UNE allocates funds to protect campus and community services

July 11, 2006

The Vice-Chancellor of The University of New England, Professor Alan Pettigrew, has announced that the University will provide more than $700,000 a year to ensure the continuation of services that not only contribute significantly to the life of the University, but extend out into the Armidale community.

Professor Pettigrew's announcement follows detailed discussions with the Board of Services UNE and the management of Sport UNE about their loss of revenue as a result of the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU) on July 1.

He said these discussions indicated that there would be a combined annual loss of $2.8 million in student fee income to both organisations. "This will necessitate considerable restructuring of their operations," he said, "and financial support from the University's operating budget, to enable them to continue to deliver a range of important services for students from 2007."

"The University will provide $300,000 per year to support Services UNE, comprising $230,000 cash and $70,000 in-kind support," Professor Pettigrew explained. "In addition, the University will take over the provision of several services previously provided by Services UNE. Sport UNE will receive $400,000 per year to support its range of sporting facilities and programs that are so essential to the student life at UNE and the Armidale community. The operating costs of both organisations will also be reduced by having some administrative functions provided by the University."

He indicated that a major part of the contribution to Services UNE would support the operations of the Booloominbah Collection restaurants and the radio station TUNE! FM. "The Booloominbah Collection is open to staff, students and the general community and is at the heart of the University," he said, "and TUNE! FM makes an important contribution to both the education and campus life of our students, and the University's contact with the wider community."

Professor Pettigrew explained that UNE management would continue to work closely with the Board of Services UNE to ensure that student services related to welfare and advocacy services were adequately maintained. He said that discussions between the University, Services UNE and student representatives during the second half of this year would reveal the extent to which the University needed to provide an extra amount of up to $50,000 a year to support these services.

"We will be working with both Services UNE and Sport UNE to find ways to increase their income from commercial activities," he said, "and, in the case of Sport UNE, government grants. Our aim will be to maintain and improve services while reducing dependency on the University's resources that are provided to support essential teaching, research, capital works and related operations. There is an important opportunity here for the Armidale and surrounding communities to show their support for their University and its students by participating in and supporting facilities and functions operated by Services UNE and Sport UNE."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Professor Alan Pettigrew (seated) in the TUNE! FM studio with (behind him) UNE's Chief Financial Officer, Mr Adrian Robinson, and Mr Ed Campbell, Station Manager of TUNE! FM.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at July 11, 2006 10:20 AM