‘Reverse decision’: Southern Cross University cuts to arts education a ‘thumping blow’ for Northern Rivers NSW

Advocates nationwide have called on Southern Cross University to reverse its decision to slash creative arts degrees – warning the impact will ripple through the Northern Rivers and further afield.

After a long legacy of providing humanities courses and shaping the regional town of Lismore, Southern Cross University will cease to offer a range of arts degrees from 2025.

Creatives across the nation have begged Southern Cross University to reverse a decision to end its arts education legacy of more than three decades.

From 2025, the university will no longer be offering undergraduate creative arts courses, including Bachelor of Art and Design, Bachelor of Contemporary Music, and Bachelor of Digital Media.

The decision forces the next generation of creatives to look elsewhere for their sought after education.

Southern Cross University (SCU) was established in January 1994 with campuses in Lismore – long a hub for artists of all types – and Coffs Harbour. In 2024, it also has a Gold Coast campus, and branch facilities elsewhere, like Sydney.

Now, Northern Rivers Arts executive director Jane Fuller has joined forces with state and national voices calling for SCU to overturn the decision.

A joint statement by Northern Rivers Arts, Museums and Galleries of NSW and the National Association for the Visual Arts expressed “deep concern” about the “incredibly disappointing decision”.

National Association for the Visual Arts executive director Penelope Benton has joined the call for SCU to reverse its decision.

“We implore Southern Cross University to reverse its decision, and for the Federal Government, to reconsider the implications of these closures,” the statement reads.

The group said the cuts were “another thumping blow” for a region still recovering from the devastating 2022 floods, among other hardships.

“This is a community still recovering from bushfires, storms, floods, the pandemic, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis – this news only compounds those challenges,” they said.

Ms Fuller said cuts would have a direct and tangible impact on the Northern Rivers community and its industries – “the life blood” of towns and regional hub Lismore.

Museums & Galleries of NSW CEO and former Lismore Regional Gallery director Brett Adlington wants the arts to be valued and prioritised.

Arts Northern Rivers has been mapping the region’s creative industries in a report titled Who We Are, which reveals the area has the largest cultural sector in regional NSW.

The draft report shows that the Northern Rivers has 3844 cultural and creative workers – the largest population of such workers in NSW, outside of Sydney.

The region also boasts 112,000 makers, creators and participants in arts and culture, or the equivalent of 36 per cent of the population.

Ms Fuller said the arts have always been valued in Lismore and surrounds, and especially so after the floods.

But she said exorbitant fees for arts degrees now made courses seem like “a luxury item”.

Students at the Coffs Harbour campus, along with Lismore, the Gold Coast and online will be affected by the course closures.

Arts degree costs generally increased to about $50,000 following the introduction of the Jobs Ready Graduates Package by the Morrison government in 2021.

A spokeswoman for SCU said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision as Southern Cross University has a long history of providing creative degrees in the NSW Northern Rivers region”.

She said the decision was part of “a broader strategy to ensure that Southern Cross University continues to be sustainable amid ongoing challenges in the sector”.

“Southern Cross University remains focused on areas where it can deliver the most value to students, staff, and the wider community,” the spokeswoman said.

SCU declined to respond specifically to calls from the community to reverse the decision.

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