The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has announced the finalisation of its Arts and Society restructure, which they say aims to consolidate resources and improve efficiency.

This includes merging Humanities and Social Sciences, reconfiguring Creative Arts and Media and relocating some programs.

While UTAS assures minimal student disruption and course continuity (except for German and a review of Indonesian), the plan involves cutting approximately 12 academic positions.

This decision faces strong criticism from staff unions and community groups, who argue the cuts are unjustified and will negatively impact the university’s offerings and the state’s cultural sector.

Statements from UTAS, 4 July 2025

UTAS have not issued an official media release, however they have provided Tasmanian Times with a series of quotes and background to this outcome.

Their announcement of 12 job cuts is an update on the previous 13 mentioned by the union.

The changes come amidst a challenging financial landscape for higher education nationally and declining student enrolments in some courses.

Professor Lisa Fletcher, Interim Academic Lead, Arts and Society, emphasised the critical role of these fields, stating,

“The humanities, social sciences and creative arts matter to the future of our state and to the quality of our lives.”

She added, “This change is about ensuring a strong, viable and sustainable humanities, social sciences and arts offering for Tasmania into the future.”

Professor Fletcher acknowledged the difficult context driving these decisions.

“We need to deliver this for Tasmania in the context of a challenging financial environment for the higher education sector nationally and declining student enrolments in some of these courses,” she explained.

She also highlighted the university’s commitment to consultation, noting,

“We have listened and responded to the feedback we received from staff and students through our consultation period.”

She confirmed that the university “engaged with the Tasmanian University Student Association from the commencement of our five-week consultation period in May.”

To minimise the impact on staff, Professor Fletcher stated, “We have worked hard to minimise the impact on our people after already having made savings across other areas of the University in recent years.”

Key Changes in the Restructure

  • The Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences will merge into a single School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Policing and Emergency Management will join UTAS Health, aligning with Paramedicine.
  • Social Work will also move to UTAS Health, aligning with Psychology.
  • The School of Creative Arts and Media will be reconfigured into two distinct Schools: Creative and Performing Arts (encompassing Art and Theatre programs) and The Conservatorium (focusing on Music).
  • Media will be integrated into the new School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Importantly, no semester 2 offerings to students will be cancelled, and no courses would be discontinued as part of these changes, with one exception.
  • The German major, which has consistently low student numbers, will be discontinued.
  • The university is actively working with partners to develop a sustainable model for the future of the Indonesian program.
  • Politics and International Relations will become a single major.
  • All other programs within the affected Schools, including Art and Theatre, will continue.
  • The proposal includes a reduction of approximately 12 positions through a combination of targeted and voluntary redundancies, in line with the Staff Agreement.

Media release – National Tertiary Education Union, 3 July 2025

UTAS Confirms Cruel Cuts to Arts and Society: 13 Jobs Axed Despite Staff Concerns

The University of Tasmania has confirmed the elimination of 13 academic positions across Arts and Society, ignoring comprehensive concerns raised by the National Tertiary Education Union about unfair processes and failure to follow proper procedures.

“UTAS has chosen to bulldoze ahead with job cuts they can’t properly justify,” said NTEU Tasmanian Division Secretary Dr Ruth Barton.

“Positions are being eliminated while most of their work continues. This is cost-cutting dressed up as redundancy.”

Poor Timing With New Federal Funding

The cuts make little sense given Federal Education Minister Jason Clare’s recent announcement of significant new university funding. The Government has committed $54 million to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), implementing new Managed Growth Funding starting transition in 2026 and full implementation from 1 January 2027.

“UTAS is cutting jobs in July 2025 when new federal funding starts flowing in 2026. The redundancy costs alone could fund these positions until the new money arrives,” Dr Barton said. “This short-sighted approach makes no financial sense.”

Sham Consultation Process

NTEU members expressed frustration about being “consul-told” rather than genuinely consulted – with outcomes predetermined and feedback ignored.

“This wasn’t consultation, it was con-briefing. Staff were told what would happen, not asked for their input,” Dr Barton said.

The NTEU’s analysis revealed:

  • 55,000 hours of teaching work available across the university, making job cuts unnecessary
  • Academics losing positions while most of their teaching duties remain for redistribution.
  • No analysis of how remaining staff will cope with extra workload
  • Volunteers are being sought for 6 redundancies, but if there aren’t volunteers UTAS will choose.

Basic Procedures Ignored

“One academic will lose their job despite none of his teaching hours being cut. Others face redundancy while significant work responsibilities remain,” Dr Barton said.

UTAS failed to explain how eliminated workloads would be shared among remaining staff, leaving colleagues worried about even more impossible workloads.

Devastating Impact

The cuts target History, Politics, International Relations, Philosophy, Languages, Tourism, Art and Theatre – areas essential to Tasmania’s cultural and educational landscape.

Only one academic received a reprieve – Indonesian language staff have been granted six months hiatus to secure external funding, proving the university knows genuine work remains.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

“With new federal funding on the horizon, these redundancies represent the worst kind of short-term thinking,” Dr Barton said. “UTAS will pay millions in redundancy costs, then likely need to hire new staff when the federal money flows.”

The Changes in funding announced by Minister Clare are designed to support exactly the kind of diverse educational offerings UTAS is now cutting.

“UTAS claims to value the arts while systematically dismantling them. Following proper procedures isn’t too much to ask, but UTAS has chosen maximum harm with minimum justification.”

Media release – Save UTAS Arts, 3 July 2025

UTAS proposal continue despite wide disapproval from University staff, students, and the Tasmanian community

As of this morning, The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has seemingly finalised their decision regarding their proposed destructive changes. As per their Proposal Outcome document, which I will provide alongside this statement*, the following changes will indeed be made:

  • The proposed cut to the Indonesian program has theoretically improved. The University’s new plan is to spend the next six months “trying to build a sustainable model” for the program, searching for exterior funding, primarily from the Indonesian government, to support it. A ridiculous and unnecessary notion and they clearly show little care for the program at all.
  • Media will hilariously, nonsensically still be combined with English in the new English & Media program. A reflection that whoever designed this does not understand the media course at all at a student level.
  • The Music school will be separated into a Conservatorium. This, solely, is not a bad idea. However, the notion that the Hedberg school will now be reserved for music puts the already struggling Theatre discipline, who are currently using the school, into crisis. Later in the document it is pitched that theatre could use the Ducheneaux (sic) Theatre in Hunter I urge one to look at the theatre and figure out how applicable it actually is to the theatre discipline.
  • Twelve full time staff members have been axed. This was one of the biggest points of contention throughout the At a time when UTAS executives are paid ridiculously high wages, twelve actually helpful, hands-on staff positions are being removed. Oppositions to these redundancies were almost unanimous. Students, TUSA, even the NTEU.
  • Public support for this is very obviously at rock bottom. However, UTAS has clearly, disingenuously, cherry picked feedback, likely from executives and unaffected disciplines to feign Visible on page 37. Easily refuted by any and every public petition and survey we have seen: even those undertaken by bodies less biased than us.

“Thank you for everyone who took the time, space and effort to contribute and engage with this feedback process.

“Feedback from this process has not only informed decision making; it will also inform the scope and priorities of the implementation and change management plans for each new School.”

Clearly this is all lies – they have not at all listened to the statewide uproar from every level of public interest: students, TUSA (Tasmanian University Student Association), community members, and local, state and federal politicians.

They have ignored every request and demand. This university leadership does not listen to their student cohort or the state they service.

It is important to note that one of the biggest reasons they give for these changes revolves around falling income and enrolments. With UTAS desperately hacking at its own reputation, inevitably leading to even less future enrolments, it is clear to see that Rufus Black’s own million dollar (plus) salary remains untouched – because although twelve working teachers clearly cost far too much (they do not), Mr Black is quite obviously paid fairly (almost twice as much as the Prime Minister) for his brilliant work in slashing the university alongside Tasmanian academia and art.

Editors note: * We are waiting on a link to this document and will insert here when available.

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