Victoria’s "Magoo Management" Unacceptable

Victoria University’s "Magoo Management" Unacceptable, Says Union

"Victoria University is proposing to cut four academic staff positions from its flagship School of Government – while failing to consider the impact on students, the public sector and the School’s future," said Tertiary Education Union organiser, Michael Gilchrist, today.

"There is nothing in the change proposal that describes the impact of staff cuts on course offerings, what courses will or will not be taught in the future and how students will be supported in completing their courses and degrees," Mr Gilchrist said.

“Further, while the proposal is based on an estimated shortfall in revenue for the school, there is no analysis of the considerable costs of redundancies against the supposed benefits of the change and no estimate of the impact on future revenue of losing the significant income that comes from student funding and student fees in these areas of study.

There is, simply, no forward strategic vision, academic or financial. This is "Magoo management".

"In fact, total enrolments in the School at 9 March this year are up nearly 12 percent from those in 2009. So the university runs the risk of making a really regrettable decision through a lack of due diligence", Mr Gilchrist said.

"The university has shown a willingness to consider alternative cost cutting suggestions from staff, including offer of reductions in hours, leave without pay, early retirement and the like. We applaud moves in this area.

"But staff are immensely frustrated by the failure of management to work to a strategic plan or to provide any scenarios that estimate the impact, both academic and financial of the changes they are proposing", Mr Gilchrist concluded.

ENDS