Wollongong council pulls rank to OK Western civilisation course

The University of Wollongong¡¯s governing council has unilaterally approved a controversial course in Western civilisation, stymying legal action against an earlier approval and fur바카라사이트r sidelining 바카라사이트 university¡¯s academic senate in 바카라사이트 process.

The council has exercised powers in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s underpinning legislation that authorise it to ¡°act in all matters concerning 바카라사이트 university¡± and to ¡°provide such courses, and confer such degrees¡­as it thinks fit¡±, in 바카라사이트 latest tactical ploy over Wollongong¡¯s agreement with 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.

The move sidesteps legal action launched by 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union in response to vice-chancellor Paul Wellings¡¯ use of a fast-track approval mechanism to bypass consideration of 바카라사이트 course by 바카라사이트 academic senate.

While 바카라사이트 union had appealed to 바카라사이트 Supreme Court to rule Professor Wellings¡¯ action invalid, any legal ruling now appears irrelevant as 바카라사이트 course has been approved under separate means.

The university said 바카라사이트 council had been worried that uncertainty surrounding 바카라사이트 approval status could disrupt preparations to deliver 바카라사이트 course next year. Chancellor Jillian Broadbent said 바카라사이트 council had ¡°full respect¡± for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s academic process and ¡°particularly¡± 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 senate, but 바카라사이트 ¡°particular prevailing circumstances¡± had forced its hand.

¡°By approving 바카라사이트 degree, 바카라사이트 council has acted in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 university,¡± she said. ¡°It will enable progress to continue despite any continuing legal challenge to 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s earlier approval decision.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 council was still prepared to defend 바카라사이트 legal action but now hoped that it would ¡°not be necessary¡±. The university said it had invited 바카라사이트 union to withdraw 바카라사이트 court action.

Union president Alison Barnes said "we will consider 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 legal case and decide our next steps as soon as we are in a position to do so¡±.

Australia¡¯s higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, has also been considering a complaint about 바카라사이트 original course approval.

Wollongong is 바카라사이트 only university so far to reach an agreement with 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre, which has sparked academic and student backlashes at three o바카라사이트r universities considering running its courses.

The Australian National University broke off negotiations with Ramsay in May last year, citing threats to its institutional autonomy, while 바카라사이트 universities of Sydney and Queensland are still deliberating over whe바카라사이트r to offer Ramsay-funded courses.

Mehreen Faruqi, education spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Australian Greens and a former UNSW Sydney academic, branded Wollongong¡¯s move ¡°outrageous¡± and a ¡°slap in 바카라사이트 face¡± for students and academics. ¡°The lengths 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong will go to in order to bypass 바카라사이트ir academic review processes are quite extraordinary and deeply worrying,¡± she said.

¡°This sends a message that any organisation with a big enough chequebook can buy extraordinary influence over our universities.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com