FRIENDS OF VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

MEDIA RELEASE
19 November 2008

FRIENDS OF VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY GROUP FORMS

Friends of Victoria University officially formed tonight following the University's controversial campus closures and job cuts.

Raoul Wainwright and Broden Borg were elected as inaugural co-convenors.

Friends of Victoria University is a broad coalition of community members in the West, including Melton, Sunbury, Werribee and Footscray, as well as staff and students.

"There is a great deal of concern out in the community about the direction that Victoria University is headed," said Raoul Wainwright, a resident of Yarraville.

"Friends of Victoria University will hold Victoria University accountable to the original vision of a community university that serves the West. Victoria University needs to show that it is still committed to the West," he said.

Broden Borg, a resident of Melton, one of the communities that will be affected by Victoria University's campus closures said: "Victoria University has held a central role in Melton and the West. We are very disappointed that the University management has decided to close Melton and Sunbury without consulting the communities."

"In the long-term, we hope that we will be able to work cooperatively with the University senior management. In the short-term however, we want senior management to know how valuable and loved VU is in the community – something they seem to have forgotten at the moment," said Mr. Wainwright.

Friends of Victoria University endorsed the National Tertiary Education Union's campaign promoting job security and collective bargaining.

For more information contact:
Friends of VU co-convenors
Raoul Wainwright
Broden Borg

Note: When the contact info is available I will update it.