University staff face the threat of significant job cuts due to the federal government’s proposed cap on international student enrolments, sparking concerns that this policy may be used as a pretext to reduce jobs.
The draft bill, introduced to parliament last month, grants the education minister the authority to establish a maximum number of new international student enrolments. Leading policy experts have criticized the bill, describing it as a “recipe for chaos.”
The University of Sydney, in its submission to the bill, warned that any reduction in foreign enrolments would have “very damaging flow-on consequences.” The Group of Eight universities, which derive over 30% of their total revenue from international student fees, would be particularly hard-hit. Similarly, the Regional Universities Network cautioned that a decline in international enrolments would lead to “loss of regional university jobs [and] the closure of regional campuses.” The University of Melbourne expressed concerns that such caps would result in “disruptive job losses and course cancellations as early as next year.”
Guardian Australia has learned that La Trobe University and the University of Wollongong have already begun communicating with staff about the budgetary pressures arising from the proposed migration reform. Dr. Alison Barnes, the national president of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), expressed deep concern that university administrations might be exploiting the federal migration policy as an “excuse to threaten staff and students with decisions that damage universities.” Dr. Barnes noted that no one has seen the final details of the policy, making any suggestions of job losses from vice-chancellors premature and cruel to staff who are already dealing with job insecurity.
Newly appointed vice-chancellor of La Trobe University, Theo Farrell, has reportedly informed faculties about a significant budget deficit due to the international student cap. This shortfall necessitates “course optimization,” which includes potential cuts to courses, subjects, and staff. An academic from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, speaking anonymously out of fear for their job, stated that there is “no clear timeline” regarding which subjects might be cut and how many redundancies could occur. The announcement has significantly impacted the emotional and psychological wellbeing of staff, with many visibly shaken and fearful for their job security and the university’s future. The academic added that staff have endured “repeated restructuring and redundancies” over more than a decade without sufficient justification for the cuts.
A spokesperson for La Trobe University mentioned that the institution is conducting a “holistic review” of courses and subjects and may close those with “little or no student demand.”
Separately, the University of Wollongong (UoW) has recently notified staff of an upcoming 3% reduction in operations due to the migration policy, anticipating a $24 million shortfall in the next six to twelve months. This announcement was made via a weekly newsletter attributed to the Finance and Infrastructure Committee, a little-known entity within the university.
Prof. Fiona Probyn-Rapsey, a member of the UoW branch of the NTEU, noted that the announcement came as a “surprise to many” and criticized the cuts as being decided by a “small, secretive committee.” She argued that the 3% figure seemed arbitrary and emphasized that the cuts to operating expenses would directly affect students through reductions in teaching and subject offerings. Probyn-Rapsey highlighted the significant pressure staff have faced since the pandemic, which saw numerous restructures implemented.
A spokesperson for UoW acknowledged that the federal government’s migration reforms present “challenges for all Australian universities, including UoW, but also bring opportunities.”
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education, remarked that universities have historically used funding cuts and lack of government support as an “excuse to shed staff and cut courses.” She warned that universities might again resort to such measures if their funding base is further reduced.
