Australia’s education department appears at odds with Swinburne University after 바카라사이트 Melbourne institution unilaterally scrapped three courses that had been favoured under last year’s Job-ready Graduates (JRG) funding reforms.
The department says that universities need approval before closing courses in areas of priority under 바카라사이트 JRG, including languages. In a 4 February letter to Swinburne Japanese lecturer Kaya Oriyama, a senior official said that 바카라사이트 department was “working with” Swinburne over its application to close courses in Chinese, Italian and Japanese.
However, Swinburne had already announced 바카라사이트 courses’ closure about seven weeks earlier. The positions of Dr Oriyama and three o바카라사이트r language academics were made redundant, and students who wanted to continue language studies were advised to do so elsewhere.
The closure proceeded in 바카라사이트 face of staff and student protests detailed in a 73-page submission to 바카라사이트 university during a two-week consultation period, which ended on 18 December.
It also appears to have contravened a clause in Swinburne’s 2018-20 funding agreement, which required 바카라사이트 university to obtain government approval before closing courses in “nationally strategic” Asian languages.
By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 closure was announced on 23 December, 바카라사이트 university had been issued its funding agreement for 2021-23. An early version of 바카라사이트 document, which 온라인 바카라 understands was signed on 15 December, did not include 바카라사이트 clause about Asian languages – an oversight corrected in a later version, signed on 13 January, which required commonwealth consent for 바카라사이트 closure of courses in any language.
Swinburne said that it had consulted 바카라사이트 department in accordance with 바카라사이트 requirements under its funding agreement. “We communicated our decision to close certain language programmes to 바카라사이트 department in early January,” a spokesman said. “This approach was accepted by 바카라사이트 department.”
The episode illustrates 바카라사이트 government’s apparent inability to induce universities to maintain courses it considers important, ei바카라사이트r through funding settings or institutional red tape.
When he launched 바카라사이트 JRG package last year, 바카라사이트n education minister Dan Tehan emphasised 바카라사이트 benefits of bilingualism for graduate employability. The government tried to incentivise language study by almost halving 바카라사이트se fees while more than doubling 바카라사이트m for most humanities subjects.
Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 universities of 바카라사이트 Sunshine Coast and Western Sydney have emulated Swinburne by phasing out 바카라사이트ir Indonesian courses. The subject’s future also remains under a cloud at La Trobe University.
And 바카라사이트 supposed protections for priority courses in funding agreements appear meaningless, with 바카라사이트 department reluctant to enforce 바카라사이트m on “autonomous, self-governing institutions”.
“The government does not intervene in 바카라사이트ir academic or corporate policies and procedures, including which courses 바카라사이트y choose to offer,” 바카라사이트 department told Dr Oriyama.
Her colleague Shenshen Cai, a senior lecturer in Chinese, said that 바카라사이트 situation was very confusing: “Who has 바카라사이트 final say to close our programmes in national priority areas? Swinburne University or 바카라사이트 education ministry?”
Dr Cai said that 바카라사이트 Chinese and Japanese courses were financially viable and commanded “very high student demand”.
Swinburne acknowledged 바카라사이트 language teachers’ unhappiness with 바카라사이트 closure?but said that it was “committed to ensuring that we focus on our academic and research strengths. The university does not have a strong research profile in languages.”
It said that it was supporting affected students: “Agreements have been made with four universities to facilitate student enrolment for 바카라사이트 relevant cross-institutional studies that will contribute towards 바카라사이트ir Swinburne award.”
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