Daily Archives: May 15, 2017

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15May

WASM to broaden non-mining degree course offerings

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The WA School of Mines is set to expand its non-mining courses from next semester, as enrolments in its traditional courses decline.
Curtin University will offer Bentley-based degree courses online through classrooms at WASM in education, health sciences and commerce.
The move comes after a multi-million redevelopment of WASM that included the construction of the new $32 million 228-bed Agricola student accommodation, a research facility and classrooms.
WASM director Professor Sam Spearing said in the long term the campus was hoping to attract Goldfields students who would normally move to Perth for their studies.
“We’ve already got the majority of Goldfields students going to Curtin and we want to offer them a service where they can access the courses in Bentley or here,” he said.
“A lot depends on the take-up. “We’re fairly confident with those programs the interest is there.”
A report for the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission released last year showed a broader-scale university in town could be achievable.
Curtin’s deputy vice-chancellor-Professor Jill Downie said this year more courses would be delivered in a live video format, with students able to attend the local campus and engage in lectures being held in Bentley. “This style of learning, known as distributed learning, allows students to participate in classroom discussions in an actual class-room, ask questions directly to their lecturers and engage with fellow students ‘in person’, via a live video stream,” she said. “Online students in the Kalgoorlie region are welcome to utilise study areas, lecture theatres and the library at the Curtin Kalgoorlie campus, and distributed learning helps to bring this campus experience to the online classroom.”Last year, Curtin vice-chancellor Deborah Terry said WASM should be used as the base to expand Kalgoorlie’s tertiary education options.
Figures released last month showed second-year entries at WASM Kalgoorlie have dropped 24.5 per cent to 80 in 2017 from 106 in 2016, while the overall figure in Kalgoorlie has slid 18.5 per cent to 233 this year from 286 last year.
15May

Curtin Cutting Staff

Author WASMA Posted on

Bethany Hiatt Education Editor
Staff at WA’s biggest university are bracing for cuts after fewer students than expected this year signed up to study, result- ing in a $16 million shortfall.
Curtin University Vice- Chancellor Deborah Terry warned staff a review of its first-quarter financial position had revealed that faculties would have to meet new sav- ings targets because first semester enrolments were below budget forecasts.
“While our latest enrolment figures are higher than last year, they are below budgeted levels,” Professor Terry said in a memo to staff.
“Our student income for 2017 is estimated to be nearly $16 million lower than budget. Given the importance of main- taining our strong financial position, savings are required across the university.”
Professor Terry acknow- ledged that many faculties had trimmed their budgets and the need to find more savings would put further pressure on
the delivery of services. “How- ever, we believe these addition- al savings are a necessary measure to ensure the longer- term financial sustainability of the university,” she said in the memo.
Professor Terry yesterday told The West Australian that lower than anticipated enrol- ments from international stu- dents and a fall in demand for engineering and science cours- es meant full-time enrolments were about 300 below target.
As a consequence, Curtin’s forecast revenue position was about 1 per cent below budget. She said the push to find savings was likely to mean delays in making staff appointments, starting projects or holding off on buying new equipment.“I think it will be tough but manageable,” she said.
The prospect of looming 2.5 per cent efficiencies, to be imposed in the next two years under the Federal Government’s proposed reforms to higher education, had prompted Curtin to take a “prudent approach” this year.
“We know that we’ve got to be well positioned to brace for these further cuts,” Professor Terry said.
National Tertiary Education Union WA division secretary Gabe Gooding said it seemed Curtin had been “overly optimistic” in budgetary forecasts.
“It’s unfair for staff to be put under further pressure and have increased workloads as a result of a failure of budgetary forecasting by the senior management,” she said.
Professor Terry said predicting student numbers was a complex exercise. About 150 Curtin staff lost their jobs last year because of faculty re- structures or because contracts were not renewed.