Sydney Uni to Axe Arts Staff and Courses

The NSW Greens oppose the University of Sydney's announcement that up to 50 jobs will go from the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) as part of the incorporation of the college into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.  

This cut comes after students, staff and supporters successfully lobbied against the earlier plan to merge the SCA with the College of Fine Arts (COFA) at the University of NSW. 

The SCA will be relocated from the present site in Rozelle at Callan Park to the Camperdown/Darlington campus to 'ensure financial viability' and the university has indicated that the structure and delivery of the current curriculum will be 'streamlined'.  It's proposed that the Jewellery and Object major and Ceramics and Glassmaking components of the Sculpture major in the Bachelor Visual Arts (BVA) will be discontinued for students commencing from 2018.

The Greens believe that these staff cuts and proposed cuts to the arts practice content of the BVA, are a cynical cost cutting excercise which will reduce options for students and have a negative impact on the future of our arts industry.  Major universities such as the University of Sydney should offer comprehensive arts degrees and not cut funding and marginalise arts education.