Course Restructure
The introduction of the Melbourne Model to the VCA will see the separate schools and very specialist art-forms of Theatre, Production, Art, Dance, and Film and TV, combined into a single undergraduate degree (fine arts) with majors in those individual arts [i]. Music is moving to a similar model to the more academic Parkville Music Degree. At the completion of the three-year generalised degree, students will only then be able to specialise in their chosen discipline in a full-fee paying post-graduate course [ii]; a luxury many aspiring artists could never afford.
The Melbourne Model at the VCA will mean that up to 10 teaching weeks will be lost per year and 25% of course time will be dedicated to breadth subjects. In addition curriculum models being presented for 2011 include additional common subjects.
The consequence of these changes is that the curriculum will change from approximately 20% academic and 80% practical arts based training to 62.5% academic and 37.5% practical arts based training. This is a reduction of specialist training by over 50%. [iii]
Under the proposed models, contact hours are to be significantly reduced across all courses. At present, students in performance courses, such as Theatre and Dance, have close to 40 contact hours per week, which is considered necessary to the training of professional performers. Music, as the first course to move closer to The Melbourne Model is being reduced to 12 contact hours per week in 2010. [iv]
One of the prime motivations behind the Melbourne Model was that “employers wanted more broadly educated graduates” and that is probably true in many sectors. But the feedback we are getting from agents, directors and other arts industry people is that this is certainly not the case in the arts.
COURSE SUSPENSION
Students and staff fear that courses will continue to be axed, with Puppetry (the only school of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere), Music Theatre (in its inaugural year), Music Repertoire and Music Composition already falling victim to course suspensions. [v]
STAFF REDUNDANCIES
On the 28th of July this year, Vice Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis of the University of Melbourne announced for the VCA[vi]:
- a freeze on the hiring of external professional staff
- tightening the renewal process for fixed-term contracts for professional staff so that contracts will only be renewed where absolutely necessary
- a limited voluntary redundancy program for permanent academic and professional staff where positions are no longer required
These measures have already impacted on VCA’s sessional, technical and administrative staff, all of whom have been integral to the function, curriculum and success of the school for decades.
Twelve VCA staff were sacked in mid 2009 and VCA staff have been instructed to reduce or cut sessional staff. Most recently Art Staff have been sacked and rehired on half hours and the School has been told there will be no sessional staff from 2010. Students are finding that many of the sessional teachers from whom their peers received training in previous years, are no longer teaching at VCA.
The Dean’s budget, to be released in September, is expected to result in severe cuts to staff. These staffing cuts, in combination with the re-allocation of resources, will dramatically increase the workload of remaining staff and seriously reduce the quality of education at the VCA.
- This is the model Heads of Schools have presented to VCA staff although no documentation has been released yet
- http://www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/Course.aspx?topicID=18&courseID=48
- Percentages are based on the following calculations: Current VCAM curriculum is approximately 80% specialist studies for 32 weeks per year, equivalent to 25.6 weeks per year specialist training. Proposed VCAM models are up to 50% specialist studies for 24 weeks per year, equivalent to 12 weeks per year specialist training. Therefore the reduction in specialist arts training will reduce by equivalent 13.6 weeks or 53%
- http://www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/Course.aspx?topicID=18&courseID=48
- These courses suspended in 2009, see UoM course inform
- In an internal memo sent to staff
