Steve
Keen, Zed Author of 'Debunking Economics,' is a Professor of Economics
at UWS whose position is under threat due to these cutbacks.
The University of Western Sydney (UWS) received $14 million less than
anticipated this year as a result of the government’s uncapping of
university enrolments. Uncapped enrolments at inner city universities
have risen whilst enrolments to UWS are expected to decrease.
Of the cuts suggested in an effort to balance the budget, Clive
Smallman – Dean of the School of Business – proposed that the Bachelor
of Economics and Bachelor of Economics (Honours) no longer be offered at
the institution, effective 2013.
In 2010, UWS received 455 total applicants for the Bachelor of
Economics. In 2011, this figure fell to an alarming 215 applicants. This
year, the university recorded just 19 first preferences for this
degree, compared to 70 first preferences in the previous year. A member
of staff stated that these figures are unrealistic, as these figures are
based on first round offers. He noted that course preferences change
constantly, with most preference updates made in January. Moreover, even
with uncapped enrolments, competing universities have limited
placements on offer and students who aren’t offered their first
preference would have to seek entrance to other institutions.
A senior economics lecturer at UWS raised the concerns of several
students who had intended to complete their Honours degree in Economics
at UWS. Among them, one student had received a cadetship from the
Reserve Bank dependent on his enrolment into Economics Honours.
Another student had taken six months to further strengthen her
foundations in econometrics and perfect her research proposal. She
stated, “To be honest, it’s been incredibly stressful and I’m finding it
quite hard to apply myself to my current studies when I’m not sure if
it’s even going to happen.”
A third student reiterated, “Recently there have been seemingly
unfettered spending on cosmetic projects, and that should not be at the
expense of [the] economics program. After all, how many interested
students will prefer a landscaped and manicured campus over a proper
economics program?”
In a 2012 publication of ‘The Economic Society of Australia’, Tim
Thornton stated that the School of Economics and Finance at the
University of Western Sydney appeared to be laying the best foundations
for the future. Thornton explained, “Its explicit stress on economic
controversy (rather than consensus) and its embrace of both theoretical
and methodological pluralism are consistent with such a vision.” What
happened to the prestige of an Economics degree at UWS? Unbeknownst to
many, the majority of graduates recruited by the Reserve Bank in 2012
were from UWS. One lecturer highlighted that the university had never
let them market the Economics degree to prospective high school leavers
before. The lack of marketing as well as the government’s new policy
allowing uncapped enrolments, have since declined first preferences for
the institution.
It is not just students who will be negatively affected by the
scrapping of Economics. One lecturer expressed his contempt for how
staff are treated by this proposal. With 28 staff in the Economics and
Finance discipline, UWS hopes to make 10 (just over 35%) of them
redundant. Staff had previously called for a change to upper management
whom now face the accusation of only being concerned about saving their
own job security rather than ensuring the wellbeing of staff and
students.
In a recent forum organised by Cathy Xiao Chen (member of the UWS
Student Representative Council), Deputy Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Hawkins
indicated that current students wanting to complete their degree and
begin Honours in Economics next year would not be affected. However,
many foresee that the future of the Bachelor of Economics beyond that
looks much less promising. At this same forum, Christopher Wilson,
Parramatta Chair, established that “If the reality on the ground [at
UWS] matched the [corporate] rhetoric, this forum wouldn’t have been
needed.”
This last minute proposal indicating the closure of Economics was
released to staff on Monday at 5pm. It may have drastic implications for
Honours students at UWS, particularly as the move has not allowed ample
time for students unable to continue their studies at UWS to apply to
transfer to other universities as applications have now closed. For
currently enrolled Bachelor of Economics students, adverse effects would
be less drastic as the university has a duty to these students and so
would continue to offer core subjects to students until the degree was
phased out. However for future students, a reliable source confirmed
that only a first year subject, Principles of Economics would be offered
alongside Property Economics to students wishing to study economics.
Interestingly, it was also noted that students were not advised of
this intended proposal by the management of the university. One also
cannot help but notice the timing of this proposal. With the semester
finished and exams looming ahead, even if students were to gather wind
of this, they would not be able to, nor have the time to protest against
it at all.
This is just one of many schools within UWS that will be affected as a result of these funding cuts.
The proposal will be officially decided upon later today, where the
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Rhonda Hawkins, among others, will be present.
It is advised that all concerned students contact:
Clive Smallman (Dean of School of Business)
Email: c.smallman@uws.edu.au
Janice Reid (Vice-Chancellor)
Email: vc@uws.edu.au
Rhonda Hawkins (Deputy Vice-Chancellor)
Email: r.hawkins@uws.edu.au
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