Concerns for student welfare after changes to La Trobe student advocacy service

There are serious concerns for La Trobe University students in need of support services, after the tertiary institution withdrew its current student advocacy funding agreement.

La Trobe’s decision to withdraw its funding of the LTSU advocacy service was due to a breach in a funding agreement.

There are serious concerns for La Trobe University students facing academic, administrative and welfare challenges, after the tertiary institution terminated its current student advocacy services contract following an alleged breach that union representatives say doesn’t stack up.

The La Trobe Student Union (LTSU) advocacy service offers support for students facing academic misconduct, issues across enrolment and administration, placement, student accommodation, disability and learning access and for victims of sexual harm.

Student Union representatives said it's the most valued service the union offered, with 120 students in November alone seeking support from the five staff members operating it – who will lose their jobs before Christmas with funding due to stop on December 13.

National Tertiary Education Union La Trobe Branch president Ian Woolford said the service has over 180 open cases, many of which involve vulnerable students from campuses across Melbourne, Bendigo and even international students.

“The advocates have been a lifeline for vulnerable students – they don’t just follow the rules and regulations, they live the values of equity and support and closing this service down without a viable urgent alternative just risks all of that,” he said.

There are serious concerns for La Trobe University students facing academic, administrative and welfare challenges, after the tertiary institution withdrew funds from its student advocacy services.

La Trobe’s decision to withdraw its funding of the LTSU advocacy service was due to a breach in a funding agreement, but Dr Woolford said evidence provided by the student union and its legal representatives indicated the university’s claims “had no merit”.

“This claim of a breach is simply a smokescreen. My understanding of the evidence shows these so-called breaches are rooted in the university’s own financial mismanagement,” he said.

Dr Woolford penned a letter to university management urging the institution to reverse its decision, but in response, vice-chancellor Theo Farrell stood by the university’s claim the LTSU had breached its funding agreement.

A La Trobe University spokeswoman said the institution valued the importance of the La Trobe Student Union and has been committed to working closely with it to “establish whether it was complying with and, where possible, rectify the financial management matters that impact compliance against the funding agreement”.

One LTSU advocacy service staff member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the university only gave three weeks’ notice the service would be cut, despite the extensive caseload.

“Although we are personally impacted and will lose our jobs, telling these really vulnerable students ‘we’re not going to be here to support you and we don’t know where to refer you’ is really going to affect our staff,” they said.

“We have students who have come from war-torn countries, have been the victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence – to have to say to those people basically ‘sorry see you later we can’t help you anymore’, is really distressing.”

One student who used the service said “it feels like the university is cutting corners at the expense of student support”.

“If they’re willing to remove something as essential as advocacy services, it makes me wonder where else they are cutting back on services that students rely on,” they said.

Another student said without student advocacy “the university is removing a key part of what makes it a supportive environment”.

Unionists say the move affected students across all La Trobe campuses. Picture: Julieanne Strachan

A La Trobe University spokeswoman said the university made the “difficult decision” to terminate the current funding agreement with the LTSU in light of concerns related to financial management.

“La Trobe University has not defunded the student advocacy services. The service will continue at the same level of funding within the university as an interim arrangement until a student-led body can resume the service,” she said.

“We have since provided a revised agreement to ensure the continued operations of the organisation within a framework that assures the university can meet our obligations to students and relevant legislation.”

The spokeswoman added: “At all times during the course of this matter, we have been, and will continue to seek to preserve and provide certainty regarding the delivery of student services”.

“We remain fully committed to returning the delivery of these important advocacy services to an independent student-led body,” she said.

The La Trobe spokeswoman said the university was confident there would be no impact to the quality and availability of advocacy services.

“It is our intent that Advocacy Services would be led by a student association and we have commenced early engagement and consultation with students and relevant staff to ensure the future state Advocacy Service is fit for purpose and meets the needs of our diverse cohorts across all campuses,” she said.

“The University remains committed to supporting the LTSU to recover from the issues that have led to this outcome and to supporting vibrant and independent student-led activity on all La Trobe campuses.”