From:	Heidi Taylor [heidit23@hotmail.com]
Sent:	Friday, 30 March 2001 11:01 AM
To:	eet.sen@aph.gov.au
Subject:	submission to the senate inquiry into higher education
The Secretary,
Senate Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education 
References Committee
51.62 Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Honourable Committee Members,

I would like to make a submission on behalf of the University of Western 
Sydney, Bankstown Women’s Collective to the Higher Education Inquiry into 
the capacity of public universities to meet Australia’s higher education 
needs.

I am a student enrolled at this university as well as being the women’s 
officer here, and I am very concerend around a number of issues here at the 
University of Western Sydney (UWS) as well as across the enitre tertiary 
sector.

Recently UWS underwent a restructure that has seen $10 million slashed from 
UWS, already one of the most under funded universities in Australia. This 
restructure has resulted in further overcrowding of tutorials, a cut in face 
to face learning, a shorter semester, an increase in fees and fines, and 
many many more cuts to the quality of our education.

The resources in our library here at UWS Bankstown are grossly inadequate, 
recently I was researching an assignment and could find no books in the 
library that were published after the mid 1980s. Outdated books affect the 
quality of my learning and as this assignment was a class presentation the 
quality of learning for my classmates is also affected. There are not enough 
photocopiers in the library to meet the needs of students here, and this 
results in huge lines in the photocopy room.

The problems within our education is not limited to only the under funding 
on our campuses but extends further to issues such as childcare for 
university students and Youth Allowance.

UWS has the second highest rate of single parents in Australia, but there is 
no childcare on my campus nor are there any parenting rooms. University 
students need to be able to access occasional care facilities that operate 
within the same hours that university class are occurring.

I am in receipt of Youth Allowance the amount of money I receive does not 
cover even my basic living expenses and so I am forced to work part time to 
help cover my expenses. This is the case for many other students as well.

The conditions on my campus and across the entire tertiary sector urgently 
need to be improved. I urge you to recommend increased funding for 
universities and increase in both childcare funding for students and student 
income support.

Yours sincerely,

Heidi Taylor
University of Western Sydney, Bankstown
PO Box 333
Milperra NSW 2214
ph: 9772 6488
email: heidit23@hotmail.com

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