Tobias Langtry
On Friday the 21st of July, University management provided their response to feedback from staff on the proposed cuts to the Student Life program—which includes Student Services—in the form of a updated proposal. Pelican Magazine has previously reported on these proposed job cuts to Student Life, and this report can be found here.
The updated proposal, which Pelican has copy of, is a slight improvement on the original; an additional three positions will be retained than initially proposed. However, there are still significant losses. Fifty-eight positions are “no longer required” (twelve of which are currently vacant), while thirty-eight new positions will be created. There is a net loss of twenty positions, and some positions will be replaced by positions at a lower pay grade.
An NTEU representative makes the following comment:
“Counselling and Psychological services get a bit of a reprieve, with the Level 9 Manager position retained and one Level 8 Senior Psychologist position, and one senior psych [being] replaced by a registered psychologist instead of a counsellor.
Some other positions slated for reduction in level, or redundancy, have been retained. Student Equity positions funded by General Purpose funds or Higher Education Partnerships and Programs (HEPP) will become ongoing positions. Health Promotion prevention specific initiatives [have] gone from 3.2 Full Time Equivalent [positions] to 1.6 Full Time Equivalent [positions]. The plan is to launch the new structure at the start of October.”
Statement from the Union
Dr. Sanna Peden, the UWA Branch President of the National Tertiary Education Union, represents staff at the University. She has the following to say:
“Organisational change and redundancies are amongst the hardest industrial issues to challenge, so the fact that there have been changes to the proposal, and [that] jobs have been saved is good. That said, fifty-eight positions is still a huge cut. Some of us are set to lose our jobs; all of us are set to lose friends and colleagues.
“Recruitment for positions in the new structure is currently underway, so many staff are making very difficult decisions about their careers and their future, all while helping students settle into the new semester and keeping the various support services running.
“The restructure will be reviewed in twelve months. The NTEU recommends that staff keep a record of their workloads and the impact the change has on their work, so that all the data and testimonials are already available when the time comes.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported people in Student Life over these past few weeks. It’s a hard time for everyone, and it makes a difference to see that others care.”
Statement from the Student Guild
On the 25th of July, the Student Guild at UWA made a public statement in response to the updated proposal:
“While we believe this is a step in the right direction for students and staff, as a student union, we will continue to advocate for better student services and staff conditions alongside the NTEU.
“We aim to hold the University accountable on their guarantee of learning and teaching continuity, and their promise that there will be no impact to students’ studies.”
Students can support staff here by signing this petition.
Students who rely on the support provided by Student Life should know that they can also seek support from the Student Guild and the Living Room. These services are not affected by the job cuts and they can direct you to other support services where needed:
https://www.uwastudentguild.com/student-assist
https://www.uwa.edu.au/students/Support-services/The-Living-Room