Search for uni facts

By MARA PATTISON-SOWDEN
YARRA Ranges Council has responded to the pleas of Swinburne’s Lilydale students by planning a community meeting in coming weeks to discuss the future of the campus.
Two Swinburne students told councillors of their anxiety after being informed the Lilydale campus where they had been undertaking their studies would close by 1 July 2013.
Although mentioning their personal experiences, they also showed concern for their peers and their teachers, as well as the effects the closure would have on services, businesses and industry in the Yarra Ranges.
Councillors were unanimous in their support for keeping the facility open and the wide-ranging effects the closure would have throughout the wider community.
Amie Watson and Sarah Caulton spoke on behalf of their peers and teachers at the 14 August council meeting.
“We have two students here from higher education, we’re both TAFE, but we all have the same feeling – we’re not sure who’s affected or who’s moving where,” said Amie, convenor of the Save Swinburne Lilydale/Prahran Campus Facebook page.
They tried to answer questions from the councillors about the future of their courses, but admitted they’d barely been told what was happening.
“We’ve had no specifics of numbers of where students are going or how many are affected,” said Sarah.
“I chose to go to Swinburne Lilydale because my industry has recognised these guys as good providers.”
She said their teachers had expressed concern over the future quality of their education.
“My teachers have said instead of finishing in November 2013 they want us to cram and finish in July because they believe the courses will decline,” she said.
Amie said she had been told the Hawthorn campus was already at capacity several years ago, without adding infrastructure or extra students.
“We’ve been told it’s hard to find classrooms and lectures theatres to provide for the students already there,” she said.
“The demand is not being catered for.”
She then brought up the transport problems, with both the Wantirna and Hawthorn campuses more than an hour away by car, and longer by public transport.
“We have students everywhere and transportation is going to be a major issue we’re going to face along with the cost of that,” she said.
“It took me an nearly an hour to get to Healesville yesterday (from Lilydale) because of the bus, amplify that by going to Wantirna.
“The Wantirna campus is almost two hours by buses and train, for a one-hour lecture that’s almost not worth going to.”
Both women were frustrated at how businesses and other services would be affected.
“We’re actually talking about the Yarra Ranges, an area where there’s lots of tourism, hospitality, wineries and viticulture – Lilydale is cutting that out,” said Sarah.
Amie said small businesses would be affected with takeaway restaurants providing lunch orders for students and staff, as well as conferences.
“Lots of people who come to the university spend their money here,” she said.
“We have students that provide hours of volunteer work for ‘Friends groups’.”
She mentioned many students helped with the conservation group at Spadonis Reserve in Yering, trying to sustain the environment with their volunteer hours.