

Union members met at mass meetings on Monday and Tuesday at the Footscray and St. Albans campuses to vote on the strike.

“Victoria University is at 106% enrolment, which according to the Vice Chancellor adds up to over $8 million. The university also projects it will receive up to $10 million more in 2010 and $20 million in 2011 from the Federal Government, which shines the light on any financial excuse for the redundancies,” Mr Gough said.

“While there has bee no serious analysis on the impact of job losses on the institution and its students, the senior management continue to promote the need for forced redundancies,” he said.

Last year, the university announced a decision to sack 270 staff, equivalent to a quarter of their academic staff, and a fifth of their general staff.

“Academic staff know that the only way to ensure that teaching and learning standards are maintained is to take industrial action now to ensure class sizes don’t get worse. Class sizes for students at Victoria University will be the worst in Australia if the job cuts go ahead.”

“We are running on empty now. Staff to student ratios will go up, students are facing unprecedented course and subject cuts, and less time with lecturers and tutors,” Mr Gough said.

A two day, 48 hour strike will take place next week on Thursday 5 March and Friday 6 March, with subsequent rounds of strike action for the following two weeks.

“Staff and students know that the strikes can be ended if the University comes to the table,” he said.

Strike Dates at Victoria University
Thursday 5 March & Friday 6 March
Tuesday 10 March & Wednesday 11 March
Monday 16 March & Friday 20 March

Are the cuts to staff and services necessary at VU?

Is the University budget currently in deficit?
Will there be forced retrenchments?
Are there alternatives to sacking staff?
Are there alternative cash savings which the University could implement immediately to prevent retrenchments?

To find the answers to these questions, please go to http://friendsofvu.org.au/ and click on the 'The Shorter Version of the Victoria University Budget, retrenchments and everything'.

Friends of VU Meeting

The first meeting for 2009 of Friends of Victoria University will be held at:

Time: 5.30 pm on Monday
Date: 9 February
Place: Room E124, Building E (Basement, Ground level)
Victoria University, Footscray Park campus, Ballarat Road, Footscray

Agenda items for discussion:

1. Report backs – VU, Melton, Sunbury campaigns
2. Friends of VU meeting with Peter Creamer,Pro Vice Chancellor - Industry and Community
3. Planning for Melton and Sunbury public meetings
4. Discussion of support for VU campaign – students and staff.
5. Other business/further ideas for action.

For more information http://friendsofvu.org.au/

Letter from Professors of Victoria University

We write as members of the professoriate at Victoria University to decry the threat of legal action for defamation against our respected colleague, Dr James Doughney, by the Chancellor, Justice Frank Vincent. (The Age, 18 and 19 December 2008.) The Chancellor’s decision to threaten Dr. Doughney with defamation action clearly undermines the ability of any staff member in the University to publicly raise criticisms or questions in relation to the governance of the University.

It is a sad day for freedom of speech when a person of Justice Vincent’s standing attempts to gag an elected staff representative on the university council for frankly and fearlessly speaking his mind. When John Cain, the father of the Solicitor-General charged with sending the letter to Jamie Doughney, co-authored a book entitled 'Off Course', no legal action followed. In that book he subjected the commercial transactions of the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Alan Gilbert, to rigorous scrutiny, and was far more critical of that VC's actions than in the current context. Cain's critique was understood to be fair comment. The same is true of Doughney's.

Dr Doughney, as an elected staff representative on the university council, has employed his considerable professional expertise to raise concerns about the justifications used by senior management in their attempt to slash jobs and courses at Victoria University. Concerns about the validity of the justifications given by the Vice Chancellor for the cuts, as well as the entire process, are shared by the majority of VU staff. The right of any staff member to make criticisms about University processes and the budget should be a basic right at any university in Australia. It is also a particularly important role for our staff representatives and the fact that the representative may simultaneously hold a position within the Union is irrelevant. The University is a public institution and controversial public comments should be debated in public.

A university is about argument and debate and this at times will be passionate. It is not about conformity and mediocrity, about turning VU into the kind of place where staff are too afraid to speak their minds. This threat of legal action should be immediately withdrawn. It is inconsistent with the principles of freedom of speech and open debate which have traditionally been at the heart of the University’s mission. There are times when to remain silent is to run the risk of becoming complicit. The attempted silencing of our colleague threatens the academic freedom of us all.

Professor Jill Astbury
Professor Dorothy Bruck
Professor Phillip Deery
A/Professor David McCallum
Professor Emeritus John McLaren
Professor Carolyn NobleProfessor and
Dean Laureate Robert Pascoe

School of Social Sciences and Psychology,
Victoria University

Professors turn on uni boss

http://www.theage.com.au/national/professors-turn-on-uni-boss-20081219-72fp.h

David Rood
December 20, 2008 - 1:23AM
The Age

A COALITION of Victoria University professors has criticised the university's chancellor over a threat to sue a senior academic for defamation, saying it undermines academics' ability to speak their minds.

In a letter published in today's Age, the professors "decry" chancellor Justice Frank Vincent's legal threat against academic James Doughney — a member of the university's governing council — for attacking university leaders over their plans to scrap hundreds of jobs.

The six professors, including the former dean of arts, Rob Pascoe, also accused the university of trying to silence Dr Doughney and demanded the legal threat be immediately withdrawn.

"It is a sad day for freedom of speech when a person of Justice Vincent's standing attempts to gag an elected staff representative on the university council for frankly and fearlessly speaking his mind," they wrote.

"A university is not about conformity and mediocrity, about turning Victoria University into the kind of place where staff are too afraid to speak their minds.

"Last week, State Government solicitor John Cain jnr sent a letter to Dr Doughney on behalf of Justice Vincent, demanding he withdraw and apologise for "false and defamatory allegations" regarding the job cuts.

In October, The Age revealed Dr Doughney had sent a six-page letter to state and federal MPs accusing vice-chancellor Professor Elizabeth Harman of using a "pea-and-thimble trick" to create a cash crisis to justify slashing 270 jobs.

In a second letter to The Age, another Victoria University academic said Dr Doughney had the overwhelming support of most academics."We didn't put him there to rubber-stamp decisions made in advance and in secret by a small group of senior managers and councillors who have made a mockery of the spirit of democratic university governance," the lecturer wrote.

Dr Doughney, who is also president of the state tertiary union, has accused Justice Vincent of trying to prevent him from expressing legitimate views about how the university is run.But Justice Vincent has defended his decision to engage the Government's solicitor, saying the legal letter was sent on advice from senior counsel that Dr Doughney's statements were defamatory.

BRADLEY RECOMMENDS $6BILLION UNIVERSITY INVESTMENT

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/bradley_recommends_6billion_un

17 December 2009

The National Tertiary Education Union today welcomed the release by the Minister for Education Julia Gillard, of the final report of the Review of Australian Higher Education.

“The report’s recommendations for significantly increased public investment for both teaching and research in higher education are strongly supported by NTEU. The proposed injection of nearly $6 billion over 4 years will go a long way to improving the quality and accessibility of universities after 15 years of neglect. The importance of regionally based and outer metropolitan universities is recognised and the report’s specific recommendations will help promote the future viability of regional Australia.”

“NTEU is encouraged that the Minister has indicated that the Government’s response to the Report will be based on the core principles of opportunity for all, access based on merit and not ability to pay and maintenance of academic freedom and institutional autonomy,” Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President, said today.

“The Union strongly supports recommendations for improved student income and scholarship support. Increased educational opportunity is critical to improving workforce participation and productivity, especially among those who are seeking a second chance education. Indigenous education and participation is an important example”, said Dr Allport.
One of the important issues identified in the report is that of recruitment and retention of academic staff within universities.

“We look forward to working with both Government and individual universities to help develop strategies to overcome impending staffing shortages including policies aimed at increasing the number of home-grown academics, training more postgraduate students, improving the relative attractiveness of working conditions, and providing greater job security and flexibility in working arrangements.”

“The proposed student demand driven model needs further consideration. The introduction of such a model may undermine the viability of the provision of less popular, high cost and nationally important education programs in science, mathematics and languages”, said Dr Allport.

NTEU strongly opposes any re-introduction of full-fees for domestic undergraduate students as proposed in the Report, which runs contrary to the Minister’s decision earlier in 2008 to phase out such full fee places.

“Public universities must serve the public good, and should not be given the choice of admitting some of their students on a full-fee basis and others as government-supported students”, said Dr Allport.

The new funding arrangements have the potential to disadvantage universities compared to private, non university providers who do not have the same research and community service obligations. A good case has not been made to subsidise these private providers.

Contact: Dr Carolyn Allport, President NTEU 0419 349 064
Paul Kniest 0418 170 622

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/bradley_recommends_6billion_un

Judge accused of attacking freedom of speech

The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/national/judge-accused-of-attacking-freedom-of-speech-20081217-70sp.html?page=-1
by Paul Austin
December 18, 2008

THE chancellor of Victoria University has been accused of undermining free speech after using the State Government solicitor to threaten to sue a senior academic for defamation.

Government solicitor John Cain jnr has sent a letter on behalf of the chancellor, Supreme Court judge Frank Vincent, to James Doughney, a member of the university's governing council, demanding he withdraw and apologise for an attack on Victoria University chiefs over their plan to slash hundreds of jobs.

Justice Vincent last night defended his decision to engage the government solicitor, and dismissed Dr Doughney's assertion that his academic freedom was under attack.

The Age revealed in October that Dr Doughney, an economist and state president of the National Tertiary Education Union, had sent a six-page paper to state and federal MPs accusing the university's vice-chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Harman, of manufacturing a cash crisis to justify cutting about 270 jobs. Mr Cain's three-page letter to Dr Doughney, dated December 12, says his statements were false and defamatory.

He accuses Dr Doughney of breaching the council's code of conduct, which requires members to "desist from intimidation in any form in connection with the role of the council".
"My instructions are to require you to publish an apology and withdrawal of the false and defamatory allegations that you have made, directed particularly against the vice-chancellor," Mr Cain writes.

"Otherwise, I am instructed that the chancellor and the vice-chancellor reserve their rights."
Dr Doughney, the elected academic staff representative on the council, said yesterday it was extraordinary that the chancellor had engaged the government solicitor in a bid to "gag" an academic expressing legitimate views about university governance.

"This action is at odds with any concept of critical inquiry, debate, argument, logic and freedom of speech that you would think is associated with places of learning like universities," he told The Age.

"If you disagree with each other, argue the toss - don't throw attempted legal gags at your critics."

Dr Doughney said it was critical that debates about community institutions such as universities be conducted in public.

"They are not private corporations and they are not personal fiefdoms," he said. "They are public assets."

He said Justice Vincent needed to recognise the university was not a court of law, but a "learning community where you are going to get arguments and different interpretations".
"My view is simple: get used to it," he said.

Asked whether he would withdraw and apologise, as demanded by the university chiefs, Dr Doughney replied: "They have got to be joking. I stand by my criticisms and I'm prepared to fight this all the way."

Justice Vincent said last night the legal letter was sent on advice from senior counsel that Dr Doughney's statements were defamatory.

"The action that was taken reflects the concern occasioned by the nature of the attack made upon the vice-chancellor by Dr Doughney and the responsibility of council members," he said.

"Victoria University unequivocally supports and upholds the fundamentally important principle of academic freedom. However, it is patently clear from Dr Doughney's comments themselves and the context in which they were made that no question of the restriction of its expression arises in the present situation."

Dr Doughney's attack on Professor Harman was prompted by her announcement in October of a six-month program of forced and voluntary redundancies to "rebalance" the budget and "future-proof" the university.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/judge-accused-of-attacking-freedom-of-speech-20081217-70sp.html?page=-1

A Message From the VC

Dear Colleagues,

Today’s update from the VC will address two important Government announcements:

1. New Capital Funds for VU and
2. Update on Bradley Report


1. New Capital Funds for VU
The Prime Minister today has announced major infrastructure investments over the next year. These involve major investment of $1.58 billion in tertiary sector infrastructure, including $10.5 million (and more) specifically for Victoria University.

Firstly, $580 million has been allocated to eleven projects from the Higher Education Investment Fund. VU did not submit for this round but is looking to put the St Albans development into the second round next year.

Secondly, a further $500 million will be allocated to Universities based on their proportion of domestic higher education student load. VU will receive $10.5 million through this to spend on teaching and learning infrastructure.

Thirdly, a further $500 million will be allocated for infrastructure for vocational education and community education providers, including an element specifically targeting TAFEs for maintenance backlog expenses and competitive applications for additional capital funds for emerging training needs or to address green skills requirements.

These additional amounts are a further valuable investment from the Government which will help us renew the buildings we work in and the teaching facilities we use. It is important to realise these funds are provided to support capital projects and as such do not reduce our Budget challenge to bring our annual underlying expenditure into line with our annual revenue and produce reasonable surpluses.


2. Update on Bradley

We have also been told that the report of the Review of Higher Education (Bradley Report) will not be released until next week. This is despite the briefing provided to The Australian as reported in today’s paper. I need to see the full report before responding in depth to the proposals so far outlined so we can understand the full context in which they have been made.

As reported we will have to compete even more intensely for HE students, as well as VE and FE students. This is because the number of HECS funded places will no longer be “capped” for each University. An important element as reported, however, is that student charges will remain capped so we compete on a fairly even basis with the other Universities – in terms of the “price” of HECS places.

The option of mergers has been raised by an announcement by Charles Sturt University and Southern Cross University, with more mergers expected. We know the challenges of providing multi campus education. If there are options for integration we will have to look at them on their merits for the capacity to improve the education and training provided to the west of Melbourne and Victoria more broadly.

Incentives for Universities to enrol more students from low socio-economic backgrounds remains firmly on the agenda, and we will keep you informed as information comes to hand as to how this may benefit VU and our students.

Liz Harman
Vice Chancellor
Professor Elizabeth Harman
Vice-Chancellor and President Victoria University
emailto:elizabeth.harman@vu.edu.au
Web http://www.vu.edu.au/

Universities to merge in major overhaul as Bradley review recommends vouchers

Luke Slattery and Andrew Trounson December 12, 2008
Article from: The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24788101-12332,00.html

UNIVERSITIES will be merged, a national voucher system introduced and incentives given to enrol students from low socio-economic backgrounds under recommendations being considered by the Rudd Government.

The reforms, which are understood to be contained in a 200-page report to Education Minister Julia Gillard by former University of South Australia vice-chancellor Denise Bradley, would consolidate the prestige metropolitan universities while leaving the future of several outer suburban, regional and remote campuses in doubt.

In anticipation of Bradley's recommendations, two NSW institutions, Charles Sturt University and Southern Cross University, yesterday announced they would merge to form a new national university based in regional Australia.

The two regional universities said they would be the foundation partners in a new national venture triggered by consultations for the Bradley review.

In a prepared release, the two said: "With an expanded course profile and increased investment in digital technology, the new university would improve the accessibility of professional education in its regions and nationally. Consolidation of its research programs will bring increased innovation of particular relevance to regional Australia."

The Bradley review, commissioned in March, is understood to recommend new measures to integrate the vocational training and higher education sectors in order to boost participation among lower socio-economic groups.

Vouchers - or student learning entitlements - represent a radical shift to a student-centred funding system that no government of either political persuasion has been ready to accept. Students could take vouchers to any university that would admit them.

A voucher scheme would introduce flexibility and a potentially better match of courses to students' first choices, but it would also draw students away from less popular universities.

A student-centred approach could also potentially allow more widespread provision of public funding to recognise private providers, as occurs in the vocational education and training and schools sectors.

However, it is understood that the voucher scheme recommended by the Bradley review would not extend to price deregulation.

The reforms are understood to include measures to protect the $13 billion export education program - Australia's third-biggest earner after iron ore and coal and potentially its biggest if the resources boom goes bust.

A new national accreditation agency is also believed to be among Bradley's recommendations. It would challenge some universities to prove they were worthy of the name.

Education Minister Julia Gillard yesterday would not be drawn on the implications of the budgetary stresses on the Government's response to the Bradley review, which she said would be made in February.

"Everybody is aware that these are difficult days as a result of the global financial crisis," Ms Gillard told reporters.

But she said fast-tracked infrastructure funding for the sector was on its way as part of the Government's overall infrastructure spending plans.

"The Government is intending to fast-track an infrastructure announcement - the Prime Minister has made that clear - and that infrastructure announcement will include infrastructure in higher education."

The sector is awaiting the results of the first $304 million funding round from the newly created $8.7 billion Education Investment Fund.

Victoria has been pushing for a more student-driven demand model for universities, in line with its controversial TAFE reforms under which both public TAFEs and private providers are eligible for public funding.

Southern Cross University vice-chancellor Paul Clark told The Australian yesterday that his merger with Charles Sturt was aimed at boosting flagging higher education enrolments in regional Australia, and Professor Bradley was "personally quite supportive of the way in which we want to go".

Professor Clark said Ms Gillard had already asked the pair to submit a commonwealth grant application for a feasibility study to advance the initiative to the next stage.

"They have dentistry and pharmacy and veterinary science; we have law and forestry so there's complementarities," he said.

Professor Clark "pretty much" ruled out forced redundancies as a result of the merger, saying the plan was about growth.

In a separate development, the Government yesterday released $111.5 million to fund specific programs at universities under the annual disbursement of the Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund. About $206 million has now been disbursed from the fund, reducing it to about $75million.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24788101-12332,00.html

Universities ready to spend $1bn

Andrew Trounson December 12, 2008
Article from: The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24789948-12332,00.html

UNIVERSIITES are vowing to start spending almost immediately some $1 billion in fast-tracked infrastructure funding from Canberra.

After months of intensive lobbying, the sector has received an early Christmas present from the Rudd Government with $500 million in one-off funding for teaching and learning infrastructure, of which much will go into refurbishing facilities built during the 1960s and 1970s.

"This will be a significant boost for the construction industry and it will have a real impact on the economy," said Paul Johnson, vice-chancellor at La Trobe University and an expert on economic and social development.

The higher education infrastructure funds are part of a nation-building exercise as the Government attempts to head off a severe economic downturn.

Canberra has also increased by $276 million the amount of funding for new projects under the Education Investment Fund, and will now fund 11 of the 14 short-listed projects at a total cost of $580 million.

There is a one-off injection of $500 million for vocational education and training infrastructure, of which $400 million will be made available to public TAFEs and a further $100 million for other not-for-profit providers of adult and community education. With most of the additional funding coming outside the $8.7 billion EIF, universities hope there will be significant ongoing money for infrastructure.

The sector believes it is facing a total backlog in infrastructure spending of $10 billion-$15 billion.

“These funds will have a tangible and almost immediate impact on our universities,” RMIT vice chancellor Margaret Gardner said in a statement on behalf of the Australian Technology Network of universities.

“It's welcome, it's unexpected and it can be put to good use immediately,” Professor Gardner said. The funds will be available from 1 July. The $500 million one-off funding for universities will be allocated according to student load, while research intensive national university ANU will receive an additional $10 million top-up.

The funding comes on top of the $500 million Better Universities Renewal Fund distributed earlier this year. Of the 14 short listed projects under the EIF, the three that missed out were Murdoch University's "pedagopolis" education facility, ANU's giant Magellan telescope and Ballarat's innovation and enterprise centre.

The biggest winner was Sydney University's new Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, which was awarded $95 million. Next in line were $90 million for Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Immunity and Infection and $89.9 million for Monash's New Horizons Centre for science and engineering.

Friends of Victoria University Website

Friends of Victoria University has their own website with lots of good and up-to-date information.

Please put the website on your favourite page and check it regularly for updates.

http://friendsofvu.org.au/

NTEU end-of-year party

NTEU end-of-year party

Date: Monday 15 December
Time: 1.00 pm
Place: Riverview Function Centre, Footscray Rowing Club.

Community members and members of Friends of Victoria University are welcome.

Come and have a great end-of-year party with your friends on the banks of the Maribrynong at the NTEU and Friends of VU Christmas party: dancing, food, great conversations.

Victoria University offers voluntary redundancies

Andrew Trounson December 11, 2008
Article from: The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24784840-12332,00.html

VICTORIA University has delayed any forced redundancies into next year, instead launching a voluntary redundancy program.

Vice-chancellor Elizabeth Harman has suggested that total job losses could be less than first anticipated as management looks to cut sessional and contracting staff while seeking other savings beyond staff cuts.

The National Tertiary Education Union is now claiming a partial victory for its campaign against VU's plans to cull up to 270 people, claiming that the university hasn't been able to find the redundant staff it had been expecting.

“They went searching for a tail of short courses and units and found that the dog didn't have a tail,” NTEU branch president Richard Gough told The Australian.

But Professor Harman said forced job losses were still a possibility next year, with management's work with consultants Ernst & Young to identify non-viable courses and surplus staff simply taking longer than expected to complete.

“This isn't the end of the story,” Professor Harman told The Australian.

“We are still going to end up with staffing changes.”

But Professor Harman said management had identified more than $10 million worth of annual savings from expected voluntary departures, cuts to sessional staff and other savings in higher education. However, that is still short of her total savings target for higher education of $16.5 million.

Mr Gough said any compulsory sackings next year would spark industrial action under the current enterprise bargaining talks.

VU has identified 140 higher education courses and 500 units that it will discontinue or phase out next year, reducing the total offering to around 200 courses and 1,700 units. Mr Gough said many of these course were already being taught out or had fallen into disuse, which is why management had failed to find significant redundancies from them.

VU is looking for further course cuts, including shedding the teaching of languages other than English, with the exception Vietnamese, for which VU is the only provider nationally.

Professor Harman said the cuts would allow VU to redeploy resources into high demand areas like teaching, business, accounting, and nursing.

In October, Professor Harman shocked staff with plans cut up to 150 higher education academic staff to secure $16.5 million in savings. A further $8.5 million in savings has been targeted from up to 100 job losses in administration, and a further $2 million in savings from about 20 job losses in TAFE.

The announcement, which had been formulated without consulting the union, angered the NTEU and worried local politicians. But while Professor Harman admitted that the communication strategy could've been better, she said the announcement had “focused minds” and there was now a renewed focus among deans and school heads to find savings while minimising job losses.

“Minds are now very focused,” Professor Harman said.

“The savings actions now being proposed by higher education faculties are deeper and wider than throughout 2008 when the budget depended on higher education productivity gains that didn't materialise.”

She said “the last few months have been a hard process at VU and I wouldn't be the only person disappointed in that we haven't succeeded in making sure all our staff fully understand what we want to do.”

“I'd have preferred to have had better communication strategies out there.”

Indeed management and the union still remain at loggerheads over the need for staffing cuts. Professor Harman says the cuts are needed to stave off looming deficits and in the wake of the failure of past productivity drives. But the NTEU believes VU is overstating the urgency, which it says is being exacerbated by the cost of the redundancies themselves and the university's construction plans as it reconfigures its spread of campuses.

The NTEU has called for an independent party to give a view on the university's situation and Professor Harman has agreed to consider it in further talks with the NTEU.

Mr Gough said the union wanted to “look for solutions that don't require targeted redundancies but still leave the university in a sustainable position”.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24784840-12332,00.html

24 HOUR STRIKE ON MONDAY 15 DECEMBER

NTEU members vote to take strike action!

24 HOUR STRIKE ON MONDAY 15 DECEMBER

The meeting of NTEU Members on 8 December voted unanimously for "A 24 hour strike commencing on Monday 15 December, to involve pickets on higher education campuses and a boycott of the Vice‐Chancellor’s end of year party to coincide with a rank‐and‐file end‐of‐year staff party — come and celebrate the end of the year with your friends and colleagues at Footscray Rowing Club!"

All members of NTEU are encouraged to participate in the picket lines and to join us at the alternative staff party on 15 December.

http://www.nteu.org.au//bd/vu#a34197

Stopwork Meeting 8 December 2008

Stopwork Meeting 8 December 2008
The NTEU Stopwork Meeting passed the following motions:

1. That this meeting condemn:
• The unnecessary decision of the Vice‐Chancellor to continue to proceed with her program of forced redundancies;
• The ongoing failure of VU Council and senior management to consult with staff before implementing major decisions and failure of senior management to manage the University properly;
• The complete lack of respect shown by senior management for the hard working staff of Victoria University; and
• The complete disloyalty shown by management to the University in seeking to destroy Victoria University and education in the western region.

Carried unanimously

2. That this meeting endorse the NTEU’s Enterprise Bargaining log of claims, particularly its claim for job security with no forced retrenchments.

Carried unanimously

3. That this meeting endorse the following actions by NTEU Members in pursuit of a new Collective Agreement at Victoria University. Unless and until such an Agreement is reached, the Union should implement these actions over the coming weeks:

• Comprehensive bans on Making VU, including all course reviews which involve incorporation of any of the five commitments, professional development associated with Making VU, attendance of cluster meetings and attendance of any seminars associated with Making VU;
• Bans on contribution to VU’s Higher Education Research Data Collection processes, including faculty and school level processes;
• Bans on contribution to VU’s course and unit management systems, including the CAMS process and related reporting activities;
• Bans on any recording, or transmission to the University, of assessment results for University Summer School units; and
• A 24 hour strike commencing on Monday 15 December, to involve pickets on higher education campuses and a boycott of the Vice‐Chancellor’s end of year party to coincide with a rank‐and‐file end‐of‐year staff party — come and celebrate the end of the year with your friends and colleagues at Footscray Rowing Club!

Carried unanimously

4. That this meeting call on the National Office and Victorian Division of the NTEU to establish a subdivision of the National Defence Fund to help support staff and their families taking even more forceful industrial action in the New Year.

Carried unanimously

5. That this meeting supports the general campaign against senior management’s proposed round of redundancies in their entirety.

Carried

http://www.nteu.org.au//bd/vu#a34197

Update on Plans for a Sustainable VU, Tues 9 Dec 2008

Update on Plans for a Sustainable VU:

Course rationalisation, staff redundancies and financial sustainability

Tuesday 9th December 2008

Dear Colleagues,

I am sure that you are looking forward to the break in a few weeks time. The advice in this email should give you a better sense of the situation at this stage on VU’s major sustainability initiatives so you can organise the rest of your year with some peace of mind.

I have listed the headlines for you to skim - with web links for the detail on those aspects that interest you most.

• Council last night approved the 2009 Budget and $27m in savings
• Progress on savings in HE continues while building on our strengths
• Changes to HE courses and units are now in a HE Change Plan
• HE staff separations have been extended to voluntary options
• Other savings measures
• HE Change Plan has now been released for discussion (attached)
• Meetings on FE, VE and HEW staffing are going ahead
• VU is turning its attention to the Bradley Report, expected soon

Council last night approved the 2009 Budget and $27m in savings

The budget approved last night will be a key document for use by everyone in 2009. For full details on the Budget, including my Introduction, refer to: http://intranet.vu.edu.au/Finance/pdf_files/2002_budget_draft4Feb/2009BudgetDocument.pdf.

We still have a lot of work to do together on the savings plan in the first few months of the New Year. While some non salary savings have been identified, the bulk of the $27m will have to come from savings in employment costs.

A special Sustainability Office is being established to work with managers across VU on both staffing changes and other savings initiatives. At Council’s request we will then be providing Council with detailed advice on the strategies that are linked to the full $27m at the April 2009 Council meeting.

Progress on savings in HE continues while building on our strengths

The process to identify savings has continued in Higher Education over recent weeks.

Firstly, we have had to face and to address the limitations in our data on HE units, courses and staff workloads. Secondly, senior staff members have been working closely to address these challenges and produce the HE Change Plan. Thirdly, there has been an unfortunate coincidence of timing with external commentary about the future of HE in Australia. This has added to

speculation and anxieties of some of our staff. The conversations will be better informed when the Bradley Report, now imminent, is made public.

Changes to HE courses and units are now in a HE Change Plan

The HE Change Plan advises which courses and units we propose to discontinue from 2009.

The proposal to discontinue from 2009 approximately 140 HE courses and over 500 units is just one step in our efforts to focus our teaching and staff resources on VU’s strengths. This still leaves over 200 courses and over 1,700 units of courses and units that remain on VU’s books for students to take. I am talking to ERB about the progress we have made and what else needs to be done on Wednesday.

The massive task undertaken over the past two months to assess the viability of every HE unit and course will now form the basis for the creation of a Course and Unit Management System that will be used to maintain a sustainable teaching profile in HE. The system will be managed centrally by the PVC (IS).

HE staff separations have been extended to voluntary options

We have not yet made the progress we need to make to reduce our staffing costs because of problems in compiling accurate data about HE staff and their individual workloads. This work is continuing. Feedback from the HE Faculty leadership, staff and the President of the VU Branch of the NTEU, Richard Gough, has suggested that voluntary separation options and other savings measures be considered to mitigate the need for as many targeted redundancies. This request has been agreed to and therefore no targeted HE academic redundancies will be made in 2008. The NTEU has been informed of our progress.

Details of separation options available to eligible HE staff are described in the HE Change Plan and will be available on the HR intranet site from tomorrow. Eligible HE academic staff will be invited to submit an EOI to separate from the University. Please note that EOIs need to be submitted by 16 January; affected staff will be notified of the outcome of their EOI by 2 February 2009.

Other savings measures

Other savings strategies are being explored by the three Executive Deans and their staff, including the cost of sessional staffing (estimated at $12m in 2008) and changes in teaching practices (eg tutorial sizes and time-tabling). All strategies are to be set out in Internal Partnership Contracts (IPCs) with itemised savings for 2009 at the level of each Faculty and its Schools.

And in addition, we are improving our data collection, with workload data of each HE academic will henceforth be collected on a central data bank, as well as in their Schools.

HE Change Plan has now been released for discussion

The purpose of the HE Change Plan is to inform staff of the scope of the changes proposed under the first phase of 2008 Plan for a Sustainable VU and to provide staff with the opportunity to comment on the proposed actions over the next two weeks. The HE Change Plan can be accessed at: http://intranet.vu.edu.au/wp/sustainablevu/Documents/ChangePlan.pdf.

The release of this document begins a 2 week consultation period with staff, between now and 23 December. We invite feedback on the plan, including courses and units and mitigation strategies. I encourage you all to read the Plan carefully and let your views be known by sending your feedback to ProjectManager@vu.edu.au.

Meetings on FE / VE and HEW staffing are going ahead

Following the changes in HE positions, change plans for VE / FE and HEW staff will be developed. Principles and processes for the change process for HEW staff will be agreed with managers in December. Meetings are now being organised to begin discussing the process for reducing employment costs and other savings initiatives in these areas. FE /VE and HEW Change Plans will be distributed as the next step in the consultation process for staff in these areas. A date will be set for issuing these plans following these consultative processes.

VU is turning its attention to the Bradley Report, expected soon

Colleagues, we are all acutely aware that staff members across VU are facing uncertainty and the events of the past six weeks have been particularly hard in the HE faculties. The process is nonetheless giving us a much clearer picture of our course strengths as well as the contributions made by so many of our staff. We are building VU’s financial fitness for a future shaped by contestability, the Bradley Report and global economic change. We will issue a VU comment on Bradley developments as soon as these are known.

I thank staff members across all parts of VU who have helped as we have developed a clearer picture of our teaching and research strengths.

Together, we will ensure that VU has the resources we need to offer the right courses from Certificate to PhD, at the right campuses, with the right staff – for VU students.

Liz Harman

Vice Chancellor

Web http://www.vu.edu.au/

Today Monday 8 Dec

My thoughts are with all the VU Staff today as some will be receiving news about their employment status. It will be a difficult time for many.

Please know that there are many support groups out there in the community and within VU. These are some services that are available to staff

COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR VU STAFF
Confidential and independent counselling and other services are available to all staff of Victoria University through the Employee Assistance Scheme (EAP).

As an employee of the University you can access short-term assistance for work-related or personal issues that may be affecting your ability to function at work.

An important aspect of the EAP is that it is private and confidential. Everything discussed in the sessions is kept between you and the consultant you speak with, and your details will not be passed on to anyone at Victoria University.

Staff can ring the EAP provider OSA Group on 1300 361 008 any time of the day.
http://www.vu.edu.au/Current_Students/Support_Services/Counselling_Services/Staff/Counselling_for_Staff/index.aspx

CHAPLAINCY
Staff and students of all beliefs or no faith background are invited to visit the chaplain or the Reflection Centre. We are pleased to meet Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and everyone from all walks of life. Everyone is accepted as important and valued as an individual.

Chaplaincy is a caring presence to support you on your journey. The chaplain will companion you with a listening heart and compassionate spirit and to journey with you in times of loneliness, struggles/tragedies, difficult times, study/work pressures, pains/worries, relationship/family concerns, spiritual or faith matters etc. She will be happy to share your stories of joys, surprises, discoveries, dreams, creativities, talents/gifts and your value of self-worth and meaning in daily events.

You are invited to meet Sister Catherine, chaplain, at the Reflection Centre (Footscray Park Campus Building M Room 229, St Albans Campus Building 1L Room L101) or at her office (Building 4 Room 134N) Should you wish to have a private appointment please telephone 9919 2292, or 99192399 or email catherine.tay@vu.edu.au
http://www.vu.edu.au/Current_Students/Support_Services/Chaplaincy/index.aspx

DEPRESSION
If you are feeling depressed, please call and talk to someone at
Beyond Blue
Information Line 1300 22 46 36
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?

NTEU Press Conference

NTEU State Secretary Matthew McGowan will hold a media conference outside Victoria University at 2:45pm on Ballarat Road outside the main Victoria University campus at Footscray Park.

Where: Corner Ballarat Rd and Hoadley Ct, Victoria University, Footscray Park Campus
When: 2:45pm today, Monday 8 December 2008

Media Enquiries
Alex White
Communications Officer
0403 694 397

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/victoria_university_staff_stop

Victoria University Staff Stop-Work and Strike Today

NTEU members at Victoria University will be taking strike action today, Monday 8 December from 1pm, commencing with a stop-work meeting.

Staff are engaging in protected industrial action to secure a new collective agreement.

Staff are unhappy at Victoria University over the drawn out negotiations with senior management for a new collective agreement, the lack of respect shown by Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Harman towards staff, and the controversial 270 forced redundancies.

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/victoria_university_staff_stop

Invitation to Friends of VU

Friends of VU are invited to attend both events.
A giant picket will be formed around the University at 2.30 pm at Footscray Park Campus following the stop work meeting and a bus will be available to take people into the city for the Council Meeting Protest.

STOP WORK MEETING
Date: 8 December 2008, Monday
Time: 1.00 pm
Place: D231, Footscray Park Campus

NON-VIOLENT PROTEST
Date: 8 Dec 2008, Monday
Time: 4.30pm
Place: VU City Campus 300 Flinders Street.

Please make every effort to be there. VU Staff needs our support.

NTEU stop work meeting and half day strike Monday 8th Dec

STOP THE SACKINGS - VU STAFF DEMAND RESPECT

Last week NTEU members at VU voted overwhelmingly (98%) in favour of taking industrial action.

The NTEU has imposed work bans at 9.00am on Monday 8 Dec, with a strike and stop-work meeting starting at 1pm, so that staff at VU send a strong message to VU senior management.

We want real job security - not mass staff sackings.

Job security and no net job losses are important parts of the NTEU claim to get a new and improve Collective Agreement. Instead of delivering on these issues, VU management has decided to sack over 270 staff without consultation. Tell VU management to negotiate with your Union in good faith.

STOP WORK MEETING

Date: 8 December 2008, Monday
Time: 1.00 pm
Place: D231, Footscray Park Campus

www.universitybargaining.com.au

Latest News on Retrenchments

As you read this, the Vice-Chancellor and her leadership team are finalising their lists of names for the first round of forced redundancies.

On Monday 8 December, an unknown number of VU Staff will each receive an invitation to a meeting with our supervisor.

It has become apparent, however, that the likely targeted redundancies will fall well short of the projected 150 academic redundancies that management appeared to want, again because they are finding it difficult to match staff with unprofitable units.

Further retrenchments of General Staff and TAFE staff will occur in the New Year. The University has also announced that in addition to range of further strategies to reduce the number of targeted redundancies for Academic staff.

A voluntary redundancy program will be announced. This represents some mitigation of the targeted retrenchment process which has been put in place; however, targeted redundancies, possibly still in large numbers may occur.

Music Courses closed down at Sunbury campus

In the first wave of announced cuts to courses, the Vice-Chancellor has formally withdrawn the following courses from VTAC..

Bachelor of Music (Performance)
Bachelor of Music (Technology)
Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Aviation)

These courses will have no intake in 2009. The cut to the Bachelor of Music degrees at Sunbury campus is particularly significant because it will effectively ‘cut-off at the knees’ a major pathway used by TAFE students in the Diploma of Music to reach Higher Education .

The NTEU has already received a number of reports of aggrieved students who are finding it very difficult to find an alternative destination to finish their qualification, if at all. The West and outer West also remain arguably poor in terms of venues to study the performing arts and this loss will further impoverish the limited range of music offerings available to residents in the west.

Cuts to postgraduate courses are also on the agenda, many of which are fee-paying and profitable. Units of study are also under scrutiny. However, it remains to be seen which courses and units will be cut.

The fiction that VU has a ‘long tail’ of small unprofitable units is proving just that and the University’s razor gang is finding it very difficult to find courses and units which meet their closure criteria.

The Vice Chancellor has also ruled out in a recent meeting with the NTEU that profitable courses would be cut. We wait with interest therefore to see what will be cut and will keep you informed as we are updated.

SHOW US RESPECT, SAY VU STAFF

SHOW US RESPECT, SAY VU STAFF

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/untitled_3
MEDIA RELEASE
2 December 2008

Staff at Victoria University will be taking industrial action on 8 December, following overwhelming support in a secret ballot last week.

The NTEU today announced plans for a strike and work bans, unless the University demonstrates a new attitude to staff demands.

“Strike action at Victoria University could be averted if Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Harman suspends the planned mass-sackings over Christmas and comes to the bargaining table in good faith,” said Matthew McGowan, Secretary of the NTEU Victorian Division.

NTEU members voted overwhelmingly to authorise industrial action, with the Australian Electoral Commission announcing the result yesterday. The first round of industrial action will take place on Monday 8 December. A mass meeting of NTEU members on that day will consider recommendations for subsequent rounds of industrial action, including further strike action in December.

“As we head into the holiday season, there are over 270 staff at Victoria University that won’t be celebrating. We have been trying to get the university to bargain for a new collective agreement since May this year, but their response has been to engage in delaying tactics,” said Mr Richard Gough, President of Victoria University NTEU Branch.

“University senior management can end this dispute today by treating staff with the dignity and respect they deserve. We are calling on Professor Harman to end the forced redundancies and come to the bargaining table ready to negotiate a new collective agreement that would ensure that there would be no forced redundancies for the life of any new agreement,” Mr Gough said.

“If these redundancies go through, students will come back next year to the worst class sizes and student-teacher ratios in Australia,” he said.

In a recent NTEU survey of higher education staff which asked whether staff had confidence in the administration, Vice-Chancellor Harman and the senior management at Victoria University rated worst in the state. 94 percent of staff did not have confidence, compared to a 72 percent state average. 95 percent of VU staff did not consider themselves to be respected or valued at work, compared to a 76 percent state average.

Monday 8 December Strike

Staff at all campuses of Victoria University will be taking lawful industrial action, including strike action and the imposition of work bans, on Monday 8 December. There will be a stop-work meeting at 1pm at the Footscray Park campus, which will consider further industrial action.

For more information:

Matthew McGowan, State Secretary, NTEU Victorian Division 0417 054 110

Richard Gough, President, Victoria University NTEU Branch 0418 102 547

http://www.nteu.org.au/news/current/untitled_3