[committee] Upcoming referendum on UWA restructures | Will you endorse the YES vote?

[Tobias Langtry]

Hi,

I’m sure you would have heard about the upcoming referendum
<https://fb.me/e/1HlwM2hrb> happening at the same time as the Guild
elections next week. The referendum ("Do you reject the UWA Vice
Chancellor’s $40 million restructure which will result in course and staff
cuts?") is of great importance to the students you represent.

*The ask*
*Would UCC please make a post endorsing the YES vote in this upcoming
referendum?**

I understand that UWA’s clubs and societies tend to prefer being
a-political but I think this should be an exception. Every single party
running in the Guild election endorses the YES vote; this is an issue that
affects every student and every party recognises the importance of this
vote.

*Why is this important?*
Cuts are being made to the library, School of Social Sciences, School of
Molecular Sciences, BMR and the offices of Finance and Research. These cuts
are just the first of many; the Vice-Chancellor has suggested a further 6-7
Schools will face restructures. Available evidence suggests that these cuts
would over the long term hurt the University's reputation, financial
sustainability and quality of education.

The restructure will mean potentially hundreds of lost jobs and the end of
the entire anthropology and sociology major. Every single student and every
member of your organisation will likely be affected.

Staff have reported that these changes have been pushed through with little
meaningful consultation and the proposals have relied on misleading data
that the Vice-Chancellor has admitted was incorrect. In fact, senior
leadership have repeatedly ignored basic questions from staff, students,
the NTEU and media. Damningly, the Vice-Chancellor has yet to provide any
hard evidence of a supposed $40 million ‘structural deficit’ he claims is
the reason behind this restructure.

*What impact will this have?*
A high turnout vote with high levels of support for the YES vote will send
a strong signal that students are united in opposition to this restructure.
Many students will avoid voting in the referendum because it’s happening at
the same time as the Guild election. That’s why it’s important that every
organization on campus lets their members know what’s at stake.

*Further resources*
If you want to do your own research, please check the following links:

   - Pelican Magazine
      - (OPINION: A Proposal for Change, and a Kick to the Guts
      <https://pelicanmagazine.com.au/2021/07/21/opinion-a-proposal-for-change-and-a-kick-to-the-guts/?fbclid=IwAR1cZvdXpvu5sc5OgtYHx940dsdxHYJkBXrnxlp0sZdL0Jz57qer38sHZNs>
      )
      - (‘We aren’t going away, UWA!’: a Protest Re-cap
      <https://pelicanmagazine.com.au/2021/08/23/we-arent-going-away-uwa-a-protest-re-cap/?fbclid=IwAR21U-AoTEAbn_GkRPVXJDyPCrcrRvOgMPWwCR93V0HQzQJpsxRtMQvFw5Q>
      )
      - (BREAKING: School of Molecular Sciences next on the chopping block
      <https://pelicanmagazine.com.au/2021/08/23/breaking-school-of-molecular-sciences-next-on-the-chopping-block/?fbclid=IwAR01yiPr8dYhgzkw9MoHaYk9N35zz7OLuV7U_oGTuBpVrJOqOBa3-bf49kY>
      )
   - Save Social Sciences UWA
      - (Media Support
      <https://www.savesocialsciencesuwa.net/media-support?fbclid=IwAR1os4E2mBTCpht0MtQO2Y5XgsRDDF5mzx_NiGKB5N8oLUkPobOvf-CaWVs>
      )
   - WAtoday
      - Coverage by Aja Styles
      <https://www.watoday.com.au/by/aja-styles-hve7u>

**Asking this as a student, not a Pelican reporter; I’m not contributing to
or influencing Pelican Magazine’s election coverage this year.*

*All the best,*
*Tobias Langtry*
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