Comments on: Gillard: “Uni Melb Doing Its Best” http://savevca.org/archives/604 The VCA is in Danger... help with SaveVCA Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:19:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: savevca1 http://savevca.org/archives/604/comment-page-1#comment-91 savevca1 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:12:32 +0000 http://savevca.org/?p=604#comment-91 Short note in terms of states giving funding. The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (part of Edith Cowan University) receives both State and Federal funding. The National Institute of Dramatic Art is funded via the Arts Ministry (as opposed to the Education Ministry like VCA and WAAPA) and thus it is funded at higher levels and operates autonomously (i.e it is not part of a larger University). The optimum financial outcome for VCA would be being funded like NIDA through the Arts Ministry at the same levels of NIDA - financial security and independence in one go. The difference between arts and education ministry funding is stark. For instance, in 2008, the federal funding of the Teaching Program at NIDA was $17,510 per student (p 46, NIDA Annual Report 07/08) and the federal funding of the Teaching Program at VCAM was $9,560 (presentation by the Vice Chancellor, 25 August 2009). Short note in terms of states giving funding. The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (part of Edith Cowan University) receives both State and Federal funding. The National Institute of Dramatic Art is funded via the Arts Ministry (as opposed to the Education Ministry like VCA and WAAPA) and thus it is funded at higher levels and operates autonomously (i.e it is not part of a larger University). The optimum financial outcome for VCA would be being funded like NIDA through the Arts Ministry at the same levels of NIDA – financial security and independence in one go.

The difference between arts and education ministry funding is stark. For instance, in 2008, the federal funding of the Teaching Program at NIDA was $17,510 per student (p 46, NIDA Annual Report 07/08) and the federal funding of the Teaching Program at VCAM was $9,560 (presentation by the Vice Chancellor, 25 August 2009).

]]> By: BRY http://savevca.org/archives/604/comment-page-1#comment-88 BRY Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:48:36 +0000 http://savevca.org/?p=604#comment-88 Disappointing but no surprise. She is indicating that the federal government will not interfere because if they did, they would be asked for money, and they don't want to do that. Canberra has ANU - the best funded university in Australia. I guess they would like the states to copy them and start supporting their own universities to the same level, but the states haven't paid for universities since Gough Whitlam let them off the hook in the mid-1970s, so why should they now volunteer? The victorian government can't even run a transport system let alone realise that maintaining a world class educational institution like the VCA would be a good idea. The VCA has been brought to the current crisis by by good old Brendan Nelson cutting their funding. The buck keeps getting passed on and no-one takes responsibility. Brumby where are you (again?)... Disappointing but no surprise. She is indicating that the federal government will not interfere because if they did, they would be asked for money, and they don’t want to do that. Canberra has ANU – the best funded university in Australia. I guess they would like the states to copy them and start supporting their own universities to the same level, but the states haven’t paid for universities since Gough Whitlam let them off the hook in the mid-1970s, so why should they now volunteer?
The victorian government can’t even run a transport system let alone realise that maintaining a world class educational institution like the VCA would be a good idea. The VCA has been brought to the current crisis by by good old Brendan Nelson cutting their funding. The buck keeps getting passed on and no-one takes responsibility. Brumby where are you (again?)…

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