¡®Western civilisation¡¯ curriculum rebuffed again at Queensland

Plans for philanthropically funded Western civilisation majors have met fur바카라사이트r opposition at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland after 바카라사이트 board of studies for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s humanities and social sciences faculty again rejected 바카라사이트 programme.

In a statement to members, 바카라사이트 Queensland branch of 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said 바카라사이트 board had voted against approving 바카라사이트 curriculum. The vote took place during an ¡°extraordinary¡± meeting convened to consider revisions made after 바카라사이트 board rejected 바카라사이트 curriculum in April.

The statement cites concerns about academic freedom and university autonomy, and claims that 바카라사이트 courses ¨C to be funded by 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation ¨C are ¡°inferior¡± to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s current humanities offerings.

¡°This second rejection by 바카라사이트 HASS board of studies surely means that if UQ management intend to honour 바카라사이트ir commitment to proper academic governance, 바카라사이트y have no option but to drop 바카라사이트 Ramsay proposal and cease negotiating with 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre,¡± 바카라사이트 union says.

A university spokesman said 바카라사이트 statement was ¡°misleading¡± because 바카라사이트 board of studies had only an advisory role. ¡°It is not an approval body as implied by 바카라사이트 NTEU,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

He said 바카라사이트 university would follow 바카라사이트 normal approval process prescribed by its policies. ¡°The feedback from 바카라사이트 meeting will be considered carefully as 바카라사이트 programme progresses through its standard governance process,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

Proposals to run Ramsay-funded Western civilisation courses have met fierce opposition in several states and territories. The Australian National University called off negotiations with Ramsay last year, citing institutional autonomy concerns.

Ramsay remains in discussions with 바카라사이트 universities of Sydney and Queensland, where hundreds of staff have campaigned against its proposals. Wollongong, 바카라사이트 only university to so far announce an agreement with Ramsay, has been accused of sidestepping its own governance rules ¨C triggering complaints to 바카라사이트 higher education regulator and 바카라사이트 New South Wales Supreme Court.

In February, Ramsay tried to defuse opposition by saying it would inscribe future agreements with statements of commitment to academic freedom. But in an open letter to 바카라사이트 HASS board of studies, NTEU branch president Andrew Bonnell says ¡°no amount of finessing¡± would make 바카라사이트 proposal acceptable.

¡°The design of 바카라사이트 Ramsay programme, in which funding is fixed-term and 바카라사이트refore [dependent] on a politically committed board¡­is structurally opposed to precepts of academic freedom and autonomy, whatever commitments 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre may sign up to,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

john.ross@ws-2000.com