Students question 2010

by Gabriel Tan

May 12, 2008

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY’S proposal to lay off administrative staff has caused students to question the project’s integrity.

In June 2007, Deputy Vice Chancellor Jan Thomas launched a project codenamed Murdoch 2010, which among other things aimed to reallocate finances from redundant administrative positions. Reactions from students to the project have been negative.

“I can’t understand why staff have to be sacked to reduce costs,” said Andrew (surname withheld), an international student at the university. “If the university really needs the money, maybe the [vice] chancellor can reduce his paycheck.”

Some of the other aims of the Murdoch 2010 project include improving decision-making processes, increasing efficiency and clarifying roles across all functional areas. According to the uni’s guild president, Clare Middlemas, the Murdoch 2010 project has been veiled in secrecy.

“Not many students are aware of the project’s existence,” she said.  “I can’t understand why it has to be so secretive.”

She said she was against the project because of the lack of transparency on the part of Professor Thomas.

“There was barely any student consultation and all the information on the website is not accessible even with a student account,” she added.  “Making things more efficient is a nicer way of saying we’re cutting costs.”

Helen Bartlett, a member of the Murdoch 2010 committee, told eMU News the project was in the best interests of the university.

“This project may result in the loss of administrative staff,” she said. “But it is an essential mechanism for Murdoch University to advance in the 21^st century.”

Murdoch 2010 project managers Professor Thomas and Ian Callahan were unavailable for comment. For more info regarding Murdoch 2010, hit planning.murdoch.edu.au.