The Australian National University has backed down on its plans to downgrade its Asian language academics to fixed contracts following widespread community consultation and national condemnation.
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The university issued its final proposal for changes to the School of Culture, History and Languages on Monday afternoon after a fraught consultation process which received 97 submissions as well as the National Tertiary Education Union notifying a formal dispute over parts of the proposal.
While the university has retained a plan to axe up to 15 academic positions, it has stepped back from its plan to downgrade six language positions to three-year contracts.
In its 34-page document, the university has agreed to treat the old language subsidy as a strategic investment. This means that academics teaching Sanskrit, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese who were to be placed onto three-year contracts will now be restored to continuing status and the two fixed-term positions in Burmese and Classical Chinese will be made continuing.
Things are less certain for their colleagues across the school, who may still face redundancy.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt AC said the ANU remained committed to teaching a wide range of Asia-Pacific languages.
"ANU isn't planning to follow the path of other universities who have abandoned teaching of many of these languages," Professor Schmidt said.
"We are working to keep all of our languages, and to find ways to grow them so that more students get the chance to study Asia-Pacific languages.
"The University is committed to continued excellence in Asia-Pacific research and teaching for decades to come. Getting the School on a healthy financial footing and operating within its budget, rather than in growing deficit, is part of ensuring that future."
Under the changes, a new name will be chosen for the School by staff and students and the academic departments will be reorganised into key areas including culture, histories, languages and environments.
Professor Schmidt said the university expected the majority of academic staff in the School will be transferred to the new school.
"We will do everything possible to minimise job losses," he said, noting that "fewer than 15 academic positions could be affected by the changes".
ANU committed to helping affected staff find work in other parts of the university or transition to other arrangements, such as fixed-term pre-retirement or part-time contracts, to ensure redundancies were kept to a minimum.
The 's ACT division secretary Rachael Bahl said it was "good to see the university assert its commitment to language teaching through both the extension of the so-called 'language subsidy' and the retention of ongoing employment for the staff who deliver 'less commonly taught languages' ".
"Things are less certain for their colleagues. We still don't know which staff will be employed in the new school and which staff may face redundancy. We welcome the university's declaration that any redeployment or redundancy measures will be in accordance with the Enterprise agreement.
"We will be seeking views from our members."
Meanwhile, award-winning international Sanskrit expert McComas Taylor welcomed the changes.
"My colleagues and I are delighted that ANU has publicly committed to supporting Asian languages in the long term. We are looking forward to working with ANU management to really develop our role as the national Asian language provider for Australia and beyond, and we want to strengthen the university's excellent reputation. Of course our relief is tempered by concern about potential cuts to other areas."
Professor Taylor was considering his future at the ANU under the previous plan to place him and others on fixed-term contracts, saying it would irreparably damage the university's ability to carry out its national functions of engaging in the region.
