Begbie4017
Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2007
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- Female
- HSC
- 1999
I am just passing on this message from http://www.facebook.com/groups/38712102000/ I dont know any more please direct questions to Margaret
A Message for Students and Staff at Macquarie University. Please share this with anyone affected.
As many of you are aware, Macquarie University is abolishing Honours from 2013. The university cannot guarantee that there will be any Honours intake in mid-2012, and after that, it's gone. This is part of a national plan, but Macquarie has put its hand up be a guinea pig. There are financial incentives which appear to trump other concerns.
The university is replacing Honours with a two Masters degree which will be the path to doing a PhD. The first year of this will be coursework (24 CPs at 800 level). The "carrot" will be a scholarship covering the two years of that degree.
Very few undergraduates have been notified of this formally--only those who have attended some Honours/Post-Grad Information Sessions. It's pretty shabby that everyone else is being kept in the dark. I suspect it's because the administration knows there will be much anger among students.
It seems the university is aware that it is going to lose some of its potential post-grads from within the university, but is prepared to sacrifice us because the economic incentives are great due to a funding deal with the government. One aspect of this that particularly concerns me is the haste with which it is being introduced. I can't see why there couldn't have been greater lead-time, with those who'd been planning to do Honours being able to, while the Masters program is introduced. Another issue is exactly what the Masters units will entail. The units won't be able to replicate what we've studied in undergrad, but will have to be completely new material. How they're going to find the staff to compile and teach these units, while they're simultaneously cutting funding is somewhat of a mystery. So it's a staff issue too.
I have written to Jim Piper and the head of the HDR unit (Dr Ren Yi), asking them to set up an information session for all Science undergraduates, so we are all aware of our position, and where we can convey our feelings on this issue. Obviously, many of us need to begin looking elsewhere if we want to do Honours. The least the university can do is let everyone know where we stand, as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it'd be great if you could let me know if this is going to adversely affect you, and in what ways. You can email me privately via margaret dot morgan at students dot mq dot edu dot au . When we have the meeting, I'd like to be able to present to the university evidence as to exactly how this is impacting on the student body. If the meeting doesn't take place, we'll organise our own.
Also, please share a version of this message on Blackboard in any units you're taking. You can give my email details, and I will continue to collate people's opinions on this, and how it is going to affect them personally. I won't use names, so will protect people's privacy.
You might also be interested in attending a meeting being held by the National Tertiary Education Union on Wednesday 26 October, 10.30am in the NTEU meeting room (W3A401). The union is very supportive of the students in this, and of course of the staff who'll have to construct and teach the new units. Hope to see you there!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Margaret Morgan
A Message for Students and Staff at Macquarie University. Please share this with anyone affected.
As many of you are aware, Macquarie University is abolishing Honours from 2013. The university cannot guarantee that there will be any Honours intake in mid-2012, and after that, it's gone. This is part of a national plan, but Macquarie has put its hand up be a guinea pig. There are financial incentives which appear to trump other concerns.
The university is replacing Honours with a two Masters degree which will be the path to doing a PhD. The first year of this will be coursework (24 CPs at 800 level). The "carrot" will be a scholarship covering the two years of that degree.
Very few undergraduates have been notified of this formally--only those who have attended some Honours/Post-Grad Information Sessions. It's pretty shabby that everyone else is being kept in the dark. I suspect it's because the administration knows there will be much anger among students.
It seems the university is aware that it is going to lose some of its potential post-grads from within the university, but is prepared to sacrifice us because the economic incentives are great due to a funding deal with the government. One aspect of this that particularly concerns me is the haste with which it is being introduced. I can't see why there couldn't have been greater lead-time, with those who'd been planning to do Honours being able to, while the Masters program is introduced. Another issue is exactly what the Masters units will entail. The units won't be able to replicate what we've studied in undergrad, but will have to be completely new material. How they're going to find the staff to compile and teach these units, while they're simultaneously cutting funding is somewhat of a mystery. So it's a staff issue too.
I have written to Jim Piper and the head of the HDR unit (Dr Ren Yi), asking them to set up an information session for all Science undergraduates, so we are all aware of our position, and where we can convey our feelings on this issue. Obviously, many of us need to begin looking elsewhere if we want to do Honours. The least the university can do is let everyone know where we stand, as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it'd be great if you could let me know if this is going to adversely affect you, and in what ways. You can email me privately via margaret dot morgan at students dot mq dot edu dot au . When we have the meeting, I'd like to be able to present to the university evidence as to exactly how this is impacting on the student body. If the meeting doesn't take place, we'll organise our own.
Also, please share a version of this message on Blackboard in any units you're taking. You can give my email details, and I will continue to collate people's opinions on this, and how it is going to affect them personally. I won't use names, so will protect people's privacy.
You might also be interested in attending a meeting being held by the National Tertiary Education Union on Wednesday 26 October, 10.30am in the NTEU meeting room (W3A401). The union is very supportive of the students in this, and of course of the staff who'll have to construct and teach the new units. Hope to see you there!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Margaret Morgan
