By Emily McCosker
SYDNEY — As university administrations around the country contemplate government cuts to higher education funding, it is becoming apparent that larger universities will introduce fee-paying courses for Australian undergraduates.
The vice-chancellors of the universities of New South Wales and Sydney have admitted that they will be introducing up-front fees for some courses. The University of Sydney has decided to sell off its first year bachelor of commerce degree, licensing the use of the course to a private college, the Universal Education Centre (UEC).
Any student who enrols in the UEC course — for $11,700 — and gains a credit average or better will automatically be offered a fee-paying place in the second year of the University of Sydney course. This will increase class sizes, making it even more difficult for government-funded students to gain entry.
There has been no consultation with staff on this decision. Some did not know about the arrangement until representatives from the UEC approached them for course materials. Dr Yanis Varoufakis, a first year lecturer in economics, said that when he refused to hand over course materials he received a letter from the head of department "instructing me to co-operate on the basis that the university had committed itself legally".
This is another step towards privatisation. The "user-pays" system, established under the federal Labor government when it introduced HECS, seems likely to continue under Howard, with fewer guidelines to prevent universities from charging exorbitant rates for courses.
Unless students and staff stop the push towards privatisation by governments and university administrations, and demand that higher education be free and based on social rather than business needs, universities will become the domain of the rich with no place for those who can't afford to buy their way in.
[Emily McCosker is an education officer at the University of Sydney and a member of Resistance.]