LA TROBE VICE CHANCELLOR GETS HONOURS IN HYPOCRISY
In a stunning display of hypocrisy, La Trobe University Vice Chancellor John Dewar has paid tribute to the radical students of La Trobe’s past whilst he moves to expel students who organised and participated in campus protests throughout 2012.
Speaking at the 2012 Alumni Awards, Dewar praised those students of the sixties and seventies who, in Dewar’s words, cared not for “high-prestige commercial professions,” instead simply asking, “What have you got to say?”
John Dewar certainly has a lot to say about La Trobe’s radical students of yester-year, attributing the success these graduates have experienced in their professional lives to the moral purpose they gained through their time at La Trobe.
“I want La Trobe to be that sort of place again.”
The sort of place John Dewar would like La Trobe to be – “a place that draws people in to learn and debate, before sending them back out into the world to make a difference,” – contrasts starkly with the 21st century La Trobe Dewar is creating as Vice Chancellor.
Last year Dewar oversaw severe cuts to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, a faculty that still asks students what they have to say, sacking dozens of staff and striking hundreds of subjects from the books.
“John Dewar says he envisages a university where the ideas of students are valued, where debate is encouraged. It is impossible to believe the Vice Chancellor is sincere in his wishes given the massive course and staff cuts he presided over last year,” said Jessica Lenehan, a student organiser of the campus protests last year.
“He is persecuting students who organised protests against these cuts to our education, we cannot believe he is interested in what students have to say,” she said.
Whilst he is quick to praise students who participated in protests and sit-ins on campus decades ago, when it comes to students currently protesting against attacks on their education, Dewar has preferred to charge students with general misconduct and threaten them with expulsion from the university.
The three accused students are being brought before closed university disciplinary hearings where they are denied the right to legal representation.
“John Dewar is trying to expel me from my university for organising protests on campus which supposedly damaged the reputation of La Trobe. John Dewar decimated our humanities faculty and is now trying to expel students who fought to save it. His attacks on the university are truly detrimental to the reputation of La Trobe as a liberal institution,” said Danica Cheesley, one of the accused students.
Students are organising a campaign in defence of their right to free speech and assembly on campus.
Speaking at the 2012 Alumni Awards, Dewar praised those students of the sixties and seventies who, in Dewar’s words, cared not for “high-prestige commercial professions,” instead simply asking, “What have you got to say?”
John Dewar certainly has a lot to say about La Trobe’s radical students of yester-year, attributing the success these graduates have experienced in their professional lives to the moral purpose they gained through their time at La Trobe.
“I want La Trobe to be that sort of place again.”
The sort of place John Dewar would like La Trobe to be – “a place that draws people in to learn and debate, before sending them back out into the world to make a difference,” – contrasts starkly with the 21st century La Trobe Dewar is creating as Vice Chancellor.
Last year Dewar oversaw severe cuts to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, a faculty that still asks students what they have to say, sacking dozens of staff and striking hundreds of subjects from the books.
“John Dewar says he envisages a university where the ideas of students are valued, where debate is encouraged. It is impossible to believe the Vice Chancellor is sincere in his wishes given the massive course and staff cuts he presided over last year,” said Jessica Lenehan, a student organiser of the campus protests last year.
“He is persecuting students who organised protests against these cuts to our education, we cannot believe he is interested in what students have to say,” she said.
Whilst he is quick to praise students who participated in protests and sit-ins on campus decades ago, when it comes to students currently protesting against attacks on their education, Dewar has preferred to charge students with general misconduct and threaten them with expulsion from the university.
The three accused students are being brought before closed university disciplinary hearings where they are denied the right to legal representation.
“John Dewar is trying to expel me from my university for organising protests on campus which supposedly damaged the reputation of La Trobe. John Dewar decimated our humanities faculty and is now trying to expel students who fought to save it. His attacks on the university are truly detrimental to the reputation of La Trobe as a liberal institution,” said Danica Cheesley, one of the accused students.
Students are organising a campaign in defence of their right to free speech and assembly on campus.
La Trobe University Vice Chancellor John Dewar flees students again
La Trobe University Vice Chancellor John Dewar was this evening chased down Lygon St by a group of 40 students. Dewar has overseen substantial cuts to the University’s Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty this year, which were met by large student protests. A number of students who participated in those protests are now facing possible expulsion from the University. Dewar walked by the students who were discussing the cuts, and was met with angry calls of “Shame, John, shame!” and “No education cuts.”
The Vice Chancellor refused to speak to the students about the disciplinary action. Instead, he preferred to flee in scenes reminiscent of the University’s Open Day in August this year, where Dewar fled from students protesting against his cuts to Humanities through a series of underground tunnels.
“I’m glad we chased the Vice Chancellor again,” said Owen Cosgriff, a La Trobe Student involved in the campaign against the course cuts and now in defence of the accused students, “John Dewar shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets happily while he is cutting courses and trying to expel students. We cannot allow the university to get away with this attempt to silence our right to free speech on campus.”
The accused students will be brought before closed misconduct hearings, where they are denied the right to legal representation or even advocacy.
“Not only is La Trobe trying to deny us our right to free speech on campus, they are trying to bring us before undemocratic, unaccountable hearings where we are denied the right to lawyers,” said Danica Cheesley, one of the students facing expulsion. “This is absolutely disgraceful behaviour from an institution which considers itself progressive and free thinking,”
Ms. Cheesley has been accused of a number of offenses for her role in organising the protests, including participating in actions considered detrimental to the interests or good reputation of the University.
“John Dewar is detrimental to the interests and good reputation of the University,” Ms. Cheesley commented. “His actions have seen over twenty-five people lose their jobs, and a large number of courses have been cut. Now he’s attempting to silence our right to protest these things. It’s simply outrageous.”
Students have decided to organise a campaign in defence of their right to free speech, including protests on campus.
The Vice Chancellor refused to speak to the students about the disciplinary action. Instead, he preferred to flee in scenes reminiscent of the University’s Open Day in August this year, where Dewar fled from students protesting against his cuts to Humanities through a series of underground tunnels.
“I’m glad we chased the Vice Chancellor again,” said Owen Cosgriff, a La Trobe Student involved in the campaign against the course cuts and now in defence of the accused students, “John Dewar shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets happily while he is cutting courses and trying to expel students. We cannot allow the university to get away with this attempt to silence our right to free speech on campus.”
The accused students will be brought before closed misconduct hearings, where they are denied the right to legal representation or even advocacy.
“Not only is La Trobe trying to deny us our right to free speech on campus, they are trying to bring us before undemocratic, unaccountable hearings where we are denied the right to lawyers,” said Danica Cheesley, one of the students facing expulsion. “This is absolutely disgraceful behaviour from an institution which considers itself progressive and free thinking,”
Ms. Cheesley has been accused of a number of offenses for her role in organising the protests, including participating in actions considered detrimental to the interests or good reputation of the University.
“John Dewar is detrimental to the interests and good reputation of the University,” Ms. Cheesley commented. “His actions have seen over twenty-five people lose their jobs, and a large number of courses have been cut. Now he’s attempting to silence our right to protest these things. It’s simply outrageous.”
Students have decided to organise a campaign in defence of their right to free speech, including protests on campus.