By Benjamin Millar
Victoria University will shed about 300 staff as it battles to find up to $50 million in savings
by 2016.
About 100 academic staff and 200 professional staff could go as the full impact of heavy federal and state government funding cuts bites deeper into revenue, taking recent job losses to about 700.
Courses could also go as the university narrows its focus to areas such as sport.
Last Wednesday, the university announced a “refreshed strategic plan” to tackle the “new competitive tertiary marketplace”.
Vice-chancellor Peter Dawkins said the plan included a drive to be recognised as Australia’s premier sports university. “We are convinced we are already on the right track, having the largest number of students enrolled in sports-related higher education courses in Australia and having a strong focus on industry partnerships and work-integrated learning in our critical industry sectors,” he said.
Total state and federal government funding for VU has dropped from $105.4 million in 2010 to just $57.7 million in 2013 – a cut of about 45 per cent in three years. The university must find $40 million to
$50 million of recurrent savings by 2016, with plans to minimise red tape and reduce staff numbers.
“At Victoria University, like a number of other universities, without decisive action to streamline our operations and cut costs, our cost pressures will race ahead of revenue growth,” Dr Dawkins said.
National Tertiary Education Union Victoria University branch secretary Paul Adams has questioned university management’s handling of restructuring, but he added that tens of millions of dollars in state and federal government cuts was putting unprecedented pressure on VU. “If governments want an education sector that is going to function, they have to put more money into it, and universities raising student fees isn’t the way to do that … it will more likely create a disincentive for students.”
Mr Adams said the latest round of job cuts should be a warning to the federal government against its drive to privatise more universities.
“If what happens to our TAFE sector is anything to go on, the privatisation option being talked about [would] have a huge impact on universities and lead to the demise of regional universities.”
Mr Adams said VU must reconsider its plan to outsource services, arguing it would cost more while reducing the quality of services.
