Media Release UTSSA Condemns Academic Change Proposal: Cuts Put Profits Before Students
The UTS Students’ Association (UTSSA) strongly opposes the Academic Change Proposal released today by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), describing it as a corporate restructure that places financial metrics above education, students, and the public good.
The proposal would see:
● 167 courses and 1,101 subjects discontinued – almost one-third of all UTS subjects.
● “Low enrolment thresholds” of fewer than 50 students per subject used as justification to cut electives across the university.
● Subject portfolio reductions of 50% in Science, 46% in Health and 34% in Design & Society, in areas of national priority.
● A merger of the UTS Business School, Faculty of Law, and the Transdisciplinary School into a new “Faculty of Business and Law,” undermining the social justice focus and independent identity of UTS Law.
“This is a corporate restructure, not an educational vision,” said UTSSA President, Mia Campbell. “There is no consideration of the value of these courses to students, to academic staff, or to the needs of the Australian public.”
The UTSSA warns the proposal sets a dangerous precedent for universities across Australia. “If senior management can cut programs just because they don’t make enough money, then no course is safe – no matter its social, cultural, or national importance,” Campbell said.
The UTSSA also condemns the complete lack of student consultation. Despite repeated claims by UTS – including to the Senate Inquiry on 8 September and in emails to students on 15 August – that changes would “not affect current students,” the university’s own risk assessments admit otherwise.
UTS’s own risk assessments undertaken as part of the Change Proposal process explicitly acknowledge likely negative impacts on student experience, wellbeing, engagement, and enrolments. These documents anticipate students will face:
● Larger class sizes.
● Fewer opportunities for interaction and support.
● Reduced practical and emotional support during course teach-outs
Even more concerning is the plan for students in discontinued courses such as the Bachelor of International Studies combined degrees and Education degrees. Under the proposal, students will be “encouraged” to study full time to complete their degree, or else be forced to switch to another course at UTS, substitute subjects, or transfer to an entirely different university. This is unacceptable. Forcing full-time study places an impossible burden on many students – especially those who are working to support themselves, caring for family members, or living with a disability. Students deserve stability and respect in their education, not to be shuffled between degrees or institutions because management has decided their program is “no longer strategically relevant.”
“This is misleading and dishonest,” Campbell said. “UTS has told students one story in public – that they will not be affected –while preparing documents that confirm the opposite in private.”
UTS’s own figures show the university would return to financial surplus by 2029 even without these changes. “Why cause this kind of harm when stability is achievable without slashing courses, jobs, and learning opportunities?” Campbell asked.
The UTS Students’ Association calls on management to:
1. Immediately halt the academic change proposal.
2. Commit to genuine student consultation before any further changes.
3. Protect the breadth and diversity of UTS’s course offerings, especially in nationally critical areas like science, health and education.
“Students chose UTS because of its commitment to social justice, its wide range of subjects, and its identity as a public university.” Campbell said. “These cuts betray that promise.”
