91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳

By Marina Cameron

The federal Coalition was elected a year ago having promised not to reduce funding to higher education or introduce any new education charges. Since then, education minister Amanda Vanstone has overseen a $2.3 billion cut to university operating grants, increased HECS charges and a lower repayment threshold, a cut in Austudy payments and the introduction of the draconian common youth allowance.

The federal government has made clear its contempt for students, staff and the tertiary education system. It is likely that education (as well as public health, social services and child-care) will come under the knife again in the May 13 federal budget.

The disastrous impact of last year's cuts shows the need for students, staff and the wider community to demand not only an end to the cuts, but the reversal of those cuts. While such a demand directly conflicts with the Coalition's pro-business agenda, it directly reflects the consistent public opposition to cuts to university funding and fees for tuition.

The impact so far

Including the costs of a long-overdue staff pay rise, universities suffered funding cuts of up to 10-15%, some of the harshest ever. For most, the impact has been disastrous. University administrations have proceeded to "rationalise" — cutting staff, student services and subjects with less direct business application.

l<~>La Trobe University has cut nearly a quarter of its staff, leading to massive overcrowding.

l<~>The Australian National University has sacked 210 staff, and intends to force another 190 to take redundancies this year.

l<~>More than 50 staff have been cut at the Northern Territory University, along with 21 courses (19 of which are in the arts faculty) and its child-care services.

l<~>The University of Adelaide is merging 11 faculties into six, including women's studies merging with labour studies, dentistry merging with medicine and law being merged with a number of faculties, including performing arts. Around 130 staff have been cut.

l<~>At Flinders University, every department, faculty, course and library will be cut by 5%.

l<~>The University of NSW has axed its St George campus.

l<~>The University of Tasmania has cut the Italian, computer science and Asian studies departments, and merged two libraries into one.

l<~>The University of WA library has had to cancel necessary journal subscriptions.

l<~>The University of Newcastle is cutting $14 million. Each faculty (dubbed a "cost centre") has been asked to cut 10% in academic areas and 15% in non-academic areas. The student union has been pressured into contributing $600,000 to the university. Funding to the university radio station (the only community radio in Newcastle) has also been cut.

Funding alternatives

To make up funding, universities are being encouraged to compete to attract full fee-paying students. Overseas student fees were introduced under Labor, and universities can now charge fees for 25% on top of their quota of government/HECS-funded student places.

The universities of Adelaide, Newcastle, NSW, Queensland, Sydney and WA, University of Technology (Sydney), Monash and Deakin universities are all considering charging such fees for over-quota places. The University of Melbourne has already decided to do so.

These fees will range from $30,000 for an arts degree to $110,00 for dental science.

Monash University is even considering under-enrolling on its quota to create artificial demand for its courses (even though it would $2.3 million in government funding).

New guidelines on ancillary fees allow universities to charge students for "extra" administrative services, course material and computer access. At University of WA, arts students have to pay a fee each semester for lecture handouts.

Hundred of students at Macquarie University attended a demonstration last week against proposals to charge fees including $150 for a grading appeal and $25 to apply for a course waiver.

Student opposition

These proposals have faced staunch opposition from students, with demonstrations at UTS and the University of Melbourne over the last two weeks holding up the implementation of fees.

Marcus Greville, education officer at the University of Sydney and Resistance member, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, "We need to keep the pressure on each university administration, oppose each new attack on students and staff, each new instance of commercialisation and privatisation.

"Even though the cuts to university funding and Austudy, and the HECS changes, went through the Senate last year, we shouldn't just accept them and wait for the next round. We need to be more pro-active, to demand that the cuts be reversed altogether."

The March 26 national day of action will be the first test of strength for students opposed to the government's record of vandalism. Another test may come in the form of the proposed joint staff-student day of action before the federal budget.

Just as crucial in the coming weeks will be using the national rallies and actions to educate and involve more students in the campaign through their student organisations and campaigning groups. Only through massed student and staff opposition, and a more organised and militant student movement, can the cuts be halted and reversed.

(To get active in the campaign to defend public university education, contact your local Resistance branch, the Resistance National Office on (02) 9690 1230 or your student organisation.).