DEAKIN University says it has thrown $45 million at its Warrnambool campus in an attempt to reverse declining enrolments.
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Vice Chancellor Jane den Hollander told a public rally on Friday night the university had invested more than $5 million in marine science, new accommodation, added a third year to the law degree, upgraded nursing simulation equipment and increased spending on advertising and marketing.
“I was told if we spent money on marine biology, student numbers would increase,” Professor den Hollander said.
“In 2011 we had 169 students in that course, today there are 127.
“I was assured adding an extra year to the law degree numbers would grow. That did not happen.”
Professor den Hollander said there were 872 enrolments at the campus in 2016 with the figure expected to fall to 500 in the next two years if no action was taken.
“Where we are at now is not sustainable. I’m raising the issue now so we can start to look at it now,” she said.
“Other regional campuses usually close when numbers reach 2000. We did not.”
Professor den Hollander said Warrnambool accepted students with VCE scores of a minimum of 50.
“Many other school leavers do not achieve the required ATAR. Rather than enter a pathway program as a stepping stone for eligibility to Deakin, those students are choosing to go to another university,” she said.
“School leavers who do achieve the required ATAR are leaving home to study beyond Warrnambool, at our Burwood or Geelong campuses, or at other universities.”
She said this came despite the university making 62 visits to schools across the region in the past year.
Professor den Hollander rejected claims agriculture courses could be introduced, saying data showed there was little demand for them.
“Glenormiston College is a shining beacon of this. If there was glimmer it would work, we would have done it,” she said. “No other agriculture school is thriving.”
Western Victoria MP James Purcell refuted the claim, saying he would travel to New Zealand to investigate why three agricultural universities were successful.
Professor den Hollander said the university was looking at a joint partnership to provide undergraduate courses. She committed to retaining research and the medical school.
Answering a question from the audience, she agreed the uncertainty was bad marketing for graduating year 12 students.
She said she would have preferred to announce a solution in early April, instead of discussing the issue without answers.