Big UTAS course structure overhaul

UPDATED: The University of Tasmania has flagged potential job losses in a major overhaul of the courses it offers.

THE University of Tasmania has announced an overhaul of its course structure, flagging potential job losses as a result.

UTAS says the changes, which will take effect from next year, will make it easier for students to navigate and are “more distinctively Tasmanian”.

In a memo to staff today, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black, said UTAS planned to slash the number of courses it offers to less than 120. The university currently offers 514 degrees.

This would be a reduction of 76 per cent from the number of courses currently offered.

But Prof Black said the new structure would still provide “terrific choice”.

Prof Black said the proposed new structure would remove complexity.

University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black. Picture: MITCH OSBORNE

“We have assembled 514 degrees which map to 2657 units delivered across 72 study periods according to 3855 study plan rules,’’ he said.

“Compounding this complexity is the fact that we have to keep making exceptions to try to get it to work.

“Last year alone we made 8422 overrides just to our pre-requisite, anti-requisite and co-requisite rules.”

Prof Black said the new course structure had been drafted for discussion among the academic community.

He said UTAS was facing “sustained headwinds” to being sustainable, including an over-reliance on China as a market for international students, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus.

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Prof Black said he had flagged to staff that as “complexity was removed from the course structure”, the work associated would be eliminated.

He said people involved with that work would be offered support to redeploy.

“As we have discussed previously, we know this will mean we need less people,’’ he said.

“We will lean hard on natural turnover to achieve as much of that as possible.”

National Tertiary Education Union Tasmanian secretary Kelvin Michael said the announcement came as a surprise to staff and students.

“Already we’re receiving contact from concerned members who of course are worried about what this might mean for their job,’’ he said.

“It’s been a big rock thrown into the pond and the ripples are going to go on for a while.”

He suggested UTAS reconsider some of its other spending, including its move into the Hobart CBD.

Federal Labor MP for Franklin, Julie Collins, said the news was concerning.

“The state and federal Liberal Governments, and university management, must do everything possible to minimise any impact on staff and students at UTAS,” she said.

“With only one university on our island, they cannot afford not to.”

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he was “shocked and saddened” UTAS would be cutting the number of courses it offered by 75 per cent.

“UTAS is the biggest employer in places like Launceston and this will severely damage our community and economy, at an already very difficult time,’’ he said.

“There’s a real risk that we’re going to lose more of our young, our best and our brightest, from our island now.

“Whilst I know that the university was looking at simplification measures including rationalising some of its courses, this news today comes as a kick in the teeth for many Tasmanians.”