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A community group fighting to retain a university campus in Warrnambool is urging students to take up studying at the city’s campus.
The newly-formed Regional Tertiary Advisory Group (RTAG) is hoping a spike in mid-year enrolments will help send a message to a prospective provider and highlight the community’s support for a university campus.
Deakin University is in negotiations with Federation University to take over the campus but declining student numbers could jeopardise any deal.
RTAG spokeswoman Felicity Melican said the group, which included business, education and council representatives, was determined to keep a university in the city.
She said there had been almost 45 years of tertiary education on the campus and the community did not want it to go.
“It would have a massive impact from an educational, economic and a regional point of view,” she said.
“We are taking a unified approach. Our focus at the moment is Deakin. They are on that campus and we want to work with them to work on enrolments so that we can try and drive the numbers. We have mid year intake which closes on July 3 and there is 2017 enrolments. There needs to be confidence in the campus. Our longer term aim is to provide an advisory group to the university on that campus to engage with from a regional, industry and community perspective.”
She said RTAG was concerned about staff and students that were currently enrolled.
“We want to try and provide support. The best way we can do that as a group is to add some confidence and work with Deakin or any other university that is looking to come to that campus. We are open minded.”
Deakin’s vice chancellor Jane den Hollander also urged students to consider the campus as a study option.
“I encourage all prospective students to show their support for the campus and the community by enrolling and commencing studies in trimester two,” she said.