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In the first wave of announced cuts to courses, the Vice-Chancellor has formally withdrawn the following courses from VTAC..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